Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Members of the KZCF team were in Traverse City, MI earlier this week to attend the Council of Michigan Foundations' 52nd Annual Conference: Common Humanity, Common Ground, Uncommon Solutions. While there, they were able to engage in a variety of sessions and build and strengthen connections with peers who are working hard across our state to create more equitable communities. Joanna Dales Meredith Bradford Demetrias Wolverton Dr. Grace Lubwama Brianna Mulnix Andrew Grayson Alyssa Stewart Stanley Steppes

Our Scholarships team was out in the community last week, engaging with students during K Fest at Kalamazoo College and presenting at Loy Norrix’s first annual College/Post-Secondary Choices Fair. Our General Scholarship application window is set to open on January 1, 2025, and you can find more information on our website! https://lnkd.in/edpmNPAe

Eliminating economic disparities for our community members is one way KZCF seeks to establish a thriving Kalamazoo County. To do this, a new Investment team was established in 2023 under the leadership of our chief investment officer, Josh Sledge. Read more about their Impact Investing work in this article from our 2023 annual report. ??

We understand that equitable access to affordable, safe and reliable housing is a fundamental human right that all residents of Kalamazoo County deserve. Learn more about our work to increase access to reliable housing for all in this update from our 2023 annual report. ??

We believe everyone in Kalamazoo County is capable of making a lasting impact in our community for generations to come. Read more about what it means to be a philanthropist in the donor update from our recently released 2023 Annual Report. ??

Earlier this week, members of our Philanthropic Services & Development team volunteered with First Day Shoe Fund, helping fit over 200 elementary-age students at Washington Writers’ Academy with a brand new pair of athletic shoes! First Day Shoe Fund supports students at public elementary schools across Kalamazoo County, distributing over 8,000 pairs of athletic shoes last year alone!

ICYMI: The Kalamazoo Board of Commissioners and KZCF have formed a strategic partnership to distribute resources from the opioid settlement funds to where they are needed most. You can learn more about these mini grants and submit your application at the link below. Applications are due by October 1 at 5pm.

Our team had a fantastic time at the Oddlympics last week, supporting the Kalamazoo Rotary Satellite Club with plenty of laughs and friendly competition. While we didn’t take home the trophy, we loved being part of an event that gives back to the community and strengthens local connections. We can’t wait to do it again next year!

?? Celebrating Local Excellence! ?? A huge thank you to RJ's Printing and owner Sean Hollins for bringing our 2023 annual report to life! We’re grateful for his dedication and the hard work of his entire team in helping us share our story with the community. ?? ?? Our annual report will be arriving in mailboxes this week for those on our mailing list. If you’re not on the list, no worries! You can still view the full report online. We can’t wait for you to see all the amazing things happening — you can check out the report here: https://lnkd.in/epSr9KZv

KZCF is a proud participant of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan's Paint The Town Green week, which emphasizes the importance of mentoring in our community. You can visit thinkbigtoday.org to learn more about the incredible work they are doing to support local youth in our area.