Our Inclusiveness Statement

The greater Kalamazoo area draws its spirit, vitality and character from the increasingly diverse mix of people who live and work in our community. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation recognizes that the future strength of this community rests firmly on its commitment to value, respect and embrace the richness of a diverse citizenry.

The Community Foundation wants to do its part to ensure that no person is excluded from services, employment or volunteer participation because of ethnicity, race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, physical and/or mental abilities/characteristics, philosophy/religion, or any other discriminatory reason.

Therefore, as a condition of accepting a grant award from the Community Foundation, all grantees must acknowledge their inclusiveness policies and/or practices by affirming the following Inclusiveness Statement, which appears the Community Foundation's Grant Agreement Form:

No person is excluded from agency services, employment or volunteer participation because
of ethnicity, race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, physical
and/or mental abilities/characteristics, philosophy/religion, or for any other discriminatory reason.

Organizations that serve a specifically defined population or charitable class of people are not considered non-inclusive or discriminatory. The Inclusiveness Statment applies to how an organization serves its specific target population as well as how it handles hiring and volunteer participation.