The Community Foundation awarded more than $4.1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in the second quarter of 2014.

Responsive grants totaled about $1.4 million, supporting the Community Foundation’s community investment priorities of Early Childhood Learning and School Readiness, Economic and Community Development, Individuals and Families, and Youth Development.

"We are energized by this round of grantmaking, allowing us to address such a wide variety of community needs," says President/CEO Carrie Pickett-Erway. "We’re thankful for our donors who have made large and small gifts, and recognize the hard work by the volunteers on our Community Investment Committee for providing their insights on how to best meet the many demands throughout the community –– both current and future needs."

The 22 responsive grants include:

  • Kalamazoo County Ready 4’s $350,000 to support high quality pre-kindergarten.
  • Housing Resources, Inc. $175,000 to support the Housing Stabilization program.
  • Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes $150,000 to support building a food secure Kalamazoo.
  • Comstock Community Center $97,200 for the Community Learning Center.
  • Crescendo Academy of Music $83,000 for the Marvelous Music program.
  • Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra $50,000 to support Kalamazoo Kids in Tune.
  • Western Michigan University Foundation $50,000 to support Kalamazoo County’s Infant Foster Care unit.
  • Douglass Community Association $50,000 for operational support.
  • Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum – Air Zoo $50,000 for physical space expansion.
  • Michigan United $40,000 for capacity building.
  • Pride of Scotts $40,000 for building improvements.
  • Volunteer Kalamazoo $40,000 for volunteer engagement and nonprofit capacity building.
  • Kalamazoo RESA $35,000 to support Education ReConnection.
  • YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo $35,000 to support the Summer Advantage program.
  • Parent to Parent of SWMI $26,916 for general program support.
  • Edison Neighborhood Association $25,000 to support the Edison Go Green Deconstruction project.
  • Kalamazoo Push for Learning $24,565 for student tutoring and mentoring.
  • Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan $22,832 for cultural competency evaluation.
  • Kalamazoo Book Arts Center $20,000 for educational program support.
  • Constance Brown Hearing Centers $15,000 to support safety and accessibility.
  • Southwest Michigan Black Heritage Society $10,000 to support the Racial Healing Initiative summer and fall programs.
  • Kalamazoo Civic Theatre $8,000 for scholarships for the Academy of Theatre Arts.

Other grant distributions included: $696,000 from Advised Funds; $424,000 from Field-of-Interest Funds; and more than $1.6 million from Designated Funds (funds established for specific nonprofit agencies.