Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) awarded $2.2 million in grants to 48 Kalamazoo County nonprofits during the first of two rounds of its 2018 grantmaking.
Three agencies received multi-year awards as part of a KZCF pilot program: Douglass Community Association, a neighborhood-based organization; Kalamazoo Literacy Council, a countywide education-focused organization; and YWCA Kalamazoo for Cradle Kalamazoo, a racial equity initiative focusing on infant mortality.
"Our nonprofit partners asked for multi-year funding to give them more time to work toward their longer-term goals," says Martha Gonzalez-Cortes, vice president, Community Investment. "We understand the funding challenges faced by our partners, and we hope this pilot program proves to be helpful in their service delivery."
First-round grants came from KZCF’s unrestricted (for the greatest need) and Field-of-Interest Funds (funds with a semi-restricted purpose). KZCF collaborates and partners with agencies throughout Kalamazoo County in a variety of sectors, including food, housing, health, education and others.
According to Gonzalez-Cortes, "This first grant round is the culmination of many months work by our Community Investment team, reviewing needs that are much greater than available resources. Our goal is to invest in the work of area nonprofits that are collaborating with other agencies to make long-term, community-transforming change."
Gonzalez-Cortes adds, "We know that multi-year commitments may be desired by all of our grantees; however, as there are limited funds available to commit to multi-year grants, we’ll need to prioritize among the many worthy projects we see in our grant cycles."
Not included in this list are grants and distributions from Donor Advised and Designated Agency Funds (those funds whose donors or agencies decide upon the distributions).
The first-round grants were made to these Kalamazoo County nonprofit organizations:
- AGW Dance Angel Network
- Arc Community Advocates
- Big Brothers-Big Sisters
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo
- Can-Do Kitchen
- Christian Neighbors
- City of Kalamazoo Parks & Recreation
- Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo
- Community Healing Centers
- Community Living Options
- Community Promise Federal Credit Union
- Disability Network Southwest Michigan
- Douglass Community Association
- El Concilio
- Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan
- First Day Shoe Fund
- Generous Hands
- Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan
- Guardian Finance and Advocacy Services
- Heritage Community of Kalamazoo
- Intrepid Professional Women Network
- Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission
- Kalamazoo Covenant Academy
- Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council
- Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes
- Kalamazoo Nature Center
- Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services
- Kalamazoo County Ready 4s
- Kalamazoo RESA
- Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
- Leader Dogs for the Blind
- Ministry with Community
- Northside Best Babies Zone/Preschools
- Open Roads Bike Program
- Pretty Lake Camp
- Read and Write Kalamazoo
- Rootead Enrichment Center
- Seeding Change
- SLD Read
- South County Community Services
- Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
- Speak it Forward
- United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region
- Urban Alliance
- YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo
- Young Kings and Queens
- YWCA Kalamazoo (Cradle Kalamazoo)
