2024 Community Impact Report

Big Picture:

Evolving to Meet the Moment 2024 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT

Kalamazoo County: The Most Equitable Place to Live At Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF), we believe our community cannot thrive until it is a place where all people are safe, valued and have equitable access to opportunities and resources. That is why, after 100 years of serving the residents of our county, we are committed to creating a thriving community where people, resources and expertise are mobilized to advance racial, social and economic justice in Kalamazoo County.

Table of Contents 02 Introduction 05 What Is a Community Foundation?

07 Community Impact Overview 11

Featured Funded Stories

17

By the Numbers

18

Love Where You Live Fund

19

Funded Partners

20 Investment Overview

Introduction

A Note From the CEO Transforming our community means understanding the urgency of now – the need to meet the moment we are in by rising to the occasion and tapping into a newfound creativity and resilience.

Right now, countless nonprofit partners, community advocates and education-seekers are facing uphill battles to access the resources they need to help transform our community. Without access to reliable and consistent funding, many of our changemakers will be unable to accomplish the work they are called to do or will miss opportunities to advance themselves and their families.

It is during times like these that we stand firm in our promise to be the most trusted philanthropic partner for every resident in Kalamazoo County. To this end, we are excited to outline in the pages of this report exactly how we are reimagining our grantmaking approach, all to strategically steward our donors’ gifts to help meet our community partners where they are.

Together, we are developing real-time, tangible solutions that can address their funding needs now.

As part of our dedication to remain steadfast and committed to serving the residents of this community, we hope the exciting ideas and stories in this report encourage you to become as passionate and invested as we are in making Kalamazoo County the most equitable place to live.

As always, I hope you continue to find new ways to love where you live!

Dr. Grace Lubwama President/CEO Kalamazoo Community Foundation 2

Introduction

A Note From Our 2024 Board Chair Over this past year, I have had the incredible privilege of serving alongside a team of forward-thinking and creative individuals who have consistently sought to maximize the impact of the work we are doing here at KZCF. In 2024, our organization returned to the drawing board to examine each aspect of how we operate and how we can push the bounds of what it means to be our community’s foundation. We know that serving the residents of Kalamazoo County and addressing our community’s most pressing needs, particularly as we navigate challenges due to emerging federal policies, requires all of us to come together to make sure that the problems we solve today clear a pathway to a brighter future for all tomorrow.

Under the decisive leadership of Dr. Lubwama and in alignment with her clear vision for our organization, ushering in a promising era where everyone in our community can thrive is a reality we do not simply have to hope for, but one we can all look forward to.

Von Washington, Jr. Board chair Kalamazoo Community Foundation

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Introduction

2024 Board of Trustees Von Washington, Jr. Chairperson

Artrella Cohn Trustee

Jim Escamilla Trustee

Dr. Jorge Gonzalez Trustee

Xiaoan Li Trustee

Lucas Mansberger Trustee

Kama Mitchell Trustee

Sydney Parfet Trustee

Amy Upjohn Vice Chairperson

Dr. L. Marshall Washington Trustee

2024 Community Impact Committee Amy Upjohn (Chair)

Jim Escamilla

Artrella Cohn

Lissette Mira-Amaya

Angelita Aguilar

Sydney Parfet

Byron Foster

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What Is a Community Foundation?

Creating Individual & Community Transformation – Together Simply put, a community foundation is a type of charitable organization that pools donations from individuals, families and businesses to support charitable initiatives within a specific geographic area – ours has and always will be Kalamazoo County.

. E . N . ...

H .

W s We Be e h ri v T lieve Kala y t n mazoo Cou

H ousing

W ealth is attainable and people have resources to meet their needs and invest in their futures.

is affordable, available and safe for every individual and family.

How Does Our Foundation Operate?

1. Get

2. Grow

3. Give

We get funds from individual donors, corporations and other foundations in the form of cash donations, bequests or other types of assets.

We then grow these funds by strategically managing them to generate new income.

Finally, as part of our commitment to invest back into our community, we funnel this new income into the community via grants that we give to nonprofits that are addressing the local needs and priorities of our residents.

What Is a Community Foundation?

E ducation

N eighborhoods

is accessible and learners are supported on their journeys.

are vibrant and community spaces nurture health, safety and strong connections.

4. Gather

5. Support

Beyond grantmaking, KZCF plays a vital role in community development and leadership by working to gather groups of community members together to address systemic issues.

To ensure that we can continue to operate at full capacity, we rely on critical support and collaboration within our internal teams, which allows us to provide necessary support to our developing donor base.

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Community Impact Overview Impact Investing Overview

Big Community Impact & Bold Evolution An Interview With Chief Community Impact Officer, Alyssa Stewart As KZCF approached its centennial, this moment became a powerful opportunity to reflect, realign and recommit to our mission of advancing racial, social and economic justice across Kalamazoo County.

Looking back with Alyssa, 2024 was a year of big impact and bold evolution, full of community milestones and critical feedback that helped shape the foundation’s future.

What Wasn’t Working This past year challenged KZCF to evolve, not because the work stopped, but because the needs of our community and the people we serve were calling for something more.

What are the most urgent or persistent challenges

Choice and access are signs of a truly equitable community, and we know household financial stability affects everything: education, health, where you live, even whether you can buy fresh food. That’s why one of our boldest moves in 2024 was naming wealth attainment as a top priority. Financial stability and upward mobility are absolutely essential to building a vibrant, thriving community.”

people and families in Kalamazoo County are facing, and how do those challenges shape the role KZCF needs

At the same time, what were you hearing from the

to play?

community that signaled KZCF needed to evolve internally and externally?

“Too many families in Kalamazoo County are working one, two, sometimes even three jobs and still can’t afford the basics — rent, “We’re constantly learning from our partners, neighbors and nonprofit leaders — formally through surveys and focus groups, childcare, food, transportation. The cost of living is rising faster than wages, and the tools to reduce debt or build wealth aren’t

and informally just by being in community. One thing came

equally available to everyone. That lack of access creates major

through clearly: we had work to do in being more transparent

disparities and ultimately limits choice.

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Community Impact Overview

“We distributed hundreds of grants and scholarships across the county, including Emergency Scholarships that helped students stay on track when life threw them curveballs.

We also remained nimble and responsive to urgent needs. When tornadoes hit our region, we activated our Community Urgent Relief Fund to deploy support quickly, partnering with incredible local organizations to help families recover.

In total, we granted nearly $25 million in 2024, which was on par for the organization. So even while we were taking bold steps and efficient, and explicit about how to access funding.

toward the future, the volume and impact of our work remained

We also heard confusion around multi-year grants. For a long time,

strong. That’s something I’m really proud of.

they didn’t exist. When we test-piloted them, the process still felt

It speaks to our “both/and” approach: holding a long-term vision

mysterious — who got selected and why? There was a sense of

for generations to come while responding to the urgent needs

uncertainty, even among longtime grantees.

right in front of us. Whether it’s COVID, community violence or

In 2025, we launched a much clearer grant guide that outlines our four priority areas and four distinct grant types, including multi-year general operating support. We also shared how much money is available in each category and how we make funding decisions. One of the biggest shifts, significantly increasing multiyear grants, was based directly on partner feedback. It supports

natural disasters, we’re here to serve through it all.”

How did shifting from broader areas like equity and education to the more focused WHEN priorities — Wealth, Housing, Education, and Neighborhoods — help you respond more directly to community needs?

their stability, reduces time spent writing grants, and lets all of us stay focused on the work that matters.”

“The WHEN priorities were a major outcome of our strategic reset.

They emerged from everything we learned over the past several

Restructuring to Meet the Moment

years — our equity and education work, community data, social determinants of health — all boiled down to something simpler,

In so many ways, 2024 was a transformational year for KZCF. With a new president and CEO, a shift in focus areas and a refreshed brand heading into our centennial, it marked a bold step into the future.

more aspirational.

We wanted to move away from equity being treated like a standalone goal. Instead, it’s now embedded across all four priorities. Because the truth is: none of these aspirations

But we want to recognize something just as important: the work never stopped. This wasn’t a year of pause, it was a year of progress. Even as the organization restructured, real impact was happening across the community — What

— financial security, safe housing, strong schools, vibrant neighborhoods — can be achieved for everyone unless equity is at the foundation. Unless barriers are removed, unless systems are made more fair, we won’t truly get there.

milestones from 2024 are you most proud of?

W ealth

H ousing

E ducation

N eighborhoods

KZCFs NEW Impact Priorities 8

Community Impact Overview

WHEN also gives people something to connect with personally.

2024, we changed that. We launched a new reporting process

These are things we all want for our families, no matter where we

that collects both demographic and geographic data from

live in Kalamazoo County. It’s unifying, and it brings clarity for our

grantees and scholarship recipients. That helps us understand

partners, helping them see where their work fits and ladders up

who we’re serving and where, because need exists far beyond city

to a shared vision for the future.

limits. These new tools keep us accountable to the community and to the donors who trust us to steward their resources.

We also ask something important of our funded partners: a demonstrated commitment to reducing barriers and increasing access. But we don’t position ourselves as the authority on equity.

We’re learning too. We’ve benefited so much from the wisdom of our partners, and we’ll always be on that journey with them — imperfect, open and committed.”

What changes did you make in 2024 to better align your outward presence with your mission? And how are things like grant cycles, reporting and communication evolving to serve your community more effectively?

“We’ve long been committed to centering Black, indigenous, and people of color in our impact work, but in recent years, we weren’t collecting enough data to truly measure whether our dollars were reaching those communities in equitable ways. In

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We also rolled out our Mobilizing Grants, a major evolution in how we support community change. While most of our grantmaking is responsive, these new grants are proactive.

They allow us to identify one transformative, communityrooted project each year and fund it with up to $1 million. It’s about getting big ideas across the finish line, especially ones that could unlock matching funds or catalyze momentum that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

Finally, we improved how we communicate. We hosted virtual town halls to share updates and gather real-time feedback, translated our grant guide into Spanish and simplified how people navigate our funding opportunities. Everything we’ve done — from our rebrand to our website to reporting to grantmaking — is about building trust, creating clarity and showing up in ways that truly serve.”

Community Impact Overview

A Just & Joyful Future 2024 wasn’t just a year of restructuring, it was a year of renewed belief in what’s possible. Where are you already seeing signs of transformation, and how are people responding to the shifts you’ve made?

“We’ve made significant changes in 2024, and while some of the ripple effects may take time to fully show up, we’re already seeing 2024 also laid the groundwork for a bold, long-term

the groundwork take root.

strategy. Can you walk us through KZCF’s new five-year

Our team has really rallied behind the WHEN priorities. That

strategic plan?

shared vision has given us clarity and a sense of collective

What does the “Get, Grow, Give, Gather, Support” framework help you focus on, and what initiatives are already underway to bring it to life?

“I love the simplicity of this framework. After 100 years of work, it distills what we do to its essence: We GET resources from donors and community partners. We GROW them through strong investments. We GIVE them out in alignment with our priorities.

We GATHER people and ideas to listen, learn, and build shared purpose. And we SUPPORT through relationships, infrastructure, and long-term commitment.

purpose that’s energizing everything we do. We’re hearing a lot of positive feedback, especially around the shift to multi-year funding. That change alone has brought a new level of stability and trust into our relationships with grantees.

What excites me most is knowing that the impact will show up in many forms. It might look like a student reaching their educational goals because of a scholarship. Or a family rebuilding after a disaster. Or a neighborhood enriched by policy change or new investment. Some of that transformation will be visible — some will be quiet and deeply personal. Some may never be directly traced back to us, but we have faith in the work and in the community. We’ve been here for 100 years, andnd with every new

It’s not just a plan, it’s a filter. Every strategy we pursue now gets

step forward, we’re showing up differently, more intentionally,

held up to that lens: Does this advance one of our core practices?

and more in tune with the future we all deserve.”

Does it serve our values and vision?

The WHEN priorities are deeply woven into this. We see three to four times more demand for grants than we have dollars to give, so part of our long-term plan includes growing endowed funds so we can give more and better match the scale of community needs.

The “Gather” piece is especially meaningful. It’s about creating space for real connection and learning. Whether that’s a town hall, a community meeting, or just sharing space and stories, this is how we stay rooted in what people are experiencing: what’s working, what’s not, and whether we’re getting closer to the aspirations behind Wealth, Housing, Education, and Neighborhoods.

Ultimately, everything we do comes back to people. Systems matter. Structures matter. But it’s people who feel the outcomes and people who shape the solutions. That’s what this strategy is designed to honor.”

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Featured Funding Story

Collaboration Becomes a Lifeline Drew Johnson is the executive director of South County Community Services (SCCS), one of Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s many nonprofit partners who mobilized quickly after the devastating May 7 tornadoes in Kalamazoo County this past year. Thanks to the Community Urgent Relief Fund (CURF) and a longtime collaboration with United Way of South Central Michigan, KZCF was able to help move funds within days — getting immediate aid to the partners like SCCS who know their communities best.

When Crisis Hits On the evening of May 7, 2024, a tornado moving at speeds as high as 135 miles per hour cut a devastating swath through Portage, Pavilion Township and Texas Township. Miraculously, there was no loss of life, but trees were uprooted and knocked

needs agency, seeking to connect people with lower incomes to vital resources like food, transportation, medication, programs for seniors and emergency financial assistance. The displaced residents of Pavilion Estates certainly fit the bill.

down, power was lost, and over 500 homes and businesses were

“The biggest thing was housing for people in the immediate

damaged or in some cases, destroyed completely. One area that

aftermath. We started by lining up hotel stays and gave out

was hit particularly hard was Pavilion Estates, a manufactured

two $500 gift cards to most residents immediately, the very

home community. Amidst the terror, some of the homes were

hardest hit ones that didn’t have any place to go that night.

flipped over, carried up into the air and dropped elsewhere or torn to shreds. Once the storm cleared, 173 units had been damaged and 17 were obliterated. With so many residents having lost the roofs above their heads in an instant, they needed a solution — fast.

Community Partners Step Up

- Drew Johnson | Executive Director, SCCS

After a week or two, we were able to scale down to one $500 gift card per household. We ended up distributing about $65,000,” Johnson said.

That money made a big difference in the lives of many people, but it’s a lot for a nonprofit to have access to at a moment’s

Drew Johnson, executive director of South County Community

notice. SCCS was able to make it happen as a direct result of

Services, remembers that night well. “I was taking shelter in my

their partnership with Kalamazoo Community Foundation, thanks

unfinished basement, in the laundry room with my kids, watching

to our Community Urgent Relief Fund (CURF), a permanent fund

a movie. I saw the videos of Pavilion Estates online and knew that

established in 2018 that focuses on emergency response and

the next several months were going to be so difficult for so many

resilience. This time, and across CURF history, KZCF partnered

people,” Johnson said.

closely with United Way of South Central Michigan to coordinate

Pavilion Estates is within the service area of South County 11

within southern Kalamazoo County. SCCS functions as a basic

Community Services (SCCS), a nonprofit that serves communities

the granting of dollars out to SCCS staff and volunteers on the ground.

Featured Funding Story

PAVILION ESTATES

SCCS has assisted the residents of Pavilion Estates for years,

wouldn’t cover it, or the person didn’t have insurance. And so

and has built up a good relationship with the management

we have been able to go through there, get consent from the

and many of the people living there, helping them to become

homeowner and do the work with funding from Yes! Communities

a trusted organization within the park. SCCS worked as an

[the owners of Pavilion Estates], United Way, Kalamazoo

overseer of the efforts being made in the wake of the tornado,

Community Foundation and Kalamazoo County. We’ve been able

but other organizations were there too, such as the Red Cross in

to do about $250,000 worth of repairs on homes in that park, with

the immediate aftermath, and groups that provided centralized

few eligibility requirements.”

distribution places for food and household supplies. With these essentials taken care of, KZCF’s CURF gift cards helped to cover additional costs that would have otherwise fallen between the cracks.

In the time that Drew has spent in Pavilion Estates, immediately after the tornado and through to today, one of the things that has impressed him has been how close-knit the community really is and how much they truly look out for one another. “During the

Hope & Healing

tornado, everybody warned each other because there wasn’t a

More than a year later, the rebuilding efforts continue. “I’m in Pavilion Estates a lot lately for the repair work that we’re doing,” Johnson added. “We’re doing repairs on homes that are owner occupied where there was some kind of reason why insurance

siren nearby or at least a lot of people didn’t hear a siren. Once everybody knew what was happening, they went to a McDonald’s that let them in the basement. That’s how everybody was safe during the storm, that’s why nobody died.”

CURF’s 2024 Impact at a Glance

$445,391.71

Grants Dollars Awarded to Four Grantees

509

Individuals Served

72

298

Households Provided With Longterm Case Management Support

Emergency Gift Cards Distributed

GIFT CARD

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Featured Funding Story

Mobilizing Voters: How Teamwork Transformed Civic Engagement in Kalamazoo Wendy Fields is the president at Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch MKB NAACP, a leading voice at the forefront of the battle against discrimination in the workplace, education and housing in our region. In 2024, MKB NAACP was a key partner in Kalamazoo County’s Mobilizing Michigan: Get Out the Vote Grants — a strategic funding process that distributed nearly $2 million statewide to activate voters across the county and support a broader statewide push for equitable access to the ballot.

Thanks to the support of aligned donor funding, responsive infrastructure and a key partnership with Michigan Voices, KZCF was able to proactively identify and move resources quickly to organizations like MKB NAACP, who knew how to activate trust, momentum and meaningful turnout where it mattered most.

Democracy at Risk

Strategic Activation & Resourcing

In the high-stakes 2024 election year, removing barriers to voting

Wendy said that she knew Get Out the Vote efforts needed to

seemed more urgent than ever, especially for Black voters, young

be big. MKB NAACP felt they couldn’t do it alone, so they didn’t.

voters and other groups historically underrepresented at the polls

Instead, they joined forces with Kalamazoo groups ISAAC and El

in Kalamazoo County. According to Wendy, misinformation, low

Concilio to create The Michigan Voter Coalition. Together, they

literacy, lack of transportation and a deep erosion of trust in

pioneered an innovative approach to voter mobilization and

democratic systems were all keeping far too many people from

spread efforts and grant funding equally among their teams to

casting their ballots.

make it all happen.

What we found engaging in conversation was that a lot of

There was flexibility and grace and trust given through the

people didn’t think their voice mattered, and a lot of people

grant process. When we asked if we could request funding

were fearful.”

as a coalition with other partners, there was no hesitation

- Wendy Fields | President, MKB NAACP

even though it seemed like kind of a new concept.”

- Wendy Fields | President, MKB NAACP

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Featured Funding Story

Creating Impact & Momentum

didn’t know how early voting worked or that they didn’t have to go

KZCF’s flexible funding was transformative. The grant fueled a multifaceted strategy which included: bilingual voter education

to their regular polling site to vote. Just taking the time to have that conversation was all it took.”

events, digital billboard campaigns, multiple aerial advertisements

The result? A successful campaign that not only increased

(an epic first for all three groups), voter registration parties, door-

voter turnout but also rebuilt trust in the electoral process and

to-door canvassing, and partnerships with the County Clerk’s

engaged multiple generations of voters across diverse Kalamazoo

office, local churches and schools. Wendy and her partners

communities. Wendy told us that their events were more than

were able to hire paid canvassers (many young and first-timers),

information tables and handouts. She saw daughters encouraging

provide transportation to polling sites, create innovative outreach

mothers to vote for the first time and families showing up

materials in multiple languages and host engaging community

together. “We had DJs at different locations, and people were

events on a scale they’d never achieved.

dancing and eating and making sure they were bringing people

Particularly powerful moments included connecting with youth and adults where canvassers transformed potential

along. It was a beautiful display of people coming together,” Wendy said.

disengagement into active civic participation. Wendy admitted

When it comes to the work ahead, Wendy says she’s inspired

that starting conversations was difficult sometimes. People were

by what they achieved in 2024 and everything that came out

guarded, even claiming that they didn’t believe in voting, but if she

of it, but she knows there’s more to do. The MKB NAACP is

was patient and kept talking and listening, magic would happen.

continuing to push voter registration boards and staying tapped

“Sometimes it turned out that a person had a felony on their record, and they thought it meant they couldn’t vote. Sometimes they struggled with reading and were incredibly anxious about the voting experience or needing help to make sure they filled bubbles the way they meant to.” Wendy said that educating folks around the nine days of voting, alternate early voting locations and assistance available at the polls was critical. “A lot of people

into emerging shifts in voting rights and processes to remain a knowledge source for Kalamazoo County. The coalition is already preparing materials and planning for the next election season, and Wendy has set a goal to focus more on teen, soon-to-be voters who deserve to enter into civic engagement with strength and confidence.

“It was just really a good venture, and I would have to say that we not only met our goals, we surpassed them,” Wendy said.

53M

53M

Actual Impressions Achieved

1,023,949 Doors Knocked

209,142

Actual People Who Committed to Voting

$1.9M

Dollars Moved

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Featured Funding Story

Fully Funded Dreams: A Student’s Scholarship Journey Recently we had the honor to speak with Chris Cummins, a fresh graduate at Spring Arbor University whose educational path was almost entirely funded thanks to the power of scholarships — including the Wade & Clio Van Valkenburg Scholarship and Earl Haas Scholarship awarded through Kalamazoo Community Foundation in 2023 as well as the Clarence L. Remynse Scholarship in 2024. Chris’s story reminds us what’s possible when a community believes in education and builds infrastructure to help students succeed.

Barriers Before Breakthroughs

Hope, Determination & a Community of Support

Chris Cummins’ educational journey has been one filled with

That’s when Chris discovered the all-in-one scholarship

challenges. From overcoming addiction, a battle that started far

application that Kalamazoo Community Foundation developed to

too young, to navigating the effects of time spent in jail, Chris

guide students to 60+ different funds, many in specialized areas

tapped into a steely perseverance and desire to help others in

that can offer unique incentives to people in situations like Chris.

similar situations, leading him to launch a career in social work.

He was pleasantly surprised to receive financial awards such as

I picked social work specifically because of my long history

the Wade and Clio Van Valkenberg Scholarship, which is named

of substance abuse. I was very appreciative of the people that were there for me when I got clean.”

- Chris Cummins | Mulit-scholarship Recipient

for a former Kalamazoo circuit court judge, the Honorable Wade Van Valkenberg, and helps students with past legal issues. In the same year, Chris qualified for the Earl Haas Scholarship, which was established by the estate of Earl Haas to honor his legacy

“I didn’t have any money at all. So I was required to take out student

and is awarded to Kalamazoo County high school graduates,

loans. I started seeing my debt go up … the interest on student

GED recipients and alternative school graduates like Chris. The

loans is ridiculous. I was honestly thinking about dropping out,”

following year, he applied again and got the Clarence L. Remynse

Cummins said.

Scholarship, established by a local resident and business owner and designed to help students attain a bachelor’s degree.

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Featured Funding Story

Being given money for college from local families with a desire to see other residents succeed made a difference that was more than monetary. “That really hit home. Not many people have believed in me because of the way I chose to live my life for such a long time. It is nice to know there are people in our community that are supportive and understanding of how people move through life differently,” Cummins said.

Future in Motion Chris is nearly done with an accelerated bachelor’s degree program at Spring Arbor University and has his eyes on a master’s.

Spared from much of the strain of crippling college debt, he has been able to find fulfilling employment, rebuild his credit, buy a house and forge new relationships. In just a few short years, his life has turned around considerably and he is excited to pass the goodwill on to others thanks to a deepened perspective that aids his chosen vocation.

Sometimes you just need to be treated like a human being, to know you’re worth something, that you still have value.”

- Chris Cummins | Multi-scholarship Recipient

$11,993

Total Value of Chris’ Scholarships

100%

Tuition Covered by KZCF Scholarships After Financial Aid Was Applied

3

Scholarships Chris Received 16

By the Numbers

$24,071,031.78 Grant Dollars Given* *Across all grant types

314 Grants Awarded

to Local Agencies

587 Scholarships Awarded to Area Students

$2,212,440 Scholarship Dollars Given to Advance Education

17

40

Community Events Sponsored Countywide

Love Where You Live Fund

Join Us in Building a Stronger, More Equitable Kalamazoo County

One Piece at a Time

At KZCF, we believe in the power of collective impact to bring bold ideas to life and respond to real-time needs.

Whether you’re passionate about education, housing, health, the environment, the arts or you care most about meeting the greatest needs as they arise, when you support a Love Where You Live fund, you become part of something bigger.

ppppppppp

Give today

Give Tomorrow

Give together

Make an Impact Today

Create a Legacy That Lasts

Be Part of a Collective Force for Good!

Your gift today supports nonprofit

When you include a Love Where You

Our Love Where You Live funds

organizations and programs that

Live fund in your estate or planned

are powered by people like you –

are addressing Kalamazoo County’s

giving, you help ensure Kalamazoo

neighbors pooling their resources to

greatest needs right now.

County can respond to evolving

build a better future for all!

community needs for generations to come.

Ready to Give?

Call Jenna Today!

To learn more about the Love Where You Live funds and

Call 269.585.7271

become an enduring supporter, contact Jenna Maxwell

Email

via phone or email.

jmaxwell@kzcf.org 18

Kalamazoo County Funded Partners

AACORN

Comstock Public Schools

Gull Lake Community Schools Foundation

Action Matters

Confident S.O.L.E.

Gull Lake United Methodist Church

African Community Kalamazoo

Congregation of Moses

Hackett Catholic Prep

Air Zoo

Council on Foundations, Inc.

Haven House

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Counterpunch Academy

Haven Reformed Church

Alternatives of Kalamazoo Crisis Pregnancy Center

Crescendo Academy of Music

Healthy House

Day Bible Church

Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center

Diocese of Kalamazoo

Helping Other People Exceed (HOPE) thru Navigation

Alzheimers Association American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan Animal Rescue Project Animal’s Best Friend Fund, Inc. Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo ASK Family Services Association of Fundraising Professionals- W MI Chapter B U Foundation

Disability Network Southwest Michigan Douglass Community Association Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation Drive for Life East Main Church of Christ Eastside Neighborhood Association Eastside Youth Strong

Bangtown Studio On The Go

Eastwood Little League, Inc.

Barn Theatre School for Advanced Theatre Training

Ecumenical Senior Center Edison Chapel

Bent Not Broken

Edison Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Bethany Reformed Church

El Concilio

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan

ERAC/CE

Bike Friendly Kalamazoo

Face Off Theatre Company

Black Arts & Cultural Center

Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan

Black Wall Street Kalamazoo

Family & Children Services

Borgess Foundation

Family Division, 9th Circuit Court

Boy Scouts of America - Michigan Crossroads Council

Family Health Center

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo Bread & Roses Alternative Child Care Center Bronco Campus Ministries Bronson Health Foundation Brookside Care Foundation Inc. Building Blocks of Kalamazoo Can-Do Kalamazoo Care Collective of Southwest Michigan Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo Centrica Care Navigators Challenger Little League District 2 Charlie’s P.L.A.C.E. Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center Chinese American Association of Greater Kalamazoo Christian Life Center Christian Neighbors City of Kalamazoo - Community Planning & Development

Farmers Alley Theatre Fire Historical & Cultural Arts Collaborative First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo First Day Shoe Fund First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo First Presbyterian Church of Richland First United Methodist Church Fontana Chamber Arts Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway Friends of the Portage Senior Center Friends of Vicksburg Youth Inc Friends with Disabilities Friendship Village Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Foundation Galilee Baptist Church Gathering Harvest Food Pantry Genevieve & Donald S. Gilmore Foundation

City of Kalamazoo - Parks & Recreation

Gilmore International Piano Festival

City of Portage

Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan

Climax-Scotts Community Schools

Girls Build Kalamazoo

Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo

Girls on the Run of Greater Kalamazoo

Community Advocates for Parents & Students

Glass Art Kalamazoo

Community AIDS Resource & Education Services

Goodwill Industries of SW Michigan

Community Healing Centers

Gottagetit

Community Homeworks

Greatness Unleashed

Community Living Options, Inc.

Gryphon Place

Community Outreach Prevention & Education Network

Guardian Finance & Advocacy Services Gull Lake Community Schools

Heritage Community of Kalamazoo Heritage Community of Kalamazoo Foundation Holy Cross Services Hospital Hospitality House of S.W. MI, Inc. Housing Resources, Inc. Immigration Law & Justice Michigan Inner City Youth For Change Institute of Public Scholarship Integrated Services of Kalamazoo Interfaith Homes of Kalamazoo International Campus Ministry ISAAC Jewish Federation of Kalamazoo & Southwest Michigan Junior League of Kalamazoo, Inc. Kairos Dwelling Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute Kalamazoo Animal Rescue Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center Kalamazoo Area Parkinson’s Support Group Kalamazoo Bee Club Kalamazoo Book Arts Center Kalamazoo Central High School Kalamazoo Chinese Academy Kalamazoo Choral Arts Kalamazoo Christian School Association Kalamazoo Christian School Foundation Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo Concert Band Kalamazoo Country Day School Kalamazoo County Defender Kalamazoo County Government Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission Kalamazoo County Ready 4s Kalamazoo Cultural Center Kalamazoo Deacons Conference Kalamazoo Drop-In Child Care Center Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center Kalamazoo Friends of Recreation Kalamazoo Gospel Mission Kalamazoo Housing Advocates Kalamazoo Humane Society Kalamazoo In Bloom Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Kalamazoo Junior Academy Kalamazoo Junior Girls Organization

Kalamazoo County Funded Partners

Kalamazoo Junior Golf Association

Open Doors Kalamazoo

The South County News

Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra

Open Roads Bike Program

Kalamazoo Justice Hub

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Tides Center for Michigan Transformation Collective

Kalamazoo Literacy Council

OutFront Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

Parchment Schools Foundation

Kalamazoo Nature Center

Parents for Transition

Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.

Park Club Historic Foundation

Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition

Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County

Kalamazoo Poetry Festival

Planned Parenthood of Michigan

Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital

Playworks Education Energized

Kalamazoo Public Library

Portage Central High School

Kalamazoo Public Schools

Portage Community Center

Kalamazoo Refugee Resource Collaborative Inc.

Portage District Library

Kalamazoo Regional Catholic Schools Foundation

Portage Education Foundation

Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency

Portage Lake Center PTO

Vicksburg Community Schools

Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency Foundation

Portage Northern Baseball Boosters

Vicksburg Community Schools Foundation

Kalamazoo Rotary Club Charities Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity Kalamazoo Youth Development Network Kazoo School Kids Moving & Thriving King-Westwood PTO King-Westwood Elementary School Kzoo Cat Rescue Latitude Recovery Services Leader Dogs for the Blind League of Women Voters of Kalamazoo Lending Hands of Michigan, Inc. Lifecycles Bike 4 Life Local Initiatives Support Corporation Local Journalism Foundation Inc. Men of Purpose Incorporated Merze Tate Explorers

Portage Northern High School Portage Parks Foundation Portage Public Schools

Tillers International, Inc. Township of Alamo Tree of Life School Twelve Baskets Food Pantry Unitarian Universalist Community Church of SWMI United Campus Ministry United for the Unsheltered of Kalamazoo United Way of South Central Michigan Unity of Kalamazoo Urban Alliance Urban Apostolic Network

Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center Vicksburg District Library

Portage Rotary Club Charities

Vicksburg Historical Society, Inc.

Portage United Church of Christ

Village of Vicksburg

Premier Athletics for Youth Development Pretty Lake Camp Prevention Works, Inc.

Vine Neighborhood Association Warm Kids Project, Inc

Progressive Deliverance Ministries

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers

Public Media Network

West Michigan Cancer Center

Queer Theatre Kalamazoo Reach Sober Living Read & Write Kalamazoo Red Arrow Riders Residential Opportunities, Inc. Richland Area Community Center

West Portage Little League Western Michigan University Western Michigan University - Department of Theatre Western Michigan University Archives & Regional

Richland Community Library

History

Rootead Enrichment Center

Western Michigan University Foundation

Shepherd’s Center of Greater Kalamazoo

Westwood United Methodist Church

Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center SLD Read

WGVU/WGVK

Smile Savers

WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Society for History & Racial Equity (SHARE)

WMUK-FM

Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of SWMI

YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center

South County Community Services

Young Kings & Queens Inc

Milestone Senior Services

Southwest Michigan First Corp.

Youth for Christ

MILO Coding Academy

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Milwood Little League

Sparrow & Nest Designs

YWCA of Kalamazoo

Ministry with Community

SPCA of Southwest Michigan

Mothers of Hope

Speak It Forward, Inc.

MRC Industries, Inc.

St. Ambrose Church

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

St. Luke’s - Partners in Housing Transition

MTS Ministries, Inc.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

New Vic Theatricals, Inc.

St. Thomas More Parish

New Year’s Fest of Kalamazoo, Inc.

Stulberg International String Competition

Northside Assoc. for Educational Advancement

Sunnyside United Methodist Church

Northside Association for Community Development

Texas Township Friends of Parks & Trails

Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch NAACP Michigan AfterSchool Association

Northside Ministerial Alliance

Zion Lutheran Church

The Arc Community Advocates The Salvation Army Kalamazoo

20

Financial Report

Combined Financial Statements Balance Sheet as of December 31

2024

2023

Assets

Cash & Investments

691,785,485

633,564,576

Interest in Charitable Trusts

13,011,916

12,224,449

Property, Equipment, and Other Assets

5,474,823

4,854,247

Pledged Contributions

1,201,116

1,266,255

711,473,340

651,909,527

Funds Held as Agency Endowments

39,003,165

34,664,268

Payables and Other Liabilities

2,686,784

4,121,009

Total Liabilities

41,689,949

38,785,277

Without Donor Restrictions

48,716,382

42,553,184

With Donor Restrictions

621,067,009

570,571,066

Total Net Assets

669,783,391

613,124,250

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

711,473,340

651,909,527

2024

2023

Gifts and Public Support

19,001,404

17,542,001

Gain (Loss) from Investment

52,242,818

67,740,482

Dividends and Interest

17,202,499

14,417,340

Other Income (Loss)

1,589,981

1,566,677

Total Support Gains (Loss)

90,036,702

101,266,500

Grants

23,927,470

23,702,026

Fundraising and Administrative Expenses

7,666,247

5,580,261

Program Expenses

1,783,844

2,423,971

Total Expenses

33,377,561

31,706,258

Increase (Decrease) In Net Assets

56,659,141

69,560,242

Net Assets, Beginning of the Year

613,124,250

543,564,008

Net Assets, End of the Year

669,783,391

613,124,250

Total Assets

Liabilities & Net Assets

Liabilities

Net Assets

Statement of Activities

Revenue

Expenses

21

Investment Performance Snapshot

A Message from Our Team: Reflecting on 2024 In 2024, KZCF experienced a second consecutive

In 2025, we’re focusing on continued growth in our

year of growth, impact and financial sustainability. Our

assets and, ultimately, our impact. We’re committed to

investment portfolios yielded double-digit growth,

maintaining a disciplined and intentional approach to

resulting in a 9.2% increase in our net assets, which will

investing and building a strong financial backbone for

contribute to long-term stability and increased future

KZCF’s work in the community. Our team is evaluating

giving. At the same time, we granted over $23 million

our fees, policies and investment strategy to ensure

to nonprofits and individual students in Kalamazoo, a

KZCF funds remain healthy and contribute to our vision

slight increase over the prior year. We also made key

of an equitable and thriving Kalamazoo County.

operational investments to prepare KZCF for the future.

Joshua Sledge Chief Finance & Investment Officer

Investment Performance*

Moderate Growth

Income & Growth

Socially Responsible Investment

Q4

1 Year

3 Years

5 Years

7 Years

10 Years

Actual

-1.7

11.4

4.1

7.9

7.4

7.5

Benchmark

-2.2

10.6

2.5

6.8

6.7

7.1

Actual

-0.3

12.6

3.5

7.5

7.6

7.4

Benchmark

-0.3

12.7

3.3

7.2

7.5

7.4

Actual

-0.5

13.4

3.0

7.7

n/a

n/a

Benchmark

-0.8

14.0

4.4

8.1

n/a

n/a

Benchmark Compositions *Investment data as of 2024 Moderate Growth Benchmark is a staged Index composite benchmark that has the current composition of the Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (15 percent); Barclays US Treasury 5-10 Yr TR USD (10 percent); DJ US Select REIT Index (2.5 percent); MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index (10 percent); MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index (10 percent); Russell 1000 Value Index (5 percent); Russell 2000 Value Index (10 percent); Russell Micro Cap Index (5 percent); S&P 500 Index (30 percent); and the NCREIF Fund Index ODCE (2.5 percent).

Income & Growth Benchmark consists of the S&P 500 Index (50 percent) and the Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (50 percent).

SRI Benchmark is 70 percent equity benchmark and 30 percent fixed income benchmark. The equity benchmark is 75 percent Standard & Poor’s 1500 Index, 15 percent MSCI EAFE Index, and 10 percent MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The fixed income benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government/Credit Index.

22

402 E Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3888 269.381.4416 | kzcf.org