What Matters

What Matters Kalamazoo Community Foundation

What matters?

A level playing field for all kids when they start school?

Access to healthy food? Safe and affordable housing?

Employment opportunities? A thriving economy?

Giving back?

For nearly 90 years we’ve supported hundreds of organizations and thousands of people from communities throughout Kalamazoo County. Because community matters. And when community matters, people protect it, care for it and care for the people in it.

The truth is, our community still has needs. But we believe by working together, as a community, we can make Kalamazoo County a place where every person can reach full potential.

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What Matters 3

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What if?

What if, just because you lived in Kalamazoo County, it meant you were loved, cared for, encouraged, educated, empowered — that you mattered?

That’s what we envision. A community where we all acknowledge the inherent value of all our neighbors.

A community where all people have the opportunity to reach full potential. A community where every person matters.

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Why not?

Why not give a gift with no strings attached? Unrestricted gifts are one of the most powerful ways you can help create a community where every person can reach full potential. This kind of gift offers the ultimate in flexibility, ensuring there will be resources tomorrow for needs we can’t even imagine today. Any gift you make to our general Spirit of Community Fund is an unrestricted gift. We use our Spirit of Community Fund to: • Address current community needs.

• Invest in the work of organizations that are collaborating with others to make long-term, transformative change.

If you’re interested in a particular area of need, you can give to one of our focused Spirit of Community Funds: • Economic and Community Development • Education and Learning • Environment • Health • Housing • Individuals and Families • Youth Development • Partners in Education Scholarship Find more information about these funds and other ways to give at www.kalfound.org.

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Here’s how.

Giving to the Community Foundation is easy.

You can choose to give a gift to one or more of our Spirit of Community Funds now, or later through your estate plan.

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Gifts you give to the Community Foundation become part of a permanent endowment, which means they’ll benefit Kalamazoo County forever. We invest your gifts so they grow and maximize the resources available to address community needs.

Give Now Use the enclosed envelope Give online at www.kalfound.org/give

Our grantmaking process is unique because of how we interact with people and how we respond to requests from local nonprofits. We combine our knowledge and experience with your input. We thoughtfully assess community needs, go on site visits, ask tough questions and encourage collaboration.

We give grants to Kalamazoo County nonprofits addressing immediate community needs, as well as those collaborating with others to create long-term, transformative change.

The goal is to make Kalamazoo County a community where every person can reach full potential.

What Matters

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Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Our mission is to make life better for all through

leadership and stewardship of resources that last forever.

Our vision is a community where every person can reach full potential.

Our core values are excellence; integrity; and diversity, equity and inclusion.

We are here to help. If you have questions

about how to make a gift or want to learn more about other ways you can give — like including us in your estate plan — please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our Donor Relations team: Carol Carter 269 585.7247 / ccarter@kalfound.org Coby Chalmers 269 585.7249 / cchalmers@kalfound.org Joanna Donnelly Dales 269 585.7260 / jdales@kalfound.org Ann Fergemann 269 585.7238 / afergemann@kalfound.org Jeanne Grubb 269 585.7248 / jgrubb@kalfound.org What Matters

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402 East Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3888 269.381.4416 www.kalfound.org

Photography This publication was photographed

by Robert Neumann of Big Event Studios.

The Kalamazoo Community Foundation is committed to environmental sustainability.

This publication was printed locally with soy inks on recycled paper. When you are finished with it, please support our commitment to the environment by recycling it or passing it along to a friend.

2014