Partners in Progress / April 2016

partners in progress

Partnering with you to create a community where every person can reach full potential

There are many reasons to love living here in Kalamazoo County.

But the truth is, our community still has needs. We believe, by working together, we can make it a place where every person can reach full potential. A place where we all love to live.

One of the ways we’re working together is through our grantmaking process. In 2015, we received 257 funding requests. They totaled millions more than the amount we had available for grantmaking.

april 2016

application due dates 2016/2017

Letters of Inquiry may be submitted at any time throughout the year. Funding requests of more than $10,000 have specific due dates (outlined below) because they may require greater due diligence and additional levels of approval.

This pattern continues in 2016, and we don’t foresee a change in the number of future requests or available funding. However, we are working closely with the Community Foundation’s Donor Relations team to offer donors opportunities to co-invest in your work and broaden your base of support.

Another way we’re working together is by collecting your feedback through forums, surveys, convenings, foundation-agency meetings and one-on-one conversations.

In 2017 there will be two grantmaking cycles rather than three. The timing of the cycles is based on feedback you provided about your fiscal year needs. Between now and May 15, organizations that have within the last three years received funding in the winter round (January application due date) will be personally contacted by a member of our Community Investment team to talk about future timing and options for funding consideration.

Many of you shared a desire for more frequent communication with and from our team. This new publication is part of our response to that

fall 2016

feedback. We’ll use Partners in Progress to share information about

Letter of Inquiry Due Date September 1 by 5 p.m.

grant cycles, opportunities to connect with us and each other, and other important Community Foundation news. You’ll receive it a few times a

Full Application Due Date October 1 by 5 p.m.

year and we’ll email you each time a new issue is available. Please log in

Funding decisions will be made the week of December 12.

to your organization’s Community Impact System profile to be sure we have your correct email address. There also will be opportunities for in-person contact, the first being a June forum at which we will talk about our priorities and process in detail. Watch your email for your invitation.

You also let us know you need more information about our community investment priorities and grantmaking process. Information about our

spring 2017 Letter of Inquiry Due Date February 1 by 5 p.m.

Full Application Due Date March 30 by 5 p.m.

Funding decisions will be made the week of June 12.

grant cycles and application due dates is in the sidebar to the right on

fall 2017

this page. Look inside for information about our community investment

Letter of Inquiry Due Date August 1 by 5 p.m.

priorities. Feedback from our grantee surveys and how we’re responding is on page four. Please note, the information we’re sharing in this newsletter is just the basics. Detailed information is available online and will be shared at the June gathering mentioned above.

Full Application Due Date September 28 by 5 p.m.

Funding decisions will be made the week of December 11.

EQUITY

EDUCATION

full POTENTIAL equity

We are committed to removing barriers that keep people from reaching their full potential.

We are doing this by aligning and leveraging resources that will create long-term change.

education

We are committed to helping Kalamazoo area students achieve more. We’re doing this by backing programs and initiatives that prepare children for kindergarten and ensure they and their families have the skills and support they need to be successful all the way through school and beyond. We’re also doing this work through our support of The Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo.

our priorities Equity and Education are our community investment priorities.

For detailed information about each priority area visit www.kalfound.org/priorities.

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

We believe equity and education are the best pathways to making this vision a reality, and that people from all communities and organizations from all sectors must work together to identify and address Kalamazoo County’s problems — and their root causes — to create a community in which we all want to live.

Despite our collective best efforts, systems remain that serve some groups of people and exclude or marginalize others. Too many children are already behind when they start school, which means they are less likely to have a successful academic career.

There are still too many people who don’t have safe and affordable homes, healthy or enough food, or the skills or education they need to get a job that pays enough to provide these basic needs. Therefore, our greatest investments will be in efforts that address both equity and education.

We welcome our longstanding partners and invite new ones to join our community’s journey towards equity and educational success. Whether your work is in housing, health, food or any other sector, there are opportunities for us to work together to make Kalamazoo County a place where every person can reach full potential.

grantee survey results Over the last few years we’ve asked for your feedback through a number of grantee surveys. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts. Here’s what we heard from you and how we’re responding.

what we heard • It needs to be easier for you to get in touch with our team, especially when you have specific questions or there’s an issue you want to talk about.

• You’re not sure about the purpose of the Letter of Inquiry (LOI).

• We need to be more clear about our process, investment priorities and deadlines.

• Community Impact System, our online application and reporting tool, is not user-friendly and needs to be improved.

how we’re responding • Many hands make light work. The work still isn’t light, but we’ve filled two vacancies on our team, which is enabling us to be more effective and responsive to your needs.

• The purpose of the LOI is for you to give us a broad overview of your project. It ensures all agencies — regardless of their history (or lack of history) with us — begin the process on equal footing.

• In addition to what you’ve already read in this newsletter, we’ll keep sharing information about our process, priorities and deadlines in print, online and in person.

• We’re working on improvements, which should be live soon, to the online letter of inquiry form and we continue to address challenges with Community Impact System — like revising the outcomes and streamlining the application — and researching options for a new online grant application system.

QUESTIONS? We’ve shared a lot of information here. It’s a lot to process and you may have questions. You can find answers online at www.kalfound.org/grantfaq.

If you’d rather ask our team, please call, email or stop by. The office is open every weekday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. You can see who we are and find our contact information online at www.kalfound.org/ourteam.

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