Update | Issue 3 2015

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Update Kalamazoo Community Foundation Issue 3 2015

Equity: Engaging people, increasing capacity, removing barriers WE SEE EQUITY AS NOT ONLY A TOP STRATEGIC PRIORITY, BUT ALSO AS A CORE VALUE AND FRAMEWORK FOR ALL OF OUR WORK [PAGE 4]

These are busy times here at your Community Foundation.

This spring the Finance & Administration team focused on the annual financial statement audit, which received an unqualified opinion — the highest opinion given by auditors. Currently the leadership team is analyzing the results of the second study of our revenues and costs. We want to ensure our operations and funding mechanisms are operating at the highest efficiency and that the business model is in alignment with our strategy.

If you’ve seen our 2014 Annual Report, you know that a national survey by Council on Foundations found that our seven-year investment return ranked first among all community foundations. We are diligent in our care of funds entrusted here, striving to provide maximum grantmaking and community leadership investments while preserving the original purchasing value of gifts. We are committed to an investment strategy of disciplined asset allocation, regular rebalancing, minimizing fees and expenses, and not reacting to near-term market pressures or new investment fads.

Leveraging the ever-lasting power of endowed funds — especially unrestricted gifts — provides your Community Foundation with the means to do critical work in the community, such as equity, which you’ll be reading about in this issue.

The journey to equity is long, but it is rewarding to know the work we are doing — with many community partners — will break down the barriers that prevent all of our neighbors from accessing the opportunities that have traditionally only been available to some. I feel privileged to work for an organization with equity as a key goal.

Love where you live.

Susan Springgate Vice President, Finance & Administration

We’d love to know what you think of this publication. Share your feedback at www.kalfound.org/feedback.

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Give online www.kalfound.org/give

What we fund We fund 501(c)(3) nonprofits for projects that fit within our community investment priorities and will benefit Kalamazoo County.

Mail a check Kalamazoo Community Foundation 402 East Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3888 Make a planned gift There are many ways for you to plan now for a gift later. To learn more, get in touch with our Donor Relations team at 269.381.4416 or donorrelations@kalfound.org.

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What we don’t fund We don’t fund for-profit business development projects, private land purchases or private home purchases.

How to apply Start the process at www.kalfound. org/howtoapply.

ISSUE 3 2015

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Equity for all The Kalamazoo Community Foundation envisions a community where every person can reach full potential. This can’t happen unless all people have equitable opportunities to live positive lives. Here, in their own words, are the personal perspectives of three partners working towards equity for people in Kalamazoo County.

Tracy Hall

Jonathan Romero

Jay Maddock

Western Michigan University Gender & Women’s Studies and Political Science

Michigan Immigrants Rights Center and Welcoming Michigan

Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center

It should be no surprise to anyone

Michigan holds a special place in

We have more work to do when it

that gender inequality is a pervasive

my heart as it received me with

comes to equality for lesbian, gay,

and systemic problem around the

open arms when I was a newcomer.

bisexual, transgender and queer

world. Right here in the United

Michiganders welcomed me in

individuals and families. When

States, women lack an equitable

many ways: they loaned me their

40 percent of homeless youth

place at the table in just about

cars to do groceries, they invited

are LGBTQ, we must do more.

every major political, social and

me home for Thanksgiving, and

When transwomen are being

economic institution. Specifically,

they connected me to jobs. These

criminalized and murdered, we

the gap in women in electoral

acts of kindness set me up for

must do more. When it is still legal

politics is ubiquitous even though

success. Today, I promote the same

in Michigan to fire or refuse housing

women have been outvoting men

values in my community-building

to someone because they are

since the 1980s. For example,

work around immigrant integration.

LGBTQ, we must do more. When

women comprise approximately

I believe it is imperative to build

safe health care is not accessible

20 percent of the seats in Congress

and support strong, secure and

to LGBTQ people we must do

and less than 25 percent of the

successful places to live. We must

more. Until we acknowledge the

seats in the State Legislatures

work together and leverage the

intersections between racial justice,

and statewide elected executive

full potential of all who live

immigrant justice, economic justice,

offices. Historically our society has

here, so that we may improve

reproductive justice and LGBTQ

discouraged women from getting

the livelihoods of all our

justice, we cannot do more. It’s

involved in electoral politics. We

neighbors, including the 12,175

time for us, as a community to do

must continue to alter this mindset

foreign-born residents of this

more by acknowledging how our

and encourage women to run for

community. Extending a hand can

individual causes are tied. We are

political office at every level.

benefit us all. Together. It’s better.

stronger in action together.

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equality

equity

Equity: Engaging people, increasing capacity, removing barriers Lately it seems as though reports

all doing better, our community will

highlighting disparities in infant

not truly succeed. Until we remove the

mortality rates, high school graduation

barriers some encounter, Kalamazoo

rates, health care access, employment

County cannot be a community where

rates are surfacing with increasing

every person can reach full potential.

frequency. It can be easy to “sleep

Over the last few years, we’ve

through the static,” until we consider

learned that expanding the diversity

that the numbers in these reports

of the voices we hear can greatly

are actually people.

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improve how we understand and

These reports don’t just present

address community issues. So we’ve

information; they tell stories — stories

become more intentional about

about children, their parents, our

engaging the community, and strive

community. When we value these

to incorporate diverse perspectives

reports for the stories they tell and not

as “standard operating procedure.”

just the numbers they present, we can

As a demonstration of this, our first

better understand that unless we are

step in planning our 2015 Community

KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

ISSUE 3 2015

We cannot be the community we believe we are, until racism, homophobia, sexism and discrimination of all kinds is not a part of anyone’s daily life.

Meeting was to ask our community

individuals, organizations and

partners to share their suggestions

consultants — have already begun

for speakers who could provide a

to help us shape a strategy for

thought-provoking message that

impacting equity in Kalamazoo

would help us all better understand

County. We are currently conducting

the concept of equity. As a result,

a scan of equity work going on in

the November event will feature

the county.

best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who will speak about race in America.

[Sponsored by PNC Bank, Coates’ talk is also part of a University Center for the Humanities at WMU’s 2015/2016 speaker series: Reimagining Communities.]

“By better understanding what assets and resources — human and financial — we have, we will be able to determine where we have the greatest opportunity to leverage our support and offer leadership.” says Pickett-Erway.

Input from the community also

“We hope to identify the gaps that

informed the identification of our

are not being addressed, identify

strategic priorities: equity and

how we might help those that are

education. We are committed to

already doing great work, and

improving educational outcomes

elevate our collective efforts to

and removing the barriers that

transform our community.”

prevent all people from reaching full potential. As we engage in this work, understanding equity becomes critical. Says President/CEO Carrie Pickett-Erway, “As an organization, we recognized early on that to be effective at increasing equity and reducing disparities, we would have to address the gaps in our own awareness, knowledge and capacity.”

“While we’ve been working hard on this for several years, we know our learned experience is inadequate and incomplete compared to the lived experience of people who are the targets of discrimination,” she says. “So working with the community and not just for the community is essential.”

Many community partners —

At the same time, we also continue to examine our internal policies and practices. We need to ensure that every aspect of our daily work — in every functional area and at every level — fully reflects our core values: diversity, equity and inclusion; integrity; and excellence.

We know the people who live, work and raise their families in Kalamazoo County passionately believe it is a special place where amazing things happen. We believe this passion can provide the momentum our community needs to eliminate the social, legal, economic and other barriers that prevent every person from reaching full potential and living positive lives.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

2015 Community Meeting 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 | Miller Auditorium We envision a community where every person can reach full potential, and that can’t happen unless all people have equitable opportunities to live positive lives. At our 2015 Community Meeting, Ta-Nehisi Coates will talk with us about race in America.

Coates is a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics and social issues. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle and Between the World and Me. Written as a letter to his 15-year-old son, Between the World and Me discusses America’s history of racial violence, and explores what it is like to be black in this country. He is Journalist-in-Residence at the School of Journalism at City University of New York and previously served as Martin Luther King Visiting Associate Professor at MIT. He received the George Polk Award for Commentary in 2014.

Register for free by calling 269.381.4416 or visiting www.kalfound.org/2015CM. Special thanks to our lead sponsor:

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Learn more about our grantmaking online at www.kalfound.org/grants.

Recent grant highlights 12 GRANTS AWARDED FROM STRATEGIC, FLEXIBLE RESOURCES We awarded 12 grants totaling nearly $1.2 million

• Douglass Community Association

to Kalamazoo County nonprofits in our most recent

• Kalamazoo County Land Bank / Vibrant Kalamazoo

grantmaking round.

We make community investments in quality programs that we believe will make Kalamazoo County a place where every person can reach full potential.

• Kalamazoo County Ready 4s • Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes • Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

The nonprofits that received grants are:

• United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region

• Crescendo Academy of Music

• Volunteer Kalamazoo

• Community Healing Centers, Inc.

• YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo (two grants)

• Comstock Community Center

Kalamazoo Community Foundation Investment Performance SECOND QUARTER 2015 Qtr 2

YTD

3 Yrs

5 Yrs

7 Yrs

Actual

0.3%

1.9%

12.4%

12.1%

8.5%

Benchmark

0.2%

1.4%

10.7%

11.0%

7.3%

Actual

-0.6%

1.0%

9.9%

10.6%

8.6%

Benchmark

-0.7%

0.7%

9.4%

10.4%

7.4%

Core Assets Moderate Growth Performance

Income and Growth Performance

Investment performance is net of manager fees and derived from core Kalamazoo Community Foundation assets allocated into its two investment strategies. Historic performance for each is then derived from linkages to prior quarterly returns.

Performance reflects prior changes in asset allocations while benchmarks assume current allocations. For more information about our investment performance, please contact Susan Springgate at 269.381.4416 or sspringgate@kalfound.org.

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ISSUE 3 2015

Mary Spradling died in 2009.

Today she’s teaching people about the history, experiences and contributions of African Americans.

Mary loved Kalamazoo. She was Kalamazoo Public Library’s first black professional librarian and was instrumental in initiating the city’s official recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Her own legacy is a collection of 2,800 books, magazines and record albums highlighting the history, experiences and contributions of African Americans that she donated to Kalamazoo Valley Community College in 1998. A Community Foundation fund created in her

Our Team Zach Bauer 269.585.7236 / zbauer@kalfound.org Coby Chalmers 269.585.7249 / cchalmers@kalfound.org Joanna Donnelly Dales 269.585.7260 / jdales@kalfound.org

honor by friends maintains and enhances the collection.

Ann Fergemann 269.585.7238 / afergemann@kalfound.org

We can help you show your love for Kalamazoo

Jeanne Grubb 269.585.7248 / jgrubb@kalfound.org

and leave a legacy too. Contact a member of our Donor Relations team or visit www.kalfound.org to learn how.

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage paid Kalamazoo, MI Permit Number 66

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

On the Cover To help us and the community get ready for our 2015 Community Meeting on November 3, we’re working with a variety of community partners who are advancing equity in Kalamazoo County. Pictured with President/CEO Carrie Pickett Erway (second from left) are (from left to right) Donna Odom, SHARE; Jacob Pinney-Johnson, SHARE; Rev. Dr. B. Jo Ann Mundy, ERACCE; Chéree Thomas, SHARE and Douglass Community Association; Lillie Wolff, ERACCE; and Fernando Ospina, ERACCE. Photo by Jacqueline Luttrell

KZCF: Then and Now A few things have changed since the Community Foundation was born in 1925.

Then In 1925, a committee of five community leaders — Alfred Connable, Elias Hoekstra, Edward Desenberg, Harold Upjohn (pictured top left) and William Lawrence Sr. — guided the activities of the Community Foundation. Early lead administrators performed their tasks as additional duties to regular jobs and had the title of secretary, beginning with Earl Weber, who served for nearly three decades. There would be acting secretaries such as Richard Light, Harold Allen and Merrill Taylor, until Howard Kalleward became Executive Secretary in 1967 and led the organization for two decades. In the 1990s, following Kalleward, our leaders became known as President/CEO and include: Dr. Jack Hopkins, Dr. Juan Olivarez and Don VanderKooy (as Interim President/CEO).

1925 2015

Now Carrie Pickett-Erway, pictured below left, is our President/CEO (the first woman to serve in this role) and we are governed by a seven-member board of trustees: Si Johnson, chairperson; Frank Sardone, vice chairperson; Jim Escamilla; Barbara James; Amy Upjohn; Hon. Carolyn Williams; and Dr. Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.

Our trustees represent diverse community interests and, as trustees have since 1925, donate their time, energy and expertise to help us identify opportunities for long-term community impact, respond appropriately when unforeseen challenges arise, and address community needs.