Update | Issue 2 2015

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Update / Kalamazoo Community Foundation / Issue 2 2015

On the verge of dropping out of high school after just a year, Jeremiah Mansfield seized hold of an opportunity to change his life.

Thanks to the support of coaches, teachers, guidance counselors and The Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo’s College and Career Access Network, he graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2014 and went on to attend Spring Arbor University.

Photo by Erik Holladay

Education: Investing in the future OUR BIG 3 GOALS — EDUCATION, EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT — ARE INTERCONNECTED AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT, BUT EDUCATION IS VIEWED AS THE PATH TO GROWTH AND PROSPERITY [PAGE 4]

To ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. That was the purpose of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on April 11, 1965.

I recently read about the ESEA because I wanted to learn the origins of “Title funding.” As I read, I was struck by how similar the language of the original legislation is to the language we still use today, now 50 years later. The persistence and increased complexity of the challenges we face to provide a “fair, equal, and significant” education to all helps explain why the Kalamazoo Community Foundation is so heavily invested in The Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo.

We view The Learning Network as our community’s best strategy to provide a fair and equal education for all. The Community Foundation’s five year investment in The Learning Network is bringing educators together in partnership with nonprofit and other community partners to build the capacity necessary to address community-level outcomes such as college readiness.

We continue to invest in The Learning Network because, through collaboration between schools and the community, we may be able to fully realize the potential of the ESEA, and in so doing, achieve our vision of a community where every person can reach full potential.

Suprotik Stotz-Ghosh Vice President, Community Investment

Give

Receive

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.

2 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

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 2 2015

Connect (

269.381.4416

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www.kalfound.org facebook.com/kalfound pinterest.com/kalfound twitter.com/kalfound linkedin.com/company/kalfound instagram.com/kalfound

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates will be keynote speaker at 2015 Community Meeting AUTHOR OF “THE BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE” TO SPEAK ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AT THE NOVEMBER 3 EVENT Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author of

a history of racism in America, the

Professor at MIT. His writing for

“The Beautiful Struggle” and a

case for reparations, generational

The Atlantic covers culture, politics

national correspondent for

and ideological rifts in the black

and social issues. He received the

The Atlantic, will be the keynote

community, the meaning of black

Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis

speaker for our 2015 Community

culture, and the role of both older

Journalism in 2012 and the George

Meeting. The event, which will be

and younger generations in shaping

Polk Award for Commentary in 2014.

free and open to the public,

that culture.

Before joining The Atlantic, he wrote

is scheduled for November 3 at Miller Auditorium on the campus of Western Michigan University.

The New Yorker says he “is one of the most elegant and sharp observers of race in America. He is an upholder

for The Village Voice and was a contributor to Time, O and The New York Times.

“The Beautiful Struggle” is Coates’

of universal values, a brave and

For the 13th time, PNC Bank is the

memoir about growing up in

compassionate writer who

lead sponsor for the event, which

Baltimore. His next book,

challenges his readers to transcend

will be a highlight of the University

“Between the World and Me,” is

narrow self-definitions and focus

Center for the Humanities at

scheduled to be released in the fall.

on shared humanity.”

WMU’s 2015-2016 Speaker Series:

Considered one of the most

Coates, whose Atlantic blog was

original and perceptive African

named as one of the best 25 in

American voices of our time,

the world by Time magazine, is

Coates has written on how pop

Journalist-in-Residence at the School

culture, politics and history shape

of Journalism at City University of

Registration for the 2015

discussions of equity, diversity and

New York and previously served as

Community Meeting is open now

inclusion. His articles have covered

Martin Luther King Visiting Associate

at surveymonkey.com/s/kzcf15.

Reimagining Communities. We also are partnering with other people and organizations to maximize the impact of Coates’ visit to our community.

ISSUE 2 2015

KALFOUND.ORG

3

Education: Investing in the future scholarship program and The Learning

Foundation President/CEO Carrie

Network of Greater Kalamazoo, which

Pickett-Erway and our team talk

we helped create in 2011.

about education, we think Big Picture.

Education is one of the Community

helps hundreds of students in

Foundation’s Big 3 Goals, along with

Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties

equity and engagement. The three

continue their education after high

goals are interconnected and

school,” says Pickett-Erway. “And

equally important, but education

The Learning Network is a powerful

is viewed as the path to future

demonstration of our commitment

growth and prosperity.

You have to have an education to live in this society...If you’re motivated to do that, there is help right here.

Anthony Everson

to collaboration that can generate

With education as one of our major

community-level outcomes.”

goals, the Community Foundation

The Learning Network

But the Community Foundation’s main

philosophy that education and learning

Anthony Everson (pictured above) left school after the 10th grade. As an adult, he wanted to improve his reading and writing to get a high school equivalency diploma. Thanks to The Learning Network and adult literacy classes through the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, in just one year Anthony was halfway to his goal. The experience helped him get a job at Goodwill Industries.

education efforts are our decades-old

are keys to community prosperity as

Photo by Erik Holladay

has continued to invest in existing

Housed at the Community Foundation

partnerships with local nonprofits.

and supported by the Community

For example, last year we gave a

Foundation with financial and other

$161,783 grant to the Kalamazoo

resources, The Learning Network was

Center for Youth and Community,

established by community leaders who

which serves students in the Eastside

recognized the importance of lifetime

and Eastwood neighborhoods.

4

“Each year our scholarship program

}

}

When Kalamazoo Community

KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

learning. Central to its mission is a

ISSUE 2 2015

Our Big 3 Goals

1.

2.

3.

Equity

Education

Engagement

We are partnering with others to remove barriers to opportunity and full potential by increasing capacity for awareness and action.

We want to help provide a path to prosperity for everyone by supporting cradle to career initiatives.

We are aligning resources for transformative change by collaborating with county-wide partners.

well as individual success. Today it is

Since its inception, accountability and

led by a council of leaders from local

transparency have been core values

institutions representing business,

of The Learning Network. It supports

healthcare, law enforcement,

these through a public scorecard that

education and social services.

makes milestones in education easily

Pickett-Erway serves as its chair.

identifiable and understandable by all

“In today’s economy, when it comes to finding a good job that will support an individual, enable him or her to provide for a family and begin to build wealth, we know that education beyond high school is critical,” says Amy Slancik, director of The Learning Network. “But it’s not enough to tell someone they need to continue their education. We have to help them succeed.”

The Learning Network was inspired by the Kalamazoo Promise, but is not a scholarship program. Rather, it is a dynamic, growing collaboration of individuals and organizations embracing a vision that every person

stakeholders: parents, practitioners, educators, evaluators and others.

The result of evidence-based research, the scorecard shows performance data that measure how well Kalamazoo County is meeting

Changing lives with education Through its scholarship program, the Community Foundation has been helping change lives with education for more than 60 years. The earliest fund, the S. Rudolph Light Medical Education Scholarship, was established in 1954.

broad educational goals. This focus

Now, according to Scholarship Manager

on measurement helps ensure The

Nancy Timmons, the Community

Learning Network generates results,

Foundation administers 53 Scholarship

not just effort.

Funds that in 2014 provided local

The Learning Network also is part of a national alliance of communities

students with more that $1.1 million in scholarships.

doing similar work, which enables

“Each of our scholarships is unique

it to draw from best practices

and has its own purpose and eligibility

— and share its own — with

criteria,” Timmons explains. “And our

organizations in more than 60

website has become the area’s central

communities nationwide.

access point for information about scholarships sponsored by school

in Kalamazoo County will be ready for

Says Pickett-Erway, “If we have

school, post-secondary education and

more educated residents earning

the world. To achieve this ambitious

a wage, paying taxes, taking care of

“Ultimately, our scholarship program is

goal, The Learning Network knits

their families, and giving back with

all about people,” she concludes. “It’s

together aligned local resources

their volunteer time and resources,

about individuals who are able to attend

to offer wrap-around support for

everyone in this community has

college and whose lives are changed by

students from cradle to career.

greater quality of life.”

the generosity of donors.”

districts and other local organizations.

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First quarter grant highlights 20 GRANTS AWARDED FROM UNRESTRICTED RESOURCES The Community Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling

• Guardian Finance and Advocacy Services

$2.4 million to Kalamazoo County nonprofits from its

• ISAAC

unrestricted resources in the first quarter of 2015.

• Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

We make community investments in quality programs

• Kalamazoo Collective Housing

that we believe will make Kalamazoo County a place

• Kalamazoo County 9th District Court Youthful

where every person can reach full potential.

Offender Transition Program • Kalamazoo County Ready 4s

The nonprofits that received grants are:

• Kalamazoo Nature Center

• Big Brothers Big Sisters

• Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo

• Kalamazoo Valley Community College

• Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo

• Open Roads Bike Program

• Family & Children Services

• Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan

• Friendship House

• Pretty Lake Vacation Camp

• Girls on the Run

• Residential Opportunities, Inc.

• Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan

Kalamazoo Community Foundation Investment Performance FIRST QUARTER 2015 Qtr 1

YTD

3 Yrs

5 Yrs

7 Yrs

Actual

1.6%

1.6%

11.1%

10.6%

8.0%

Benchmark

1.2%

1.2%

9.9%

9.8%

7.2%

Actual

1.6%

1.6%

10.1%

10.3%

8.3%

Benchmark

1.4%

1.4%

9.6%

9.6%

7.2%

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.

6 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

ISSUE 2 2015

Deed Shepherd died in 2005.

Today she’s helping Kalamazoo area girls lead joyful, confident lives.

Deed herself was a joyful, confident woman who loved where she lived: Kalamazoo.

She also loved Kalamazoo’s young people.

Their zest for life only added to her own. Thanks to a bequest she left to the Community Foundation, thousands of Kalamazoo County girls who participate in Girls on the Run learn how to embrace who they are, define who they want to be, rise to any challenge, and change the world.

We can help you leave a legacy too.

Contact our Donor Relations team to learn how.

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 Ann Fergemann 269.585.7238 / afergemann@kalfound.org Jeanne Grubb 269.585.7248 / jgrubb@kalfound.org

ISSUE 2 2015

KALFOUND.ORG

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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

Share We’d love to know what you think of this publication. To share your feedback, fill out our online survey at surveymonkey.com/s/ updatekzcf.

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

Then

1925 2015

For much of our 90 year history, while our work was visible and accessible throughout the community, our office was practically invisible. From 1925 until 1973 we were tucked away at The Upjohn Company — the company co-founded by brothers Henry and W.E. Upjohn, who provided us with our very first gift. Then, until September 2014, we were ensconced on the third floor of the Comerica Building on South Rose Street in downtown Kalamazoo.

Now We have a visible, accessible, permanent home at 402 East Michigan Avenue, on the edge of Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood. When the Arcus Foundation provided us with the transformative gift of this building, we partnered with experts in workplace innovation to design a space that enhances our work. We wanted a welcoming space that inspires collaboration amongst our team and with the community. We have several meeting spaces that nonprofit organizations and other partners are welcome to use, at no cost to them.