U
update / kalamazoo community foundation / spring 2016
Innovation & Collaboration collaboration
innovation
Helping local kids in crisis
High-quality pre-k for Northside and Douglas neighborhood kids
[page three]
[page four]
grant highlights
22 grants in final round of 2015 [page six]
leave a legacy Ruth and Bob VanderRoest [page seven]
When I started writing this message it was a simple introduction of the stories in this newsletter. My main point was to be sure you knew your Community Foundation does more than just write checks. I wanted you to know we work hard every day — through innovative collaborations with donors and nonprofits — to transform Kalamazoo County into a place where every person can reach full potential. Then, February 20 happened and the senseless, violent acts of one person rocked our community — our region — to its core. Like so many, our reaction was How can we help? So we joined with the Battle Creek Community Foundation and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region to create the Help Now! Fund, which is already providing direct financial support to the victims and their families and will soon provide funding to regional anti-violence efforts. You can learn about the Help Now! Fund at www.helpnowfund.org. Our response to this tragedy reflects how your Community Foundation approaches all community challenges: We strive to support efforts that help our community now and those focused on creating long-term, transformative change. We have been able to serve as a convener of many local agencies providing support services to victims, families and the community. We’ve also been able to leverage state and federal resources in ways that expand our support for healing our community. We do all of this through partnerships. Carrie Pickett-Erway President/CEO
We have endowments that support immediate needs and efforts that identify and address their root causes. They also ensure we have resources on hand for future challenges we can’t even imagine today. We willingly serve as a resource to the greater Kalamazoo community during times of crisis. Thank you for being part of this work and for loving where you live.
We’d love to know what you think of this publication. Share your feedback at www.kalfound.org/feedback.
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What we fund We fund 501(c)(3) nonprofits for projects that fit within our community investment priorities and will benefit Kalamazoo County. We also provide Kalamazoo area students with scholarships for education beyond high school.
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269.381.4416
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Mail a check Kalamazoo Community Foundation 402 East Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3888 Arrange 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.
What we don’t fund We don’t fund for-profit business development projects, private land purchases or private home purchases. Learn more at www.kalfound.org.
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Collaboration helps kids in crisis The Kalamazoo Community
Says Gardiner, “Our human services
Foundation recently secured
and medical partners have needed this
a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to support Family & Children Services’ start-up of a program that will provide children and teens in the midst of a mental health crisis with immediate support and stabilization in a home-
This is a powerful example of collaboration toward a common goal, with creative alignment among state, community foundation and local nonprofit agency resources.
resource for many years. They encouraged Family & Children Services to step forward and create a local solution. Children and youths with more acute needs simply do better in a smaller, home-like setting that is child-centered and can provide psychiatric evaluation, nursing care, and an individualized program for stabilization. We are honored to build this resource
like setting. It also supports
with the community through their referrals
the agency’s Children’s
and create more options for children and
Trauma Treatment program
“This is a powerful example of
for children in foster care.
collaboration toward a common goal,
The primary goal of the initiative is for fewer long-term residential placements for children facing a mental health crisis. Funding also will enable Family & Children Services
with creative alignment among state, community foundation and local nonprofit agency resources,” says Carrie PickettErway, president/CEO, Kalamazoo Community Foundation. “Our community is fortunate to have Family & Children Services providing this type of care.”
to provide temporary,
According to Rosemary Gardiner,
overnight care — combined
CEO of Family & Children Services,
with psychiatric evaluation,
“Families whose child or teen is
nursing care and coordination
experiencing a mental health crisis will
of community-based
now have a continuum of care from
treatment planning — to
immediate crisis response to short-term
an eight-county region in
residential support focused on stabilization
two, six-bedroom facilities.
— close to home.”
families when they are struggling.” Crisis placements will be short term, with referrals accepted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Children will have individual, family and group counseling using the evidence-based TARGET model, a curriculum focused on trauma regulation and positive behavioral supports. “Each child will have a comfortable, private room and structured groups and activities throughout the day,” says Gardiner. “During their stay, children will be able to play in an on-site gym and participate in music, art and adventure programs in our newly-renovated youth development buildling.”
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One especially innovative component of the pre-k curriculum at New Genesis Learning Center is ABCDance, which teaches reading skills through movement and dance. You can learn more about ABCDance in our upcoming 2015 Annual Report.
Innovative program provides quality pre-k to Northside, Douglas families The challenge: Break the cycle
program that is now in its second year:
of intergenerational poverty —
the Northside Preschools program.
created largely by systemic racism
Certified as parent educators from the
— in Kalamazoo’s Northside and
National Parents as Teachers Program,
Douglas neighborhoods.
Grimes and Johnson meet with parents
The goal: Influence the
to teach them what they need to know
development of children so they
to help their young children succeed
are ready for kindergarten.
in school.
The method: Remove barriers,
The work being done by Johnson
like affordability and transportation,
and Grimes today emerged out of
to quality pre-kindergarten for
a question posed back in 2014.
three-year-olds.
How do you design a multi-year
Joda Grimes and Angela Johnson are breaking down barriers that get in the way of parents helping their youngsters prepare for kindergarten. They serve as part-time parent educators and family advocates in an innovative and dynamic
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KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
project to provide a free, high-quality, pre-kindergarten experience to three-year-olds — and make sure it improves their intellectual, social-emotional and physical development?
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The Northside Preschools program is one of the strongest collective efforts we’ve witnessed in our community.
Our Community Investment Team Our Community Investment team works with nonprofits to help them maximize the impact of the programs they offer to help people in Kalamazoo County reach full potential.
Sandy Barry-Loken sbarry-loken@kalfound.org
David Feaster dfeaster@kalfound.org
Designing the experience Northside and Douglas neighborhood families originally helped to answer this question during a series of nine parent focus groups organized by the Northside Committee. Using feedback from those meetings, the Northside Preschools program was launched in September 2014.
Sholanna Lewis slewis@kalfound.org
Elena Mireles-Hill emireles-hill@kalfound.org
Suprotik Stotz-Ghosh sstotz-ghosh@kalfound.org
expenses for Grimes and Johnson,
Preschools program is one of the
research and student assessments,
strongest collective efforts we’ve
parent engagement services, and
witnessed in the community. Its
recruitment and transportation
leaders know what stands in the
expenses. The preschools are also
way of children accessing a quality
benefiting from on-site teacher
pre-K experience and they’re working
mentoring and speech pathology
together to break down and remove
support provided by KC Ready 4s.
those barriers.”
Providing stability
Greene tells the story of a single
“In addition to early education,
father whose child was struggling when he started the program, but
Participating families encouraged
Northside Preschools are getting
committee members to locate these
families the help they need,” says
preschools in their neighborhoods
Jim Greene, a former chair of the
so transportation would not be an
Northside Committee who continues
issue. Northside Preschools are now
working on this project. According
located at the Jennings Development
to Greene, from the beginning of
Interplex, New Genesis Learning
the school year through the end of
Center at Christian Life Center and
2015, Northside Preschools made 89
Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Together,
referrals to other agencies to provide
they are serving 28 families that do
additional help to families. “There is
not qualify for free pre-kindergarten
more than just learning that goes into
In reflecting on her experience with
through Head Start and are not able
preparing a child for kindergarten,”
Northside Preschools, Joda Grimes
to afford high-quality pre-K on
says Greene. “We have families in
says, “We’re building relationships
their own.
the program who are homeless. You
with families. We let them know they
can imagine the impact that has on
have the support they need. What
learning. This program gives stability
we like are the connections,” she
to these children.”
notes. “No families feel left out.”
as well as classroom equipment
Says the Community Foundation’s
Says Angela Johnson, “We’re in
and supplies, the salaries and
Sandy Barry-Loken, “The Northside
this together!”
A 2015 grant of $279,000 from the Community Foundation for this program covers all tuition costs,
began to blossom and became truly engaged in the learning process. “We hope the joy these youngsters experience with their first year of school will carry them through each successive educational milestone,” he says. “A quality pre-K education is essential to success in school and life.”
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Grantmaking highlights 22 GRANTS AWARDED IN FINAL GRANTMAKING ROUND OF 2015 We awarded 22 grants totaling nearly $1.1 million to
• Kalamazoo Center for Youth & Community
Kalamazoo County nonprofits in our final grantmaking
• Kalamazoo Drop-In Child Care Center
round of 2015. We make community investments in quality
• Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center
programs we believe will make Kalamazoo County a place
• Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity
where every person can reach full potential.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation • Mothers of Hope
Grants were provided to:
• Open Doors Kalamazoo
• Community Homeworks
• Parents 4 Public Schools
• Community Promise Federal Credit Union
• Portage Community Center
• Downtown Tomorrow Incorporated
• Prevention Works, Inc.
• Ecumenical Senior Center
• Schoolcraft Community Schools
• Food Bank of South Central Michigan
• SHARE (Society for History and Racial Equity)
• Hispanic American Council
• Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers
• Housing Resources Inc.
• YWCA of Kalamazoo
• Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Kalamazoo Community Foundation Investment Performance FOURTH QUARTER 2015 Qtr 4
YTD
3 Yrs
5 Yrs
7 Yrs
10 Yrs
Actual
3.5%
-2.0%
8.0%
7.3%
11.5%
6.3%
Benchmark
3.5%
-1.6%
7.3%
6.8%
10.3%
5.5%
Actual
3.3%
1.3%
8.6%
8.4%
9.9%
7.0%
Benchmark
3.3%
1.2%
8.2%
8.0%
9.6%
6.2%
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. The Moderate Growth Benchmark is a staged index composite benchmark that has the current composition of the Barclays US Aggregate Bond index (15 percent); Citibank WGBI Non-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). The Income and Growth Benchmark consists of the S&P 500 index (50 percent) and the Barclays US Aggregate Bond index (50 percent).
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Ruth and Bob VanderRoest
The VanderRoests died years ago TODAY THEY’RE HELPING KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS SEE THE WORLD Lynn VanderRoest — who has special needs — loves to travel and some of her favorite childhood memories are of going to camp. When her mom, Ruth, passed away in 1997, Lynn’s dad, Bob, could not think of a better way to honor her than to create a legacy that would help kids like Lynn benefit from the experiences that had brought the VanderRoest family so much joy. Today, the Robert D. and Ruth A. VanderRoest Fund for the Developmentally Disabled makes it possible for Kalamazoo area children with special needs to experience the joy of camping and travel, and create childhood memories that will be treasured for a lifetime.
Our Team Zac 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
We can help you show your love for Kalamazoo and leave a legacy too. Call a member of our Donor Relations team or visit us online at 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
Love Where You Live Funds There are many things to love about Kalamazoo County. There are many reasons to love living here. But the truth is, our community still has needs. We believe, by working together, we can make Kalamazoo County a community where every person can reach full potential — a place where we all love to live. Love where you live is a phrase we began using when promoting our 2012 Community Meeting and is one we quickly became known for. It resonated with us as an organization, and with our donors, grantees and the community. So much so that in 2014 we made it our official tagline and recently changed the name of our Spirit of Community Funds to our Love Where You Live Funds. Only the names of the funds are changing; their purposes and how to give to them remain the same. Giving to our Love Where You Live Funds is a powerful, lasting way for anyone to show their love for our community and be a part of our work. These endowed funds support
immediate community needs and efforts that identify and address their root causes. They also ensure we have resources on hand for future needs we can’t even imagine today. Gifts to our “general” Love Where You Live Fund address the community’s greatest needs. People who are interested in helping address specific areas of need can give to one of our focused Love Where You Live Funds: • Love Where You Live Fund (greatest needs) • Economic and Community Development • Education and Learning • Environment • Health • Housing • Individuals and Families • Youth Development You can learn more about the Love Where You Live Funds and how to give to them at www.kalfound.org/lovelivefunds.