Update | Spring 2019

update kalamazoo community foundation | spring 2019

local police cadets engage in racial healing TRHT KALAMAZOO HOSTS UNIQUE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR CADETS page 6

Strengthening communities by connecting resources As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, I have been reflecting on the many ways women in Kalamazoo County have contributed to strengthening our community through connecting.

There are many examples of how women uniquely build relationships and connect resources here in Kalamazoo such as giving circles, social groups, collaboratives and more.

Here at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, we have the privilege

Carrie Pickett-Erway President/CEO

of strengthening our community through connecting with local individuals and organizations working on the same focus. More specifically, the goal of making Kalamazoo County the most equitable place to live by removing barriers that prevent people from reaching their full potential.

One powerful example of a partnership is the Women’s Education Coalition, a grant program celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

This program, created by four local groups, is a demonstration of a lasting gift to this community that will support women in attaining education after a significant break in their formal education. Read more about the impact of this program on page 4.

Overall, I would like to invite you to reflect with me about the connections that you have enriched and strengthened in our community and ways we can continue bringing our resources together to make an impact.

If you, a friend or family member, are looking for an opportunity to strengthen our community by sharing your time and talent, please consider joining us at Find Your Cause on April 11 at Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan to connect with local nonprofits and find volunteer opportunities that fit your interests. Find more about the event on the

UPDATE is a newsletter published three times a year by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Sarah Lee, Director Jordan Duckens, Communications Officer Tom Vance, Communications Officer CROSS-FUNCTIONAL EDITORIAL TEAM Sandy Barry-Loken Sue Bos Joanna Donnelly Dales Kururama Sánchez LAYOUT & DESIGN Ashley Stark

back cover of this issue!

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Please email Sarah Lee at slee@kalfound.org.

GIVE

support

• Give online at kalfound.org/give-now

• Kalamazoo County 501(C)(3) nonprofits

• Mail a check directly to KZCF

• Scholarships for college

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connect KALFOUND

What your professional advisors should know We are in the throes of tax season.

Share your ideas

Whether you have been talking to your Professional

Come with an idea and your

Advisor (PA) about charitable gifts for years or

advisor can provide guidance.

you recently began considering your relationship to philanthropy, it is always a good time to have a conversation with your PA about giving. Here are some tips to help you talk to your PA about

“It’s easier when I can see how much a client has given historically,” Gallagher says.

philanthropy that fits you.

Be proactive Many people may be interested in charitable giving, but do not always initiate the conversation with their PA. “We often don’t see clients until tax planning season

“However, if you haven’t

“When it comes to

made charitable gifts in

complex gifts, Nelson encourages clients to use a team approach to achieve their

and December,” says Teresa Nelson, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at Siegfried, Crandall, PC. “If you’re making a major gift, be sure to get a PA involved in the

to communicate your interest. From there, your advisor can walk you through your options.”

One way Nelson gets to

philanthropic goals.”

begins in November

Teresa Nelson

the past, don’t hesitate

the heart of a client’s goal is by asking: “What problem would you want to address

Erin Gallagher

if money were no object?” This question reveals where clients are truly interested in directing their resources.

process early.”

Erin Gallagher, managing partner at Seber Tans, PLC,

Make philanthropy a family affair

says, “You should always be calling and always be

It is also helpful for your PA to know if other members

proactive, but normally it’s better to start having the

of your family are interested in giving. Nelson suggests

conversation at the beginning of one year so you have

families get kids involved in philanthropy early. Getting

the rest of the year to plan.”

children involved is a great way to bring the family together and have a refresher conversation with your

Use a team approach When it comes to complex gifts, Nelson encourages clients to use a team approach to achieve their

PA about charitable giving.

“Teaching kids about giving builds empathy and stronger family connections,” Nelson observes.

philanthropic goals. Larger gifts, such as gifts of property or charitable trusts, may require

Looking for ways to give to the Kalamazoo Community

more collaboration.

Foundation? Visit kalfound.org/HowtoGive or contact

“This may require a meeting with your CPA, financial planner and perhaps an attorney to develop

a Donor Relations Officer at 269.381.4416 to start the conversation today.

documents,” she says.

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Harnessing the power of women for 25 years

By Rosemary Parker The tipping point almost came the night Angie Franklin’s young son ran downstairs to ask what the guys out front were doing with the family car.

Without the car, “I didn’t know how I was going to get to work, or get the kids to school” the next day, Franklin recalls.

Near completion of an associate’s degree at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Franklin says she seriously considered throwing in the towel at that point, settling for the two-year degree and taking on a second job instead of more studies.

“I went back and forth with it,” she says. “I thought: ‘I cannot

A ripple effect

make ends meet.’”

Research is clear: A woman’s own educational advancement

That’s how easily a woman’s dreams can hover one obstacle away from derailment.

“But I didn’t want to give up, I didn’t want my kids to think it is OK to give up,” Franklin says. ‘’We have to push through the struggle to get what we deserve.”

raises the prospects for her children’s success.

It was that idea that prompted staff from the Center for Women’s Services at Western Michigan University, Nazareth College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College to design a new scholarship program for women. They knew that it wasn’t enough to simply provide money for school tuition.

So instead of quitting, she asked for help.

The program must also address the variety of hurdles that

Removing barriers

can keep unemployed or underemployed women from

Since its establishment in 1994, the Women’s Education

completing their studies.

Coalition (WEC) has helped erase barriers for women like

Back in 1991, Allene Dietrich, Betty Thompson, Sally

Franklin in southwest Michigan.

Mounger and Jane Vander Weyden approached the

The annual scholarships funded by a $1 million endowment

Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) to propose an

in 1997 have also provided more than $112,000 in emergency grants for recipients while they are in school.

Franklin was already receiving a WEC scholarship for her college expenses. “I used the money for school, books that my financial aid didn’t cover, care of my children,” and similar expenses, she says. When she told her scholarship coordinator about the car situation within days she had a check for enough money to make up what she needed to reclaim the car. The program had worked exactly as its founders envisioned, as a support to remove barriers to success.

4 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SPRING 2019

Angie Franklin

endowment fund to address those needs. The Kalamazoo

part or full-time, in any educational curriculum, program

Network knew it would be important to partner with other

or professional development opportunity that will lead

nonprofits and in 1993 meetings began with representatives

to employment or improved employment. A priority for

of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Delta Sigma Theta sorority,

the awards is to working mothers and those enrolled in

Kalamazoo Network, and the YWCA.

nonprofit educational institutions.

The new group, Women’s Education Coalition, launched

“This program helps women and their families reach their

a campaign to raise $1 million for an endowment fund

full potential,” says Nancy Timmons, scholarship coordinator

and within four years there was enough money to offer

at KZCF. “Grants may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books,

five women a total of $6,000, the first scholarships to be

child care, transportation, and other educational expenses.”

awarded by the fund.

Timmons says experience shows having access to a

By 1997, WEC had achieved its goal of $1 million for the

variety of post-high school education, school or training

permanent endowment. The fund has now grown to more

really helps recipients reach their goals of increased

than $2 million and has invested more than $1.2 million

financial independence.

through grants. Over the years a total of 258 women have been given a boost by the program.

“Reading the stories of the women who applied was moving, but it was even more powerful to watch their

Lisa Boulding, 50, is one of the program’s early success

stories come to life during the scholarship interviews,”

stories, and her success has helped hundreds of young

Timmons says. “I am grateful I had the opportunity

people as well. Like Franklin, Boulding was a mother of

to work with these women and learn about their

young children when she received her first scholarship from

unique experiences.”

Women’s Education Coalition to help her earn a bachelor’s degree in education at Western Michigan University.

WEC application deadline is May 15.

Applications are available at kalfound.org/wec.

“I went through career counseling at WMU,” she says, “and the tests kept saying ‘work with kids.’”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an abridged version of a story titled “Scholarship for women pays for tuition, fees — and life’s

Achieving her goals wasn’t easy, she says. As important

emergencies” published by Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave.

as the financial help, the WEC scholarship held her

Read the full story at secondwavemedia.com.

accountable for staying on the path. “They wanted to see you progressing, they had guidelines that were realistic and needed,” she says.

“When I would turn in my paperwork, the office staff knew my name, they knew who I was, they knew the program I was in. I felt like they were rooting for me, too,” Boulding says.

Boulding says her daughter recently told her that every time she encounters something difficult in her own life she thinks about her mom: “I think, ‘if you could do it with two little kids, with limited help, then I can too.’”

How to get help To qualify for WEC grants, applicants must be unemployed

Lisa Boulding

or underemployed women who have had a significant break in their formal education. They may enroll, either SPRING 2019

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Racial healing with local police cadets Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT)

breakfast and lunch. Healing circles are characterized by

Kalamazoo hosted A Cultural Awareness Experience

sharing individual truths and stories in order to reaffirm

program for 19 cadets at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) Police Academy.

humanity and increase consciousness, awareness and empathy.

The training was designed and facilitated by TRHT

“I can honestly say that my perspective has been changed,”

Kalamazoo Law Design Team Lead Stacey R. Ledbetter,

a participant responded in the training feedback survey.

a retired Public Safety captain. The program was the first of its kind at any of the 20 police academies in the state of Michigan.

The focus for Ledbetter and the TRHT Team Law Design team is to review discriminatory civil and criminal laws and the public policies that come from them and

“My goal is to bridge the gap between law enforcement

recommending solutions that will produce a just application

and communities of color,” Ledbetter said.

of the law. With encouragement from the cadets who

The cadets, and a diverse group of approximately 60 community members, spent the day together engaging through racial healing circles led by TRHT Kalamazoo practitioners, a U.S. History lesson and discussion over

participated, the TRHT team hopes to institutionalize this component for all future KVCC Police academy classes and expand the trainings statewide.

COVER PHOTO BY SAM ZOMER

Meet our new trustees In January 2019, Kalamazoo Community Foundation officially welcomed Sydney Parfet and Von Washington, Jr. to the board of trustees. Parfet is an attorney at Lake, Parfet & Schau, where she focuses on estate planning and estate administration. Washington is the executive director of Community Relations at The Kalamazoo Promise.

What inspired you to join the Kalamazoo Community Foundation Board of Trustees?

I have seen and heard a number

The Kalamazoo Community

of things related to the work

Foundation is a staple in

Kalamazoo Community Foundation

our community. It helps

is doing to support the families

raise awareness of issues

and students in Kalamazoo and

impacting our community

Kalamazoo County. It's extremely

and makes strides to

important to me to be close to

eliminate or minimize the Sydney Parfet

issues. I was honored to be asked to partake in

Von Washington, Jr.

their efforts.

the place that's providing that support so I can best understand where the needs are and how resources are distributed in order for those families and students to

READ THE FULL Q&A AT KALFOUND.ORG Did you catch our KZCF Live interviews with Sydney and Von? Watch them now at YouTube.com/kalfound.

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get the things they need. I think the Community Foundation does that well and I am excited to be a part of the work.

Grantmaking highlights Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) awarded $1.3 million in grants to 41 nonprofit programs in the second round of grantmaking in 2018. The nonprofit programs supported by these grants align with the Community Foundation’s giving priorities: equity and education. Grants were made to nonprofits serving Kalamazoo County in a variety of sectors including healthcare, art and housing. Local nonprofits also received grants and distributions from Advised and Designated Funds held at KZCF. For more details on the nonprofits programs funded, visit kalfound.org/Grants/GrantsAwarded.

• AACORN Farm • Black Arts & Cultural Center • Building Blocks of Kalamazoo • Community Homeworks • Confident S.O.L.E. • Eastside Youth Strong • Ecumenical Senior Center • ERAC/CE • Family & Children Services • Fire Historical & Cultural Arts Collaborative • Girls On The Run of Greater Kalamazoo • Gryphon Place, Gatekeeper Program • Gryphon Place, ELLAS • Gurlz of Color: Set 4 Life!

• Healthy House • Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center • Helping Other People Exceed (HOPE) thru Navigation • Housing Resources Inc. • ISAAC

• Justice for Our Neighbors - Michigan • Kalamazoo Collective Housing • First Congregational Church • Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes • Kalamazoo RESA • Kalamazoo RESA/Valley Center • Kalamazoo RESA/WoodsEdge Center • Lutheran Church of the Savior • Michigan Immigrant Rights Center • Northside Assn. for Community Development • Kalamazoo Public Library • Open Doors Kalamazoo • OutFront Kalamazoo • Portage Community Center • Project X • Seeds for Success • SHARE • Vibrant Kalamazoo • WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine • YWCA

Donors create new funds at KZCF KZCF donors established eight new funds since the winter issue of Update. These include Unrestricted Funds, Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Field-of-Interest Funds, and Scholarship Funds, some of which were planned estate gifts.

UNRESTRICTED These funds address current community needs: • Edwards Family Enrichment Fund ADVISED These funds are for donors who want to be actively involved with their fund: • Ronald D. Slager Fund • Logan & Josh Thomas Family Fund

DESIGNATED These funds benefit a specific nonprofit: • Margery Hobson Thomas St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Fund • Phillip R. Mott Memorial Fund FIELD-OF-INTEREST These funds focus on specific issues or causes: • Equity in Early Childhood Fund • Fred M. Libin Endowment Fund

SCHOLARSHIP Scholarships invest in post-high school education and training for traditional and non-traditional students: • Jerry A. & M. Christine Walker Scholarship Fund

For a complete list of KZCF funds visit kalfound.org/howtogive/listoffunds. Contact a Donor Relations Officer at 269.381.4416 to learn more on how to open a fund.

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

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

5th Annual Find Your Cause Thursday, April 11 5 to 7 p.m.

Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan 601 W. Maple Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 When you picture a philanthropist, what do you see? We hope you see yourself because philanthropy is more than giving money, it’s sharing valuable resources such as time and talent to give love to your community.

The 5th annual Find Your Cause event, hosted by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation in partnership with Gryphon Place Volunteer Services, is an opportunity to connect with local nonprofits and find ways to get involved with their work in and with community by providing board service, technology assistance, administrative support, legal expertise and more!

Dozens of nonprofit representatives will all be in one room to discuss opportunities to address needs in education, housing, human services, youth development, just to name a few.

To register and learn more about the event, visit FYC2019.eventbrite.com or call 269.381.1510.