U | Issue 4 2015

UpdateKalamazoo Community FoundationIssue 4 2015U Coates Impacts Kalamazoo

Dual Track Giving[page four]

Scholarship Update [page six]

Leave a Legacy: Sally Grushon [page seven]

KZCF: Then & Now [page eight]

Joanna Donnelly Dales Vice President, Donor Relations

2 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ISSUE 4 2015

As we welcome winter, here are some reflections on our busy fall season and how our equity work is connected to our donors.

In October, Peter Buffett shared an evening of music and reflections on the power of philanthropy with members of The W.E. Upjohn Society. Peter (who is Warren Buffett’s son) and his wife, Jennifer, focus their philanthropy on women and girls, whom they believe are the “planet’s most under-valued asset.”

Best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke on race in America at our 2015 Community Meeting, drawing heavily from his recent Atlantic Montlhly article, “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration.” Thanks to PNC Bank and The Center for the Humanities at Western Michigan University for their support and partnership to bring Ta-Nehisi Coates to Kalamazoo.

We specifically selected these speakers because of their insights into equity and their unique gifts in communicating these important perspectives. Ta-Nehisi and Peter helped us to see our country and our community more clearly, and how policies and systems do not serve all of our community members equitably.

We were able to bring these visionaries to Kalamazoo only because other visionaries from within our community supported our work by making thoughtful and durable gifts. As you read the feature story in this edition about the power of unrestricted giving, please consider joining us in our work with a gift of any size. Our equity work is being fueled by the flexibility of unrestricted gifts and the power of endowment makes your gift last forever.

( 269.381.4416

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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 [email protected].

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

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.

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

Survey Comments

Comments in the survey included

praise and increased expectations.

“The greatest take away is that KZCF

would bring in this challenging thinker,”

says one attendee. Another said, “KCZF as

a white institution should not feel a pass by

bringing Coates to Kalamazoo. We will see

how dedicated KZCF is, not just bringing

him, but truly live out his work.”

Says President/CEO Carrie Pickett-Erway,

“The response to our Community Meeting

and Ta-Nehisi Coates has been amazing.

Our community is clearly hungry to engage

around issues of race and the Community

Foundation is committed to working

with partners to break down barriers that

prevent people from reaching their

full potential.”

Paying It Forward

With our focus on equity and education,

we were thrilled when Coates requested

time with student journalists. “It was

inspiring to hear Coates speak about his

writing, and his advice for young writers

encouraged me,” says Samantha Macy of

the Western Herald. “He was incredibly

down-to-earth, and had great insight.”

According to Jesselyn Leach from KVCC,

“Meeting Ta-Nehisi Coates made me

realize that in life we will face many battles

and the victory doesn’t lie in overcoming

those battles, but being able to learn and

grow through our moments of struggle.”

Kalamazoo Central High School student

Kennedy Shelton says Coates has inspired

her to apply to Howard University, where

he attended.

ISSUE 4 2015 KALFOUND.ORG 3

Months of planning with

dozens of community

partners enhanced our 2015

Community Meeting

in November when

Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke on

race in America. People

and organizations working

on equity in Kalamazoo

County shared speaker

recommendations, gave

advice on community

outreach, and participated

in a post-event review.

Coates had a significant

impact on the audience that

evening. From pre- and post-

event surveys we learned

understanding of systemic

or institutional racism in

Kalamazoo County increased

from 33 percent to 44 percent,

and understanding the issue

on a national level rose from

49 percent to 54 percent.

Understanding of our

commitment to equity rose

from 31 percent to 43 percent,

and more than 80 percent

said Coates’ talk helped them

understand the broad issue

of equity.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Impacts Kalamazoo

Audience Understanding

Systemic/Institutional RacismKalamazoo County

Systemic /Institutional RacismNational Level

KZCF Commitment Equity

33%

44%

49%54%

31%

43%

Dual Track Giving: Restricted and Unrestricted Imagine what Kalamazoo County will

be like 25 years from now. The year will

be 2040. What exciting possibilities will

its people pursue? What technologies

will be driving change? Above all,

what will be the community’s biggest

concerns? Given the pace of change

today, it’s almost impossible to imagine

what the 2040 landscape will look like.

This inability to clearly define

community needs far in the future

is the main reason we talk with our

donors about unrestricted gifts.

Unrestricted gifts give our board of

trustees the financial flexibility to

assess and address the community’s

needs — both today and decades

from now.

But perhaps you have a cause you

care passionately about, something

that has touched your own life or the

life of someone you love. You may

have very specific interests in certain

organizations or efforts for change.

So you want to arrange a gift to

support that cause, but you also

understand the need for unrestricted

giving. What to do?

A Multigenerational Legacy

“We don’t see this as either/or,” says

Jeanne Grubb, a member of our Donor


If everybody contributes just a little bit...we have a larger pool of resources to serve the community forever.

Needs we can’t imagine


Relations team. “We prefer to talk

with our donors about a dual track

approach. For example, one of our

donors came to the Community

Foundation originally to establish a

Scholarship Fund in memory of her

mother. This was a woman who had

come from very humble beginnings,

became a successful business owner

in the community and loved helping

children in need during her lifetime.

“When our donor talked with us

after her mother passed away,”

Grubb continues, “we discussed all

of the ways she could make a gift

to the community that her mother

would have enjoyed. She ultimately

decided that she preferred the idea

of an Advised Fund, and she’s now

been actively involved in supporting

community projects in her mother’s

name for years.”

Grubb notes, “What makes this

especially interesting is that her

giving is dual track as well as multi-

generational. She has shared that

when she passes, she would like the

Advised Fund named for her mother

to continue, but be converted to an

Unrestricted Fund. So during her

lifetime, this donor is actively involved

in identifying projects her mother

would have wanted to support.

Then later, that legacy will continue

indefinitely to support the evolving

needs in the community.”

Dual Track

This donor is not the only one

who has made this decision. Many

Community Foundation donors like

the idea of establishing a fund that

supports their specific charitable

interests during their lifetime. But

they also want to leave an additional

unrestricted gift or convert their

original fund to an unrestricted gift

when they are no longer able to be

involved. This dual track approach

has proved to be very satisfying to

donors and ultimately gives our

board the flexibility that it needs for

future decisions.

Dual track giving can be arranged for

most any gift, and an unrestricted gift

can be combined with any existing

or new Field-of-Interest, Advised

or Designated Fund. “You have

an opportunity to create change

in the future in ways you can’t

imagine today,” concludes Grubb. “If

everybody contributes a little bit —

perhaps for both a specific purpose

and for some unknown future need

— we have a larger pool of resources

to serve the community forever.”

When Dr. W.E. Upjohn made his initial

gift in 1925 to establish the Community

Foundation, he didn’t know how much

Kalamazoo County would benefit from

a “festival place” at Arcadia Creek. He

just knew that financial support was

needed for an unpredictable future.

“Unrestricted gifts give us the

opportunity to address future needs

we can’t even imagine,” says Joanna

Donnelly Dales, vice president, Donor

Relations. “We’ve received many gifts

that are now being used to support

organizations that didn’t exist when the

original gift was made. If Dr. Upjohn

and other donors had put restrictions

on gifts they gave decades ago, those

dollars would not be supporting some

of today’s most innovative programs

and organizations.”

Unrestricted gifts continue to be the

most flexible funds we can receive,

helping us to do what we do best:

pool resources to invest in the

community in a way that serves both

current needs and the unknown future.

Our Team Our Donor Relations team is ready to help you determine which gift is right for you.

Joanna Donnelly [email protected]

Jeanne [email protected]

Ann [email protected]

Coby [email protected]

Zac [email protected]


KALAMAZOO AREA STUDENTS RECEIVE $1 MILLION OF SUPPORT

348 scholarships awarded in 2015

We awarded 348 scholarships totaling just over $1 million

to Kalamazoo area students in 2015.

“Thanks to our donors, we’re able to have this amazing

impact on both traditional college students and adults,”

says Nancy Timmons, scholarship manager. “We’re

also thankful for the 128 community volunteers who

participated on our 25 scholarship committees.”

The Community Foundation has awarded more than

$26 million in scholarships since 1925. A total of 53

scholarship funds cover a variety of student needs,

with awards ranging from $250 to $7,500. Many of the

scholarships are renewable.

To learn about our scholarships, Timmons suggests

students use the scholarship search tool on our website,

attend a financial aid seminar, fill out the right forms and

not to be afraid to ask questions. “Each of our scholarships

is unique,” she says. “Be sure to read the eligibility criteria

for each scholarship and if you meet the criteria, apply.

You have nothing to lose.”

Once students identify which scholarships they are eligible

for, they apply using our online scholarship application.

Paper applications are available for those without

computer access. Students also may use a computer

here at the Community Foundation to complete the

online application.

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 [email protected].

Kalamazoo Community Foundation Investment PerformanceTHIRD QUARTER 2015

Core Assets Qtr 3 YTD 3 Yrs 5 Yrs 7 Yrs

Moderate Growth Performance

Actual

Benchmark

-7.0%

-6.2%

-5.3%

-4.9%

7.6%

6.5%

8.3%

7.5%

8.6%

7.4%

Income and Growth Performance

Actual

Benchmark

-2.9%

-2.6%

-1.9%

-2.0%

7.3%

7.1%

8.4%

8.3%

8.8%

7.6%

Spring scholarship applications are due on March 1. Apply online at www.kalfound.org.8

10 Yrs

6.1%

5.4%

6.8%

6.0%

Sally Grushon died in 2006.

Sally loved Kalamazoo and was a champion for its children.

In 1978 she helped start Hilltop Preschool at Zion Lutheran

Church, which has been helping Kalamazoo area kids

get ready for kindergarten ever since. When she died, her

family created The Sally E. Grushon Endowment for Hilltop

Preschool. It honors her legacy and provides scholarships

to help families cover the cost of a quality pre-kindergarten

education for their children.

We can help you show your love for Kalamazoo and leave a legacy too. Contact a member of our Donor Relations team or visit www.kalfound.org to learn how.

Today she’s helping Kalamazoo area kids get ready for Kindergarten.

Our Team Zac Bauer 269.585.7236 / [email protected]

Coby Chalmers 269.585.7249 / [email protected]

Joanna Donnelly Dales 269.585.7260 / [email protected]

Ann Fergemann 269.585.7238 / [email protected]

Jeanne Grubb 269.585.7248 / [email protected]


Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. PostagepaidKalamazoo, MI Permit Number 66

402 East Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3888

269.381.4416 www.kalfound.org

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

Then Our first Community Meeting was held at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in the spring of 2000. About 750 people came to hear keynote speaker Robert D. Putnam, who had just published Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Dr. Putnam’s talk helped kick off our BetterTogether/Kalamazoo social capital initiative, which emerged from a dialogue about civic engagement that was sparked by our participation in a national social capital survey. The initiative started discussions, motivated individuals to action, encouraged collaboration, and invested in our neighborhoods, to make the connections that would make Kalamazoo stronger than ever.

Now Our 2015 Community Meeting was held at Miller Auditorium on November 3. Our keynote speaker was Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The Beautiful Struggle and Between the World and Me, who spoke to more than 2,500 attendees on race in America. Today our vision goes beyond merely a community with strong connections. We envision a community where every person can reach full potential and our top strategic priorities are education and equity. We are committed to helping Kalamazoo County students achieve more and to removing the barriers — including racism and discrimination — that keep people from living positive lives.

then now

On the CoverBefore the 2015 Community Meeting at Miller Auditorium, Ta-Nehisi Coates spent time talking with student journalists from local universities and high schools. Pictured with Ta-Nehisi Coates (far right in blue jacket) are (from left to right) Jesselyn Leach, KVCC; Samantha Macy, Western Michigan University; Katie Schmitz, Kalamazoo College; and Justin Danzy, Kalamazoo College. Adam Schwallie, Western Michigan University; Kennedy Shelton, Kalamazoo Central High School; and Mallika Mitra, Kalamazoo College, also participated in the session.

Photo by Robert Neumann

U | Issue 4 2015

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