Making History for Kalamazoo County Since 1925

The emergence of community trusts

Community trusts, later known as foundations, were introduced in the early 20th century, with the Cleveland Foundation being the first one to launch in 1914. The idea spread rapidly and one decade later, in 1924, there were 46 community trusts spread across the country. In Kalamazoo, the Chamber of Commerce established a Community Trust Committee to investigate the concept, with vocal support from W.E. Upjohn. Grace Thomas, as a Chamber of Commerce volunteer, compiled a report based on information from other community foundations in Michigan and beyond. Once Thomas’ findings were complete, Harry J. Freeman, committee chair, got the go-ahead from Upjohn to launch a foundation in Kalamazoo County.

After many planning sessions throughout the early part of the year, a resolution was approved by the Chamber of Commerce to create the Kalamazoo Foundation (community was not originally part of the name) on August 24,1925. The purpose at the time was to meet the needs of a changing community, create an aggregate fund for charitable, benevolent and educational donations, and provide an impartial committee to direct the usage of funds. It was also determined that income created by the Kalamazoo Foundation’s funds would be used for the betterment of lives across Kalamazoo County, regardless of race, color or religion.

A board of trustees was selected, including Alfred B. Connable, Elias J. Hoekstra, Edward Desenberg, Harold Upjohn (board president) and William Lawrence. The non-trustee, secretary role was given to Earl Weber. The first gift came from W.E. Upjohn, equaling $1,000. This initial gift would total nearly $20,000 today, adjusted for inflation.

“The Kalamazoo Foundation: An Ideal Plan Developed for the Administration of Trusts for Community Welfare,” a 14-page explanatory booklet, was published in February of 1927. Written by Kalamazoo Foundation secretary Earl Weber, it begins with a narrative conversation between two fictional men, Jim and Frank, talking about wills. The conversation ends with one of them introducing the other to the idea of the Kalamazoo Foundation.

Board president Harold Upjohn died of a blood clot following surgery at the age of 44. Alfred Connable was chosen to fill Upjohn’s position on the board.

Kalamazoo Public Schools received the first grant from the Kalamazoo Foundation for $250 for basic student needs. This gift, adjusted for inflation, totals nearly $5,000 today.

A new board president was named, Donald S. Gilmore, son-in-law/stepson of W.E. Upjohn and vice president of the Upjohn Company. Gilmore would become president of Upjohn a few years later.

“Future Incorporated”

This became the official slogan of the Kalamazoo Foundation, appearing as the title of a hardcover book released to potential donors covering the history, purpose and function of the organization.

Since the Kalamazoo Foundation grew out of the Chamber of Commerce, it had been meeting at their offices (and at the Burdick Hotel before that). In 1943, the organization made the move to the Upjohn Company headquarters on what was then Henrietta Street. This same building is now a part of Bronson Methodist Hospital and is located on John Street.

Kalamazoo Foundation funds surpassed $1 million in 1950 (over $13 million adjusted for inflation). A survey of the 76 community foundations in the United States at the time found Kalamazoo Foundation to be the 14th largest.

Since the beginning of the Kalamazoo Foundation, Earl Weber had served as secretary. Upon his passing in 1954, a replacement was needed. The chosen appointee was Harold B. Allen, corporation secretary for the Upjohn Company and former vice president of the First National Bank and Trust. Though part-time at first, just as Weber was, his role became full-time in 1961.

Just a few short years later, Kalamazoo Foundation became the 10th largest community foundation in the country out of 82.

Due to the many deep Upjohn Company connections that the Kalamazoo Foundation had, when a new Upjohn corporate headquarters was established in Portage, the Kalamazoo Foundation moved away from downtown Kalamazoo for the first time to join them.

Harold Allen retired as secretary at the end of 1966 and was replaced after the holidays by the assistant he’d spent the last year training, Howard D. Kalleward. Kalleward, like Allen himself, was an employee of the Upjohn Company. Though Kalleward worked full time for the Kalamazoo Foundation, he remained on Upjohn’s payroll. His title was updated from secretary to executive director in 1982.

By 1971, the board had gone through relatively few changes. Five members had served so long that their collective accumulated tenure was 112 years. When Rhea Fetzer joined in 1971 as the board’s first female member, it was the first step towards a more diverse Kalamazoo Foundation.

As the Upjohn Company grew, it determined it needed more office space. As a result, the Kalamazoo Foundation returned to downtown Kalamazoo after spending 12 years within Upjohn’s corporate headquarters in Portage. The Kalamazoo Foundation’s new home was on the third floor of the Industrial State Bank Building (now known as the Comerica Building) on Rose Street. This would be the first time the Kalamazoo Foundation would hold a space entirely of its own.

After 47 years as a board member and a 41-year tenure as board president, Donald S. Gilmore stepped down and was succeeded by Bill Lawrence, the son of William Lawrence, one of the original board members. This transition coincided with the Kalamazoo Foundation’s 50th anniversary. By this time, annual grantmaking had increased to $1.7 million.

A devastating F3 tornado wreaked havoc in downtown Kalamazoo on May 13, 1980, resulting in five deaths, 79 injuries and $50 million worth of destruction. The Kalamazoo Foundation’s offices in the Comerica Building were among the properties damaged. The Kalamazoo Foundation assisted in the rebuilding efforts for Bronson Park and the Kalamazoo Center (now the Radisson Plaza Hotel).

Despite all the decades of organizational growth, the Kalamazoo Foundation had only two regular staff members in the early 1980s, the executive director and his assistant. A decision was made to hire more employees due to how greatly the Kalamazoo Foundation’s operations had expanded. Two assistants were added in 1984, then two more team members were added to handle programs and scholarships in 1987 and 1989.

After serving 20 years in his role as executive director, Howard Kalleward retired. His assistant director, Jack Hopkins, former president of Nazareth College, was promoted to fill Kalleward’s role. Hopkins’ tenure marked the end of the Upjohn Company footing the bill for Kalamazoo Foundation leadership. No longer would Upjohn pay salaries or share surplus office supplies, it was time for the Kalamazoo Foundation to fly on its own.

While women had served on the board since the early 1970s, Martha Parfet became the first woman to hold the position of board president in Kalamazoo Foundation history. Elizabeth Upjohn served as her vice president.

Elizabeth “Betty” Upjohn Mason became board chairperson, an updated title for the role that used to be known as board president. The familiar title of executive director (occupied by Jack Hopkins at this point) was similarly updated to become president/CEO. The board also went through changes to suit the ongoing expansion of the Kalamazoo Foundation, growing from five to seven members. One new trustee was the board’s first person of color, Beverly Moore.

The Kalamazoo Legacy Society was established to honor donors creating named funds or including the Kalamazoo Foundation in their wills. Four years later, this group changed its name to the W.E. Upjohn Society, Upjohn having been the first donor in foundation history.

David Hatfield, a banker who had been on the board since 1989, became board chairperson. He was a big believer in Program-Related Investments, which had been used for a community revitalization project at the Arcadia Creek area in downtown Kalamazoo.

After 75 years as the Kalamazoo Foundation, the organization changed its name to Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF). With the new name came a new tagline, “For Good; For Ever.”

Jeffrey DeNooyer, an area business owner, became the new board chairperson.

After 25 years of leadership, Jack Hopkins retired from his role as KZCF’s president/CEO. The incoming president/CEO, Juan Olivarez, was the first person of color in the role. Olivarez had previously been the president of Grand Rapids Community College and in this role, was the first Hispanic college president in the state of Michigan.

Barbara James became board chairperson. Previously, she had been board chairperson for Family & Children Services in Kalamazoo, working with trustee, Don Vander Kooy.

Juan Olivarez left his leadership position at KZCF to become president of Aquinas College, his alma mater. While KZCF prepared to initiate a massive search for its new president/CEO, Don Vander Kooy temporarily took on the responsibilities of the role. Vander Kooy was no stranger to the group, having served on the board. He had also previously been CEO of Family & Children Services in Kalamazoo.

Carrie Pickett-Erway made history as both the first female president/CEO of KZCF and its first homegrown leader. As a veteran employee of KZCF (starting as an intern in 1999 and moving up the ladder from there), her selection for the leadership role came at the end of a nationwide search. As it turned out, the best candidate for the role had been in the building all along. That same year, KZCF launched its long-time “Love Where You Live” campaign.

KZCF went through a series of changes in 2014, including moving to a beautiful new facility, the Arcus Depot. A former train depot, it had previously been the site of Jon Stryker’s Arcus Foundation, an organization dedicated to his passion for protecting LGBTQ rights and great apes.

KZCF debuted a new logo, which was added to the signage at the new location.

In the same year, Si Johnson became the new board chairperson. The staff of KZCF continued to grow over the years and now included 29 people.

Though KZCF had been committed to serving these two causes from the start, it was 90 years later that racial, gender and economic equity were officially lifted up, along with education, as the two most important investment priorities. This year also marked $403 million in grantmaking since the organization’s beginning.

When the Honorable Carolyn H. Williams, Kalamazoo’s first African American female judge, became the new board chairperson in 2019, it was the first time that the role had been filled by a person of color.

COVID-19 spread across the world and resulted in mounting illness, the loss of loved ones, countless closures and a community struggling to stay intact. KZCF partnered with United Way of South Central Michigan to provide emergency funding for locals feeling the severe and seemingly unprecedented impact of the coronavirus.

For the first time in KZCF history, trustees could apply for board membership. Previously, trustees were selected by various nomination committees. At the same time, the number of trustees grew to 11.

Dr. Grace Lubwama, who had already made waves in the community as the first Black CEO of YWCA Kalamazoo, switched from one side of E. Michigan Avenue to the other as the new president/CEO of KZCF. With KZCF’s centennial looming, Dr. Lubwama immediately sought to broaden the scope of the organization’s community impact to realize their vision of Kalamazoo County being the most equitable place to live.

Earlier in the same year, KZCF found a new board chairperson in the former principal of Kalamazoo Central High School, associate-vice president of Southwest Michigan First and CEO of the Kalamazoo Promise, Von Washington, Jr. Amy Upjohn took over the vice chairperson role.

Amy Upjohn, who possessed a history of board service for local branches of the YWCA and United Way, had been a trustee at KZCF since 2014. She took over as board chairperson and Dr. L. Marshall Washington was appointed to vice chairperson. The board now had 13 trustees.