Wendy Fields is the president at Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch MKB NAACP, a leading voice at the forefront of the battle against discrimination in the workplace, education and housing in our region. In 2024, MKB NAACP was a key partner in Kalamazoo County’s Mobilizing Michigan: Get Out the Vote Grants — a strategic funding process that distributed nearly $2 million statewide to activate voters across the county and support a broader statewide push for equitable access to the ballot.
Thanks to the support of aligned donor funding, responsive infrastructure and a key partnership with Michigan Voices, KZCF was able to proactively identify and move resources quickly to organizations like MKB NAACP, who knew how to activate trust, momentum and meaningful turnout where it mattered most.
Democracy at Risk
In the high-stakes 2024 election year, removing barriers to voting seemed more urgent than ever, especially for Black voters, young voters and other groups historically underrepresented at the polls in Kalamazoo County. According to Wendy, misinformation, low literacy, lack of transportation and a deep erosion of trust in democratic systems were all keeping far too many people from casting their ballots.
“What we found engaging in conversation was that a lot of people didn’t think their voice mattered, and a lot of people were fearful.”
— Wendy Fields | President, MKB NAACP
Strategic Activation & Resourcing
Wendy said that she knew Get Out the Vote efforts needed to be big. MKB NAACP felt they couldn’t do it alone, so they didn’t. Instead, they joined forces with Kalamazoo groups ISAAC and El Concilio to create The Michigan Voter Coalition. Together, they pioneered an innovative approach to voter mobilization and spread efforts and grant funding equally among their teams to make it all happen.
“There was flexibility and grace and trust given through the grant process. When we asked if we could request funding as a coalition with other partners, there was no hesitation even though it seemed like kind of a new concept.”
— Wendy Fields | President, MKB NAACP
Creating Impact & Momentum
KZCF’s flexible funding was transformative. The grant fueled a multifaceted strategy which included: bilingual voter education events, digital billboard campaigns, multiple aerial advertisements (an epic first for all three groups), voter registration parties, doorto- door canvassing, and partnerships with the County Clerk’s office, local churches and schools. Wendy and her partners were able to hire paid canvassers (many young and first-timers), provide transportation to polling sites, create innovative outreach materials in multiple languages and host engaging community events on a scale they’d never achieved.
Particularly powerful moments included connecting with youth and adults where canvassers transformed potential disengagement into active civic participation. Wendy admitted that starting conversations was difficult sometimes. People were guarded, even claiming that they didn’t believe in voting, but if she was patient and kept talking and listening, magic would happen.
“Sometimes it turned out that a person had a felony on their record, and they thought it meant they couldn’t vote. Sometimes they struggled with reading and were incredibly anxious about the voting experience or needing help to make sure they filled bubbles the way they meant to.” Wendy said that educating folks around the nine days of voting, alternate early voting locations and assistance available at the polls was critical. “A lot of people didn’t know how early voting worked or that they didn’t have to go to their regular polling site to vote. Just taking the time to have that conversation was all it took.”
The result? A successful campaign that not only increased voter turnout but also rebuilt trust in the electoral process and engaged multiple generations of voters across diverse Kalamazoo communities. Wendy told us that their events were more than information tables and handouts. She saw daughters encouraging mothers to vote for the first time and families showing up together. “We had DJs at different locations, and people were dancing and eating and making sure they were bringing people along. It was a beautiful display of people coming together,” Wendy said.
When it comes to the work ahead, Wendy says she’s inspired by what they achieved in 2024 and everything that came out of it, but she knows there’s more to do. The MKB NAACP is continuing to push voter registration boards and staying tapped into emerging shifts in voting rights and processes to remain a knowledge source for Kalamazoo County. The coalition is already preparing materials and planning for the next election season, and Wendy has set a goal to focus more on teen, soon-to-be voters who deserve to enter into civic engagement with strength and confidence.
“It was just really a good venture, and I would have to say that we not only met our goals, we surpassed them,” Wendy said.
