2025 Annual Report
Celebrating 100 Years of Impact!
Since 1925, Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) has taken the gifts our generous donors have given us and placed them into the hands of those who need them most in our community. From awarding millions of dollars to countless local nonprofits to ensuring that our education seekers receive the scholarships they need, KZCF has been our community’s foundation for 100 years!
We invite you to flip through the pages of our digital report or keep scrolling to explore our interactive year in review and how we’re pushing the boundaries every day to discover what’s possible for the next 100!
How We Operate
Give
We funnel this new income into the community via grants that we give to nonprofits and individuals addressing the local needs and priorities of our residents.
Gather
We play a vital role in community development and leadership by working to gather groups of community members together to address systemic issues.
Support
We rely on critical support and collaboration within our internal teams, which allows us to provide necessary support to our developing donor base.
Get
We get funds from individual donors, corporations and other foundations in the form of cash donations, bequests or other types of assets.
Grow
We grow these resources by strategically managing them to generate new income.
We Believe Kalamazoo County Thrives
W.H.E.N.
Wealth
is attainable and people have resources to meet their needs and invest in their futures.
Housing
is affordable, available and safe for every individual and family.
Education
is accessible and learners are supported on their journeys.
Neighborhoods
are vibrant and community spaces nurture health, safety and strong connections.
W
Wealth
A Strong Start for Every Family:
Celebrating One Year of Rx Kids Kalamazoo
An average day for Ni’esha Wright, local resident and director of community health at Cradle Kalamazoo, looks a little different than before. Mornings, evenings and any moment in between is now spent savoring the sweetness of getting to know her 9-month-old son, Shiloh, who offered a bouncing, bubbling smile during our interview.
Ni’esha is one of hundreds of mothers in the City of Kalamazoo who took part in the historic Rx Kids program during its launch this year, a program she says has helped her tremendously.
“The $500 has definitely been helping me continue to be the kind of mother I’m supposed to be and be present.”
– Ni’esha Wright | Rx Kids Kalamazoo Participant
Wealth
%
of Funds
Housing
%
of Funds
Education
%
of Funds
Neighborhoods
%
of Funds
Grant Applications
Totaling $27,363,118
Grants Awarded
Totaling $9,871,390
KZCF funded 10 new agencies.
KZCF made one multi-year capital pledge to Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Skilled Trades Wing.
KZCF awarded its first Mobilizing Grant to Rx Kids Kalamazoo.
H
Housing
Building Hope and Home:
Kalamazoo Community Courtyard
We sat down with Marvin Veltkamp, a managing member of MDV Properties GP LLC, to learn more about Kalamazoo Community Courtyard (KCC), a new 19-unit affordable housing development specifically created to provide permanently affordable homes for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
With over 30 years of experience leading affordable housing projects in Michigan, Marvin explained how this development is not only about providing safe and affordable housing but also ensuring that some of the most vulnerable members of our community experience dignity, healing and access to new opportunities.
“We may have the opportunity to take this model and replicate it in order to make a way larger impact in other areas of the United States.”
– Marvin Veltkamp | Managing Member MDV Properties GP LLC
KZCF Impact Investments
Aim To…
Increase Access to Housing
Expand Wealth-Building Opportunities
Develop Nonprofit Infrastructure
$28.9 Million Strong and Growing
As of January 2026, our impact investment portfolio has over $28 million in outstanding investments and commitments across 20 impact investments countywide, and this is just the beginning.
Total Portfolio Investments: 28.9 Million
Active Investments
Committed (Not Yet Closed)
$16M
$13M
Portfolio Return (Gross): 2.51% | Portfolio Average Term: 12 years
Social Impact at a Glance
E
Education
One Step at a Time:
Turning Opportunity into Achievement
We had the pleasure of sitting down with local resident and proud father, Antonio Spencer, 36, a multi-scholarship award recipient of KZCF, student at Western Michigan University (WMU) and staff member at Men of Purpose, a local mentoring organization focused on empowering young men of color.
Antonio’s educational journey has been guided by a strong sense of determination and hopefulness about the future, one he’s working hard to build not only for himself but for his two young boys, Ezra, 4, and Ezekiel, 6.
“I’ve always had a knack for just wanting to be a businessman. I didn’t really know that this was the route that I would get there by, but, it just kind of grew, and that itch kept just being there.”
– Antonio Spencer | KZCF Scholarship Recipient
Antonio is a recipient of five KZCF scholarships, all received in 2025.
Total: $13,826.89
N
Neighborhoods
Notes That Never Fade:
Margaret Hahn’s Music-Filled Legacy
For Margaret Hahn, Kalamazoo is more than a place — it’s home. Since arriving as a student at WMU in the 1970s, Margaret found something in Kalamazoo that never let her go. What began as a college chapter became a lifetime of connection to music, to community and to a sense of purpose that would ultimately shape her legacy.
Through Margaret’s planned gift, two endowed Designated Nonprofit Funds will be added to, and one will be created at KZCF: the Margaret K. Hahn Music Education at The Gilmore Piano Festival Fund, the Margaret K. Hahn Music Education at The Kalamazoo Symphony Fund and the Margaret K. Hahn Music Education at Kalamazoo College Fund.
“I feel like there’s not a lot of opportunities to feel joyful in the world right now,” she said. “The only cure for it is to find joy for yourself and try to spread it.”
– Margaret K. Hahn
2025 Giving By the Numbers
1,653
993
317
$100
21
%
DAF Grants Granted to Michigan
Ninety-one percent of KZCF DAF grant dollars are invested back into Michigan. Seventy-three percent of DAF dollars stayed in Kalamazoo County.
New DAFs Opened by Families and Organizations
Advancing Technology With Purpose:
A Responsible Approach to AI
At KZCF, we believe technology should amplify our community impact. As artificial intelligence (AI) platforms have matured into practical, accessible tools, we, like several philanthropic institutions nationwide, are excited to explore how we can embrace them to strengthen our capacity to serve this community we love.
Strengthening Shared Purpose:
Our Approach to Cultivating Transformative Connection Across Kalamazoo County
Being a trusted philanthropic partner does not happen by chance. It’s built through relationships, listening and a commitment to bringing people together around what matters most. As KZCF moves forward, our People & Public Affairs team remains committed to gathering people, resources and expertise in ways that strengthen our community and inspire neighbors to join us in creating the most equitable place to live.
Get Our Complete 2025 Report to Read the Full Story!
In this year in review, you will find 40+ inspiring pages that reflect some of our proudest moments and biggest progress together in 2025:
- Heartfelt messages from KZCF staff
- In-depth community interviews
- Artwork created by local youth
- Funding and investment data and insights
Make a Gift That Keeps on Giving!
Contributions to KZCF ensure your gifts will continue to benefit our community forever. Help us make an impact that lasts for generations to come by giving a gift today.