Kalamazoo Connect
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Annual Responsive Grants

KZCF offers grants with an annual one-year grant term to support projects, programs or general operations for organizations that connect to one or more of our community impact WHEN priorities.

This grant is a fit for:
  • Organizations applying for the first time.
  • Newly established organizations.
  • Ongoing grants for partners who did not receive a multiyear award.
  • Emerging pilots or projects for organizations already being funded.
Apply for a grant

Grants at a Glance

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$5-50K
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One-Year Award
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Application Opens

Round 1:
Feb. 12, 2025

Round 2:
Aug. 13, 2025

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Application Deadline

Round 1:
March 26, 2025, by 5 p.m.

Round 2:
Sept. 24, 2025, by 5 p.m.

Grant Details

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Eligibility Criteria

  • Organizations must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3), registered religious institution or public entity (i.e., governmental agency, public school, educational institution, city council, public library, municipal office, etc.), or a project with a current eligible fiscal sponsor.
  • Organizations must connect to at least one of KZCF’s WHEN priorities.
  • The organization or its programming must be located in Kalamazoo County.

What KZCF Grants Do NOT Fund

  • Projects that intervene in any election or support or oppose political candidates for voter registration or lobbying purposes as outlined by the applicable IRS code
  • Annual appeals or event sponsorships (See KZCF sponsorship opportunities.)
  • Episodic and/or one-time programs and events (See KZCF sponsorship opportunities.)
  • Direct funding for individuals
Additional restrictions for this grant type include:
  • Organizations receiving multiyear grants will generally not be prioritized for this type of grant.

Funding Opportunity & Amounts

In 2025, an estimated $1 million is available to fund approximately 50 requests under this type of grant. Half of the funds will be available in March (Round 1) and half in September (Round 2).

Annual responsive grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000.

Application Submission Requirements

Be aware that your online application will need to be completed in one session. To help the process go smoothly, we suggest that you gather all of the submission information and use one of our application templates below to prepare your answers before you start.

  • An organizational budget
  • One to three proposed outputs or outcome data points that will be evaluated annually, including projections for each point
  • A collection of demographic information, including the racial/ethnic identifications of staff, board members and clientele
  • An indication of significant leadership changes at the organization or board level
  • An indication of any findings related to a financial audit in the past two years
  • An explanation of the current standing of the board, including the number of members, their relation to the executive director and the governing bylaws
  • Narrative responses to questions about your request

For 501(c)(3) Nonprofits, Public Entities, and Faith-based Organizations:

Application Template – Google Docs

Application Template – Word Doc

For Projects using Fiscal Sponsors:

Application Template – Google Docs

Application Template – Word Doc

Annual Reporting

Funded partners must engage in an annual reporting process. The annual report will include:

  • An opportunity to engage in a grant reflection conversation with a Community Impact officer (CIO) prompted by the CIO.
  • A submission of summarized data through a provided form.
Required Information to Be Submitted
  • Total number of individuals served across the grant year
  • Combined geographical information for those served, collected by either township/city, zip code or school district (this information will be collected in a percentage format.)
  • Combined racial/ethnic demographics for those served, collected in commonly utilized categories (this information will be collected in a percentage format.)
  • Actual numbers for the impact data points that the applicant identifies within the application

Get started with this grant — it’s easy!

Apply Online

Submit an online application by the next deadline including required submission information. Use our application templates to prepare before you start!

Let the Review Begin

KZCF staff and volunteers will complete a thorough review of all applications received. The outcome of your request will be sent via email by the end of June (Round 1) and end of December (Round 2). If a grant is awarded, you’ll receive a grant agreement to sign and return.

Keep in Touch!

You’ll be assigned a Community Impact Officer who will be your main point of contact throughout the grant process and will send additional information as needed during the life of your grant.

    Grants got you stumped? 
Ask Kari.

    To learn more about our grantmaking process, get guidance with your grant-writing, or ask any lingering questions, contact Kari Benjamin Hamann via the contact form or call 269.381.4416.

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