KALAMAZOO AND BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) that they will be receiving a grant of $250,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF).
According to an official press release, the grant is part of WKKF’s Catalyzing Community Giving initiative and is meant to support communities of color to develop and drive philanthropy.
The grant will also help UWBCKR evaluate its own investment processes to make sure they’re equitable and relevant to the people served.
“The social issues United Way tackles often affect people of color more than others,” said Nakia Baylis, Ph.D., Community Impact Associate at UWBCKR. “We’re committed to driving positive change in an equitable way across our region. To do that, it’s crucial that we work alongside communities of color, learning from them so we can better support their philanthropic activities.”
The organization says that this partnership approach will create stronger relationships across all communities while delivering more effective results.
“As a long-time partner with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, United Way is grateful for this opportunity to work hand-in-hand with communities of color in Battle Creek and support them to create lasting impact,” Baylis said.
Between now and August 2022, UWBCKR will receive the grant monies and apply them to do the following:
- Complete an equity audit of UWBCKR’s processes for raising and distributing dollars;
- Hold community engagement training for staff and project partners through the Harwood Institute;
- Conduct community conversations in Battle Creek to identify existing philanthropy in communities of color as well as needs;
- Work alongside those communities as they create new philanthropic initiatives where desired;
- Provide mini-grants to build fundraising capacity for those new, community-led philanthropic activities in Battle Creek;
- Match dollars raised by the cohort of community leaders taking part in the Catalyzing Community Giving project.
More information can be found online at changethestory.org/leading-with-equity.
