Posts Tagged ‘kalamazoo’
Kalamazoo Grant Program Returns,
Providing Relief for Smallest Businesses
KALAMAZOO, Mich. [March 30, 2022]—A grant program in its third year of bringing crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses will offer two additional rounds in 2022. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program provides grants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United…
Read MoreSeeding Leaders Grants: Blossoming Nonprofit Leadership
United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region has awarded $2,500 mini-grants to 10 local leaders as a part of a new program called Seeding Leaders. These grants are intended to support the wellness, leadership, and professional development of nonprofit leaders and primarily focused on leaders who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color),…
Read MoreHeirloom Arts: Building More Than a Business
When Tempest Anderson co-founded Heirloom Arts, LLC, in 2018, they couldn’t have anticipated the challenges they would face in the business’ first year. But two years after the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the small business community, the non-binary owned tattoo shop has found its niche, and is thriving. Founded on a desire to build…
Read MoreBlack History Month Spotlight: Month in Review
This year in honor of Black History Month, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region invited staff and community members to reflect on and share their thoughts on who in Black history – past, present, local or global – has inspired them. Every Tuesday and Thursday during February, we shared these submissions on…
Read MoreMicro-Enterprise Grants Buoy 100 Small Businesses
A grant program unveiled last month will bring $500,000 in relief to 100 Kalamazoo microbusinesses dealing with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of the businesses will receive $5,000 through the Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) program, a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.…
Read MoreGrant Program Launched to Support Microbusinesses
A $500,000 grant program launched today will bring crucial relief to Kalamazoo’s smallest businesses hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic. The Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants (KMEG) provides grants of $5,000 to eligible microbusinesses within the city limits. The grants are a partnership between the City of Kalamazoo and United Way of the Battle…
Read MoreUW Launches Small Business Loan Fund
A new partnership puts United Way in a key role helping ALICE workers and their employers in the City of Kalamazoo affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With $2 million in support from the Foundation For Excellence, United Way launched the Kalamazoo Small Business Loan Fund. The fund will provide low-interest loans between $5,000 and $50,000…
Read More#FaithfullyUnited Mobilizes Shared Compassion
A pilot effort is connecting United Way with the faith-based community to make a positive impact. “Many people who engage with United Way are part of the faith community, so it makes sense to look at ways to build on that partnership and transform lives,” said James Liggins, United Way BCKR board member and co-chair…
Read MoreLeading the Dialogue on Homelessness
United Way has been working to help our community tackle an issue that’s been highly visible recently: homelessness. The visibility comes from a protest in Kalamazoo. Homeless individuals and advocates camped in a city park to promote awareness and action. That protest, which began Aug. 19, ended on Sept. 19 when police cleared the park.…
Read MoreMercantile Bank Invests Tax Break in Flood Relief
Mercantile Bank of Michigan recently gave $7,500 to United Way BCKR to support the Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund from tax savings resulting from federal tax reform approved by Congress last December. “It’s one way for us to give back,” said Nancy Turtle, Senior Vice President and Community Bank President for Mercantile Bank. “Flood relief is…
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