Displaying items tagged: WK Kellogg Foundation

Aforthcoming statewide coalition aims to leverage the effectiveness of Michigan’s community development financial institutions through a collaborative approach to lending and technical assistance.

BATTLE CREEK — The top executive at Kellogg Co.’s largest shareholder sees opportunity for greater growth and earnings under the Battle Creek food manufacturer’s transformation into three separate publicly traded companies.

State officials have approved a $7.5 million loan for the redevelopment of the former McCamly Plaza hotel in downtown Battle Creek that’s being led by an affiliate of the city’s economic development arm.

A $200,000 grant will back a Michigan State Medical Society initiative that looks to address racial and ethnic disparities in health care across the state.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives plans to relocate to an 18,000-square-foot, three-story space in Grand Rapids’ Heartside neighborhood, which would be a major expansion for the nonprofit organization.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for February 28, 2022.

Through the pandemic-related turmoil of 2020, many nonprofit organizations shifted focus or practices while others shined a light on longstanding disparities around health outcomes, racial equality and economic opportunity for people of color, researchers say.

Two Michigan congressmen behind legislation that would create a $50.5 billion relief fund for small businesses nationwide hope to get it included in the next federal aid package that may come before Congress this summer.

The announcement last month that five of the most influential U.S. charitable foundations would be substantially increasing their giving levels was met with gratitude by philanthropic leaders in Southwest Michigan.

Here is the MiBiz growth report for May 10, 2020.

BATTLE CREEK — A grant fund started in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has expanded to $600,000 and will cover more businesses in the Battle Creek area.

BATTLE CREEK — Economic development organization Battle Creek Unlimited aims to help small businesses and nonprofits get through disruptions caused by the coronavirus with the creation of a new microgrant fund. 

A significant and expanding group of people in Michigan are working but still not bringing home a paycheck big enough to cover their basic expenses. 

Some Grand Rapids residents have never stepped foot in the Grand River. In fact, a very small population of people currently use the river to recreate.

BATTLE CREEK — A grant for real estate projects is bringing needed development and activity to downtown Battle Creek.

GRAND RAPIDS — Backed by a three-year grant, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation aims to better understand and encourage philanthropic giving in the region’s African American and Latinx communities. 

BATTLE CREEK — Management and development company LKV Ventures LLC will use a grant from Battle Creek Unlimited to help renovate a historic building in downtown Battle Creek. 

BATTLE CREEK — JPG Resources, a Battle Creek-based food and beverage consulting group, has been awarded a $208,618 grant from Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) through its downtown Real Estate Improvement Fund. 

Diversity, equity and inclusion have been foremost in the minds of people who work in Michigan’s nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.

BATTLE CREEK -- Battle Creek Unlimited Inc. (BCU) has been awarded $2 million by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to establish and administer funds to make improvements to downtown Battle Creek. 

KALAMAZOO — Creating workplaces where equity is the norm rather than the exception forms the basis for the Coalition for Inclusive Communities initiative.

BATTLE CREEK — A more holistic approach to ensuring positive outcomes for students, teachers and the community is the driving force behind a new partnership involving Battle Creek Public Schools and Grand Valley State University. That’s according to GVSU President Thomas Haas, who notes having a highly skilled talent pool in Battle Creek will play a crucial role in the region’s ability to attract and retain new businesses.

Immigrants now living in Kent County are making a significant impact on the local economy.

GRAND RAPIDS — Noble Johnson serves as an example of the success of Heartside Ministry’s GED program.

GRAND RAPIDS — If people of color continue to be underrepresented in Michigan’s philanthropic and nonprofit sector, industry leaders fear the funding, programs and services they provide might fail to reach people who most need it.

A pair of initiatives across Southwest Michigan have a similar goal: supporting entrepreneurs starting small businesses in their respective cities and urban cores. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Creating a level playing field for people of color in Michigan who want to pursue careers in the health care sector will lay the foundation for their success and the state’s future economic growth. 

BATTLE CREEK — A $10 million commitment to help support Battle Creek entrepreneurs serves as one recent example of a project focused on ensuring racial equity in the business community.

GRAND RAPIDS — Collaborations between different sectors in Kent County to improve every child’s school readiness have caught the attention of national foundations that are pumping money into the countywide effort. 

LANSING — Major players in Michigan’s philanthropic sector have joined forces to raise $4 million to finance a three-year campaign to ensure each state resident is counted in the 2020 Census.