Battle Creek, Michigan, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, are closely linked communities located within 30 miles of each other. Many of their residents live in one town and commute to work in the other. Their major employers are active in both communities. Social issues and the agencies addressing them also straddle their boundaries. These changes have made the borders between the United Way of Greater Battle Creek and Greater Kalamazoo United Way irrelevant and, at times, problematic, causing the organizations to compete for donors. The two agencies decided to merge to better serve their communities and generate a greater regional impact while simultaneously achieving significant annual administrative cost savings. A challenge grant from the SeaChange-Lodestar Fund helped fund the merger that formed the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.
Grant Information
Grant Amount: $41,667
Year Granted: 2012
Grantee: United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region
Location: MI - Michigan
Grantee Website: United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region