Application Period for FFE Board of Directors Open Through January 31
Published on January 02, 2024
Applications are now being made available for three volunteer Director positions on the Foundation for Excellence (FFE) Board of Directors. The roles represent the Stakeholder sectors of Education and Neighborhoods, as well as the At-Large Director.
The Education Stakeholder must be drawn from local educational institutions including, but not limited to, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo College, Western Michigan University and private educational institutions. The Neighborhood Stakeholder must be drawn from persons living in a Kalamazoo neighborhood with an officially recognized association. A priority is given to neighborhoods where at least 51% of households have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income with no one neighborhood having multiple Directors on the Board (currently the Northside and Edison Neighborhoods are represented on the FFE Board). The At-Large Director must be a registered voter in the City of Kalamazoo.
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PDF Application(PDF, 1MB)
FFE Board Directors are responsible for governing and stewarding the FFE organization and endowment so that it lasts forever to continue supporting the City of Kalamazoo in serving residents. Directors govern the Board’s operations and make recommendations to the City Commission to provide funding each year for aspirational projects and initiatives that realize the community vision established in the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Strategic Vision and Master Plan.
The board comprises 15 voting members and includes the City Manager and Mayor, two City Commissioners and an at-large resident of Kalamazoo, three representatives from any of the City’s officially recognized neighborhoods (prioritizing core neighborhoods) and representatives from each of the following sectors: housing, healthcare, faith-based organizations, education, business/banking, arts community, and affinity organizations. The At-Large City Director must be a registered voter of the City of Kalamazoo and therefore also a resident. A Stakeholder Director must be a resident of the City of Kalamazoo or an employee, officer, director, or executive of a Stakeholder business or entity in the City of Kalamazoo. No person may serve if they are disqualified as defined by the Code or its Regulations, could cause the Corporation to be determined a private foundation, or in default to the City of Kalamazoo.
Community members may complete the online application form at http://kalamazooffe.org/board or by using the PDF version available at www.kalamazoocity.org/FFE. Paper applications are also available at the Kalamazoo Public Library branches and in the City Manager’s Office on the second floor at City Hall. Please return paper applications to: Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence, 241 W. South St. Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Questions can be directed to Steve Brown at (269) 337-8047 or FFE@kalamazoocity.org.
Online applications are open from January 2, 2024, until 11:59 p.m. ET on January 31, 2024. The application takes about ten minutes to complete.
The FFE celebrates Kalamazoo’s diversity through fair treatment regardless of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, and/or weight.
The Foundation for Excellence is a unique innovation by the City of Kalamazoo and philanthropy to address systemic challenges to the prosperity of the city. Its mission is to support the goals of the City of Kalamazoo, fund aspirational investments in the city, and empower Kalamazoo residents to achieve the lives they want for themselves and their families.