Kalamazoo County commissioners voted to establish a new endowed fund dedicated to gun violence prevention, naming it the Pathways to Peace Fund.
The board adopted two resolutions at its July 21 meeting: Resolution 2026-880, accepting a recommendation from the county’s Gun Violence Prevention Ad-Hoc Committee to create the fund, and authorizing $200,000 toward it from remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds designated for gun violence prevention; and Resolution 2026-882, authorizing County Administrator/Controller Dr. Kevin A. Catlin to negotiate and execute an agreement with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to formally establish it. Both resolutions had their first reading at the board’s July 7 meeting before adoption on July 21.
How the fund will work
The Ad-Hoc Committee met June 3 to weigh options for the roughly $200,000 in ARPA funds, including direct grants to community organizations and use of an intermediary grant administrator, before voting to recommend a long-term endowed fund instead. The fund will be structured as a Field of Interest Fund at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, meaning the Foundation’s Board of Trustees retains final authority over grant decisions. Up to 30% of the initial $200,000 contribution, approximately $60,000, may be designated as immediately spendable, allowing grants to begin as early as 2027, while the remaining principal is invested to sustain the fund over the long term.
The board designated a three-member advisory committee to provide grantmaking recommendations to the Foundation: Commissioners Rey, Morales, and Gisler. The advisory committee’s role is limited to making recommendations; final grant approval remains with the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Fund name and purpose
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation had suggested naming the fund the “Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Fund.” Commissioners instead selected “Pathways to Peace Fund” during the July 21 meeting, after Commissioner Rey proposed the name.
The fund’s stated charitable purpose is to support nonprofit organizations that provide services across Kalamazoo County to individuals and families affected by gun violence, including violence prevention, intervention, youth engagement, victim support, restorative practices, and trauma-informed programming. The resolution names Griffin Place, Urban Alliance, ISAAC, and Moms Demand Action as examples of organizations that could be supported, noting the list is illustrative and not exhaustive.
Next steps
With the board’s policy direction now adopted, Administration will finalize a formal Letter of Direction with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation incorporating the fund’s name, charitable purpose, and advisory committee structure, before executing a final agreement. Corporation Counsel Lewis L. Smith approved both resolutions as to legal form.
