The O'Connor Fund

Grants between $2,000 to $10,000 may be awarded for projects that are: 

• Located within the city of Kalamazoo
• Align with one or both of the Imagine Kalamazoo and Michigan Statewide Historic Preservation Plans
• For Exterior Rehabilitation Projects – the building must be owned and occupied by a 501(c)(3) or other non-profit organization that does not receive public funds as part of its operational funding stream.
• For Preservation Planning Projects – the project must be organized and undertaken by a 501(c)(3) or other non-profit organization that does not receive public funds as part of its operational funding stream. The subject of the planning effort must include buildings, areas or other resources that are more than 50 years old or are located where a majority of resources are more than 50 years old.

All Projects must be carried out or supervised by a qualified professional with experience in the project’s associated field. 

Rehabilitation Projects may include: Exterior work on the resource, including elements such as roofs and chimneys, walls, windows and doors, fire escapes, elevators, foundations and other exterior components.

Some proposed Exterior Rehabilitation Projects may be designated in a Local Historic District, and require approval by the Kalamazoo Historic District Commission before a project can commence. Check for this requirement before submitting your application (see “Related Information on the Intro page.) If it is locally designated, call the Historic Preservation Coordinator at (269) 337-8804 before you begin planning your application.

Use the “Layers” drop down in the upper right and select “Historic Districts and Places” on the menu, and then go to the nearby “Legends” drop down to determine if your property is Locally designated. If it is, call the City’s Historic Preservation Coordinator well before you begin your application to confirm and learn more at 269-337-8804. 

Completed Exterior Rehabilitation Projects must meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (see “Related Information” to on the right side of this page)

Preservation Planning Projects may include: Economic Feasibility Studies, Historic Building Condition Reports, preparing architectural rehabilitation plans for a project, National or Local Historic District study reports, under-represented communities surveys, designation nominations, and other planning activities as determined by the Grant Making committee.

If a planning project includes pre-rehabilitation studies or reports, recommended actions in the final study/report must meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (see “Related Information” to on the right side of this page)

Projects are scored for: Comportment with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards (see “Related Information” on the Intro page), Program Alignment with established preservation plans, Community Impact, Organizational Capacity, Financial Support already acquired, and historic designation or age.

Review the Grant Scoring Sheet (see “Related Information” on the right side of this page).

View the Historic Districts on GIS Maps (see “Related Information” on the right side of this page).

The application deadline is May 16, 2025.  Grants will be pre-reviewed for eligibility and completeness. After that, they are reviewed by the Grant-making Committee for scoring and recommendations. Finally, the recommendations are considered at a KHPC meeting held in June. A location and time for the meeting have not yet been selected, but will be shared with finalists of the grant selection process. Representatives for the applicant are invited to attend and observe both the scoring and KHPC consideration meetings.

The Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Commission reserves the right to make or not make an award for any grant period.  

Grants are made on a reimbursable basis. Receipts are REQUIRED. Grantee will maintain and present receipts for all transactions.  

The KHPC may consider a reimbursement request for 50% of receipts payable when half of the project cost is expended, if the work follows the Secretary of Interior’s Standards (see “Related Information” on the Intro page.) The remainder will be paid when the project is concluded as approved and receipts are submitted. 

The KHPC may take or use others’ photos of funded projects and retains the right to use all of those photos and associated narratives for publicity purposes. 

At a project’s conclusion, the grantee is required to submit a 1 page, single-sided report within 90 days to the City’s Historic Preservation Coordinator, and include 2-4 images of the project that best represent the completed project. 

Grantees must agree to and sign a five-year “Preservation Agreement” and abide by the terms of the preservation agreement for its duration. For links to the Preservation Agreements, see “Related Information” on the Intro page. 

Projects must adhere to all city ordinances.