Michigan philanthropy (volunteers, nonprofits, donors, grantmakers) has been my vocational home for more than 25 years. I started out as a public grantmaker and have led every nonprofit sector infrastructure organization in Michigan. With that background I can help in several areas including public/private partnerships, service and volunteerism, effective grantmaking, and public policy.
Leadership roles:
Kyle has served on a number of national boards, including Points of Light, Independent Sector, Nonprofit Votes and the National Council of Nonprofits. At the state level, he was a board member of the Michigan Community Service Commission, Michigan Association of United Ways, and Michigan Community Resources.
Kyle is a strong believer in community philanthropy and currently serves on the boards of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Kids’ Food Basket.
Kyle Caldwell began his tenure as president and CEO of CMF on November 1, 2018, bringing more than 25 years of government, and nonprofit and philanthropic sector experience. He has also been a supporter of CMF as a volunteer for many years and was formerly a member and co-chair of CMF’s Government Relations Public Policy Committee.
Prior to his appointment with CMF, Kyle, a Michigan native, was executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University, one of the country’s leading academic centers for philanthropy.
He previously served as an intern, and then later as executive director of the Michigan Community Service Commission in the Engler and Granholm administrations. A champion of public/private partnerships, Kyle helped launch and then lead the ConnectMichigan Alliance (CMA) that created a $20 million endowment to support volunteerism that engaged both state government and philanthropy in a one-of-a-kind statewide campaign. CMA merged with the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) and Kyle became its president and CEO. There, he championed the work of nonprofits and foundations to help build a stronger ecosystem for philanthropy.
Throughout his work in government and in foundations, Kyle has helped develop strategies and programming initiatives that strengthen the work of public and private grantmakers. Most recently, he led the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. Prior that, he served as the director for the Pathways to Opportunity Program at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation where he helped evolve the Foundation’s approach to addressing poverty to focus on education.
He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in communication from Western Michigan University. Both WMU and Lansing Community College, where he earned an associate’s degree in photojournalism, have bestowed Kyle with exemplary alumni awards.