Council of Michigan Foundations
Kyle Caldwell, President and CEO, Council of Michigan Foundations
The Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle Caldwell as the incoming president and CEO of CMF, effective November 1, 2018. He will succeed Rob Collier, who has served as president since 1999.
“Rob and I look forward to introducing Kyle to CMF members at our Annual Members Meeting on October 9 as part of our 46th Annual Conference in Grand Rapids,” shared Neal Hegarty, chair, Board of Trustees.
Caldwell, a Michigan native, is currently executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, one of the country’s largest academic centers for philanthropy.
“I am honored to have been selected for this position and truly excited about the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of great leaders like Rob and Dottie Johnson before him,” Caldwell said. “CMF is a national leader among its grantmaker association peers and has a strong reputation for not only policy work at the state and federal level, but also an exceptional array of programs and services available to its members,” Caldwell added. “I look forward to building upon the legacy of the staff and board members who have served philanthropy in Michigan for the past 46 years.”
Caldwell was selected via a competitive process conducted by the national search firm Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group (NPAG) and coordinated by an eight-member search committee of current and former CMF Trustees.
“There was very high interest in the position,” Hegarty said. “NPAG contacted more than 300 sources of nominations for potential candidates from Michigan and across the country before presenting the search committee with a select group of finalists to review and interview.”
“While there were many strong candidates, we’re confident Kyle is the best person to continue CMF’s tradition of leadership,” Hegarty shared. “His 25 years of experience, deep knowledge of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy, and commitment to maintaining our robust policy focus in Lansing and Washington will help ensure CMF continues to serve our members well.”
Caldwell currently serves on the boards of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Kids’ Food Basket in Grand Rapids.
Prior to his appointment to the Johnson Center in 2015, he was director of the Pathways Out of Poverty grantmaking team at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint. Caldwell has also served as president of the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Connect Michigan Alliance, as well as service to former Michigan Governors John Engler and Jennifer Granholm as executive director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational communications from Western Michigan University.
“Kyle is familiar with CMF through our partnership with the Johnson Center and his past work at the C.S. Mott Foundation, as well as leadership of MNA and the Michigan Community Service Commission. I look forward to assisting him in November and December to ensure a seamless transition in leadership,” noted Collier.
Collier added, “Kyle is nationally known for his commitment to a strong nonprofit sector and effective public-private partnerships to achieve vibrant communities for all. With a talented staff, dedicated Board of Trustees, engaged members and Kyle’s leadership, CMF is well positioned to grow the impact of Michigan philanthropy.”