About Southwest Michigan First
Increase economic prosperity for all in Southwest Michigan by creating meaningful jobs and supporting business, workforce, and community development.
Focus Areas
Economic developmentWorkforce developmentSmall business & entrepreneurshipTalent attraction and retentionCommunity developmentFunding tools and incentivesLeadership development and events
Who They Fund
small businesses (main street / retail)manufacturers / production firmslocal governments and downtown development authoritieseconomic development organizations / collaborative councils
Funding Style
About Southwest Michigan First
Southwest Michigan First Corp’s clearest pattern is using large public economic-development awards to move projects in Southwest Michigan forward. The biggest recent grant in the record is $2,379,369 to Battle Creek Unlimited for a Revitalization and Placemaking Grant through MEDC, followed by another substantial Revitalization and Placemaking award of $550,000 to 215 Em Partners LLC in Kalamazoo. Those awards sit alongside grants tied to business expansion, downtown activity, and employer needs, showing a funder that works through state-backed programs rather than individual giving. Their focus is practical: jobs, business growth, workforce development, and community development in the region they serve. The grant list also shows support for local institutions that sit near the talent pipeline, including Southwestern Michigan College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, both funded through the Michigan Small Business Survival Program. The foundation’s recent activity suggests a role as a regional intermediary that channels capital into place-based projects, training, and business competitiveness, with Michigan recipients overwhelmingly dominating the record.
What Southwest Michigan First Funds
In downtown revitalization and placemaking, the foundation backed the City of Marshall with $327,200 in 2025 and the City of Kalamazoo with $27,137 in 2025, both through MEDC’s Revitalization and Placemaking Grant. For small business survival, it gave $76,000 to Southwestern Michigan College in 2023 and $55,000 to Kalamazoo Valley Community College in 2023 under the Michigan Small Business Survival Program. Its manufacturing and technology work shows up in Industry 4.0 awards such as $25,000 to Pratt Intermodal Chassis LLC in Niles and $25,000 to Vickers Engineering Inc in New Troy. The record also includes a collaborative development council grant of $65,625 to Cornerstone Alliance in Benton Harbor, pointing to technical assistance and regional coordination as another part of the portfolio.
How Southwest Michigan First Gives
The grant-size profile is centered on mid-sized awards: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $35,980. The record also includes a much larger outlier tied to a major place-based project. Grants appear project-based and program-driven, with multiple awards flowing through Michigan state programs and MEDC-administered initiatives. Recipients recur across years at the program level rather than as the same named grantee receiving repeated awards in the list. Southwest Michigan First Corp is classified as a regular funder, and the data shows no indication of support for individuals or program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.7M
Total Assets
$9.2M
Total Revenue
$6.8M
Total Expenses
$6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $36K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$36K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
About 98% of grants go to recipients in MI.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JONAS PETERSON
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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