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When Grand Rapids Decides to Spend Public Money, Who Benefits & Who Decides?
What are OUR priorities for public money?
Will our whole community benefit, or just a select few?
That depends on US.
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About Us
Together West Michigan unites people to confront the challenges our families and communities face by building power to shape decisions made about our lives in the public arena.
We work to transcend lines of race, wealth and ethnicity in pursuit of the common good through collective power built on trusting relationships.
We continually foster conversations to build relational power by getting to know people, discovering the challenges they face, and nurturing new leaders.
We are an ever-refreshing organization that adapts to our communities’ challenges as they arise.
How We Work
Together West Michigan (TWM) is a democratic (with a small “d”) organization that values decision making through conversation and consensus.Member institutions develop core teams to bring the work of TWM into the life of the institution, and the voice of the institution back into TWM. 1-2 institutional representatives from each member institution meet monthly to share the interests of their members, make proposals, discuss, affirm, and drive the work of TWM.
TWM members and leaders build and run issue teams and other teams that advance TWM's work.
TWM holds large scale listening campaigns to hear from our members and neighbors and to identify and engage new leaders. We hold Issues Assemblies to clarify, prioritize, and develop consensus on an issues agenda with dozens of our members.
We also hold a Delegates Assembly multiple times a year, where delegations from all of our member institutions publicly approve and commit to the business of the organization.
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Christina Leal published Boosting Minority and Women Contractors in Our Priorities 2025-10-29 14:00:45 -0400
Boosting Minority and Women Contractors
In Grand Rapids and cities around the country, minorities and women have long faced great obstacles in starting and growing contracting companies. Outright discrimination and long-established patterns of awarding bids to the same “insiders” are two such obstacles. Fortunately, things are changing. Government policymakers and developers are working to help empower underrepresented contractors by setting goals for their “piece of the pie.”
Our Together West Michigan team is working to:
• Help ensure that minority and women contracting companies reach the developer’s aspirational goal of $50 million in contracts for the three high-rise buildings—aka “The Three Towers”—planned at Fulton & Market in downtown Grand Rapids. Bids are expected in 2026 for this massive project, estimated in late 2024 at $797 million. Public pressure by Together West Michigan led city officials to increase the goal for underrepresented contractors from $31 million to $50 million.
• Use the Three Towers experience as a springboard to help inform underrepresented contractors more broadly about the many contracting opportunities in West Michigan
• Connect, connect, connect! Help link small contractors with sources of help: mentors, networking events, discounted legal and accounting services, lower-cost loans, etc. We do this by partnering with nonprofit organizations experienced in helping underrepresented contractors. They include the Urban League of West Michigan, and Construction Allies in Action.
• Help with the “Project-Ready” events put on by these nonprofits.
If we’re successful:
When firms led by minorities and women have a fairer opportunity to bid on and be awarded jobs, the benefits pass down to succeeding generations of their families, building generational wealth and strongly rooting them in the community. All of us will be building a fairer and more just community. This vision is what animates the “Three Towers Team” of Together West Michigan.
Do you want to join us?
We have a diverse team and are always open to people who want to work with us. With all the construction work planned for along the Grand River and elsewhere in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, there are many opportunities to boost minority and women firms.
Contact team leader Ted Hartzell. Phone: 269-876-9242. Email: [email protected]
We encourage you to share your perspective and join us in this critical work. We meet in person as needed, but in between meetings are doing advocacy work with local governments and city staff.
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Boosting Minority and Women Contractors
In Grand Rapids and cities around the country, minorities and women have long faced great obstacles in starting and growing contracting companies. Outright discrimination and long-established patterns of awarding bids to the same “insiders” are two such obstacles. Fortunately, things are changing. Government policymakers and developers are working to help empower underrepresented contractors by setting goals for their “piece of the pie.”
Our Together West Michigan team is working to:
• Help ensure that minority and women contracting companies reach the developer’s aspirational goal of $50 million in contracts for the three high-rise buildings—aka “The Three Towers”—planned at Fulton & Market in downtown Grand Rapids. Bids are expected in 2026 for this massive project, estimated in late 2024 at $797 million. Public pressure by Together West Michigan led city officials to increase the goal for underrepresented contractors from $31 million to $50 million.
• Use the Three Towers experience as a springboard to help inform underrepresented contractors more broadly about the many contracting opportunities in West Michigan
• Connect, connect, connect! Help link small contractors with sources of help: mentors, networking events, discounted legal and accounting services, lower-cost loans, etc. We do this by partnering with nonprofit organizations experienced in helping underrepresented contractors. They include the Urban League of West Michigan, and Construction Allies in Action.
• Help with the “Project-Ready” events put on by these nonprofits.
If we’re successful:
When firms led by minorities and women have a fairer opportunity to bid on and be awarded jobs, the benefits pass down to succeeding generations of their families, building generational wealth and strongly rooting them in the community. All of us will be building a fairer and more just community. This vision is what animates the “Three Towers Team” of Together West Michigan.
Do you want to join us?
We have a diverse team and are always open to people who want to work with us. With all the construction work planned for along the Grand River and elsewhere in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, there are many opportunities to boost minority and women firms.
Contact team leader Ted Hartzell. Phone: 269-876-9242. Email: [email protected]
We encourage you to share your perspective and join us in this critical work. We meet in person as needed, but in between meetings are doing advocacy work with local governments and city staff.
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Public Money, Public Good
Huge investments of public money are being made in Kent County and Grand Rapids into private and quasi public developments. Think Acrisure Amphitheater, Amway Soccer Stadium, and The Three Towers.These enormous investments were made not in response to public discussion or listening to the community, but the desires of a small number of wealthy and well connected individuals.
In each case the discussion around public benefit from these investments of public money ranged from downright dismissive to pie in the sky. This trend will continue - unless community members organize to ensure significant public benefit for our public dollars that goes beyond a select few investors.
We are working to:
• Educate ourselves on the real costs and benefits of public investment in these high profile developments
• Educate ourselves on what investments of public money are beneficial to the general public at large and not just a thin slice of wealthy individuals.
• Widen the circle of understanding of the realities of public investment through a series of Civic Academies.
• Accumulate hundreds voter commitments focused on making genuine public benefit for public investment a campaign issue.
If we’re successful:
Our membership and community will know much more about the realities of public investments in development and be less likely to be swayed by vague undeliverable promises.
Our membership will be able to advocate for investments that have real and lasting benefit for the community at large and not just wealthy.
Grand Rapids City Commission and potentially State and National candidates for office in 2026 will commit to work with TWM on our members' priorities for public money - and we'll make sure they follow through.
Share your perspective and join us in this important work.
Advancements made:
• We changed the conversation around the Three Towers development in Grand Rapids in 2024 from a rubber stamp to a conversation with real tension around deliverables and transparency, including dozens of stories in the press and conversations with City Commissioners.
• We created “Show Me The Public Money” - a civic academy and listening campaign we’re planning to run with over 1,000 community members across Greater Grand Rapids in 2026 leading up to the City Commission elections in November.
• We’re getting ready to create the Together West Michigan agenda for public money in Greater Grand Rapids.
• We’re preparing to recruit hundreds of voter pledges to vote based on the public money agenda our members build in 2026 and to hold candidates accountable to their commitments on that agenda!
We encourage you to share your perspective and join us in this critical work. We meet in person as needed, but in between meetings are doing advocacy work with local governments and city staff.
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Immigration
Together West Michigan has been building its advocacy capacity, calling for critical policy changes to protect our immigrant neighbors. The letter below was sent to our local and federal legislators, summarizing our actions to date.
This video highlights the January 19 MLK Day event that launched this initiative. Together West Michigan continues to meet monthly with these multi-faith groups to push for change together.Other immigration advancements made so far:
• Congolese refugees can now take the written driving test in Swahili;
• Many more people understand why immigrants have come, have left their homes, what they face here, and potential pathways forward that strengthen our communities for everyone;
• Five local police departments have made clear that their work is community safety for all, and not carrying out immigration enforcement;
• Mental health education and support sessions have been held with dozens of New Americans.We encourage you to share your perspective and join us in this critical work. We meet in person as needed, but in between meetings are doing advocacy work with local governments and city staff.
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Public Money, Public Good
Huge investments of public money are being made in Kent County and Grand Rapids into private and quasi public developments. Think Acrisure Amphitheater, Amway Soccer Stadium, and The Three Towers. These enormous investments were made not in response to public discussion or listening to the community, but the desires of a small number of wealthy and well connected individuals.
In each case the discussion around public benefit from these investments of public money ranged from downright dismissive to pie in the sky. This trend will continue - unless community members organize to ensure significant public benefit for our public dollars that goes beyond a select few investors.
We are working to:
• Educate ourselves on the real costs and benefits of public investment in these high profile developments
• Educate ourselves on what investments of public money are beneficial to the general public at large and not just a thin slice of wealthy individuals.
• Widen the circle of understanding of the realities of public investment through a series of Civic Academies.
• Accumulate hundreds voter commitments focused on making genuine public benefit for public investment a campaign issue.
If we’re successful:
Our membership and community will know much more about the realities of public investments in development and be less likely to be swayed by vague undeliverable promises.
Our membership will be able to advocate for investments that have real and lasting benefit for the community at large and not just wealthy.
Grand Rapids City Commission and potentially State and National candidates for office in 2026 will commit to work with TWM on our members' priorities for public money - and we'll make sure they follow through.
Share your perspective and join us in this important work.
Advancements made:
• We changed the conversation around the Three Towers development in Grand Rapids in 2024 from a rubber stamp to a conversation with real tension around deliverables and transparency, including dozens of stories in the press and conversations with City Commissioners.
• We created “Show Me The Public Money” - a civic academy and listening campaign we’re planning to run with over 1,000 community members across Greater Grand Rapids in 2026 leading up to the City Commission elections in November.
• We’re getting ready to create the Together West Michigan agenda for public money in Greater Grand Rapids.
• We’re preparing to recruit hundreds of voter pledges to vote based on the public money agenda our members build in 2026 and to hold candidates accountable to their commitments on that agenda!
We encourage you to share your perspective and join us in this critical work. We meet in person as needed, but in between meetings are doing advocacy work with local governments and city staff.
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Christina Leal published How does TWM approach leadership development? in FAQs 2025-10-02 13:09:54 -0400
How does TWM approach leadership development?
A:We believe that leaders are made, not born. The national network that TWM is an affiliate of, the IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation), has been teaching ordinary people the skills to make social change for more than 60 years. TWM Education Fund passes on this body of knowledge by offering institutes, workshops, and opportunities to attend national training about broad-based community organizing, understanding local power dynamics, and pursuing citizen-led policy solutions. The work of TWM offers ongoing opportunities for individuals to discover their potential as leaders in their communities, with the support of an IAF trained community organizer.
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Is my donation tax-deductible?
A:Donations to TWM, where most of our advocacy work takes place, are not tax-deductible by law. Donations to TWM EF are tax-deductible.
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Is TWM a non-profit organization?
A:TWM is a non-profit social welfare organization under the 501(c)(4) section of U.S. tax law. As a 501(c)(4), we engage in public policy advocacy, community development, lobbying and political activity for the promotion of social welfare.
Our sister organization, the TWM Education Fund, is a nonprofit charitable organization formed under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. TWM EF focuses on training and education to equip ordinary people to be effective participants and leaders in their community.
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Christina Leal published What kinds of community organizations can be members of TWM? in FAQs 2025-10-02 12:58:16 -0400
What kinds of community organizations can be members of TWM?
A:Social service agencies, labor unions, neighborhood associations, advocacy groups, parent groups at schools, faith communities, and more! Many of our members are religious institutions, who are accustomed to collective activity and people-centered ministry. And, we intentionally seek to broaden our base of institutions outside of the faith community to better reflect who our community is.
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Christina Leal published Can I be involved if I’m not affiliated with a member institution? in FAQs 2025-10-02 12:56:54 -0400
Can I be involved if I’m not affiliated with a member institution?
A:A unique principle of our broad-based organizing is the focus on institutions as the basis of power. Power is institutional in nature, so we organize institutions to build power together. Through member institutions, we can reach and engage large numbers of community members who are already organized and in relationship with one another. The durability of institutions also helps build a longer lasting organization. Our emphasis will always be on working as a collaboration of institutions, but we welcome individuals who have a heart for this approach to social change and want to participate. (To hold a leadership role, an individual must be from a dues-paying member institution in good standing.)
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Christina Leal published How does TWM decide what issues to work on? in FAQs 2025-10-02 12:53:33 -0400
How does TWM decide what issues to work on?
A:TWM is a democratic (with a small “d”) organization, so we value decision-making by the group as a whole. Institutional representatives stay in conversation with each other regularly to share the interests of their members and make proposals for issue work. After large scale listening campaigns we hold an Issues Assembly to clarify and prioritize an issues agenda with dozens of our members. We also hold a Delegates Assembly multiple times a year, where delegations from all of our member institutions publicly approve and commit to the business of the organization, including what issues to address.
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Christina Leal published How does TWM identify issues in the community that need support? in FAQs 2025-10-02 12:52:02 -0400
How does TWM identify issues in the community that need support?
A:TWM has a practice of listening deeply and regularly to each other; that’s how we develop relationships and build trust. Through one-on-one relational meetings, neighborhood walks, small-group house meetings, and large-scale listening campaigns, we learn about the pressures on our families and identify problems in our community, along with the leaders and potential leaders that want to act on them.
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Is TWM involved in politics?
A:Yes! Politics IS the process by which people organize themselves to live in a civil society.
Politics is different from partisanship (loyalty to a specific political party). Politics includes elections, but also includes the many other ways we organize and make decisions about our life together as a community.The term “politics” has gotten a bad reputation in some circles today, but participating in relationships with others and shaping the life and future of our community IS political engagement. It is a responsibility we all have, and part of what it means to be human.
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Organizing History
2018
A Grand Rapids native and business owner invited the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation’s largest and longest-standing broad-based organizing network, to connect with local leaders in his hometown and train them and other interested parties on how to build:
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Relationships of trust among people and institutions across the racial, economic, and denominational boundaries that divide our communities in Western Michigan.
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Stronger congregations and community institutions through development of the skills and capacity of their leaders and members.
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2021
Following thousands of relational meetings across lines that often divide, and dozens of trainings on broad-based organizing, the founding organizations launched an IAF affiliate in West Michigan in 2021. We continue to form a structure that is:
- A politically non-partisan vehicle which gives ordinary families a powerful voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Each campaign is led by those experiencing the issue--not expert consultants or armchair activists.
- A “university” of public life dedicated to developing citizens in the fullest sense: participants in our democracy and agents in the creation of a more just society.
- An organization of dues paying member institutions, including religious congregations, schools, civic associations, labor and professional organizations, and non-profits
2022
In Spring of 2022, Together West Michigan (TWM) held our first community listening campaign of over 180 small group conversations with over 1300 community members to learn about the pressures families face. The campaign led to a public assembly on June 30, 2022 where TWM publicly launched its first issues agenda. Members formed issue action teamthat collectively held over 100 research actions with local elected officials, leaders, and issue area experts. Those teams developed proposals for action to take to decision makers.
2023
On May 20, 2023, TWM held its first Public Action Assembly, with standing room only, and registered our first wins. We're just getting started. Find out how you can get involved!
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Contact Us
Email Address:
Location and Mailing Address:
Together West Michigan
24 Fountain Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503Lead Organizer:
Allison McCulley
Send feedback
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Key Victories
Transportation Access for Immigrants
Worked with MI Secretary of State in 2023 to translate driver’s test into Swahili to provide new opportunity for over 8,000 Kent County speakers of that language to take the test in their own language and gain access to greater transportation opportunities.
Mental Health
Secured commitments from 5 state representatives to support an additional $10 million in the state budget toward scholarships for new mental health practitioners, especially from minority communities. Funding was successfully included in state budget in 2023.
Public Safety & Immigrant Justice
Secured a public commitment from Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Winstrom in 2023 not to ask community members about their immigration status.
Early Childhood Education
Helped secure landslide passage of the Ready By 5 Early Childhood millage renewal in 2024.
Public Funds for Public Good
Secured a commitment from Fulton Market Three Towers development in downtown Grand Rapids to work from $31 million toward $50 million in contracts for micro-local/women/minority owned contractors in their $800 million project in 2024.
Christina Leal
About Christina Leal
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