Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Interactive Feature: Focus on Gulf Coast Hurricane Giving

Visit the Foundation Center's interactive feature marking the third anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Focus on Gulf Coast Hurricane Giving. You'll find maps and charts; detailed information about grants awarded; and news articles and research.

Since 2005, U.S. grantmakers have committed more than $1 billion for relief, recovery, and rebuilding in response to the disaster. Using our interactive maps and charts, you can explore more than 4,000 of the grants awarded, totaling over $800 million. These tools illustrate the geographic areas and types of services and organizations that received this support. Drill down by state, county, city, ZIP code, or three levels of giving category to zoom in on the individual grants that went to help those affected by the hurricanes.

News Round Up: Minority Business Accelerator; JumpStart

The involvement of Northeast Ohio's philanthropic and nonprofit communities in economic development continues to make the news:

• With a goal of assisting 10 companies in 2008, a recent article in the Plain Dealer explores the work to-date of the Minority Business Accelerator 2.5+, a $1 million project seeded by the Fund for Our Economic Future, which aims to expand minority-owned businesses in Northeast Ohio with sales of at least $2.5 million. During its first 6 months, the Accelerator has registered 30 companies and has 2 deals underway.


• JumpStart Inc., another economic development group supported by foundations and the Fund for Our Economic Future, garnered some nice ink in the New York Times recently. Praising JumpStart's approach, Robert Litan, director of research for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, said “The traditional model for helping relatively depressed areas of the country is smokestack chasing, where a city provides incentives to attract companies or to keep them from leaving,” he said. “But the problem with that approach is that it is very expensive and it is a zero sum game from the point of the country as a whole, because if I attract a company to my city, then I win, but the city where the company used to be from loses.” If a city can successfully spawn more businesses locally, Mr. Litan said, then they are more likely to stay at home.

If you are wondering about the impact of efforts like these and others on moving the dial of Northeast Ohio's economy, check out the the Dashboard of Economic Indicators and read some good news posted at Advance Northeast Ohio about $1.5 million heading our way from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This Week at the Foundation Center (August 25 - 29)

Classes:

Tuesday, August 26:
Introduction to Fundraising Planning,  10:00 am, and Your Board and Fundraising,  11:30 am.

Wednesday, August 27:
Finding Foundation Support for Your Education,   1:00 pm,  and Getting Started with Foundation Grants to Individuals Online,  2:00 pm.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online, borrow books, get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, 12:00-4:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30am-4:30pm.
**Please note: the library will be open 9:30am-1:00pm on Friday, August 29 preceding the Labor Day holiday.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online, borrow books, get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, 12:00-4:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30am-4:30pm.
**Please note: the library will be open 9:30am-1:00pm on Friday, August 29 preceding the Labor Day holiday.

This Week at the Foundation Center (August 18-22)

Classes:

• Tuesday, August 19: Grantseeking Basics, 10:00am, and Proposal Writing Basics, 11:30am.
• Wednesday, August 20: Proposal Writing Basics at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, 6:00pm.
• Friday, August 22: Friday Film, "Executive Performance Evaluation: A Cain Consulting Seminar for Board Members and Executives," 12:00pm.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online, borrow books, get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12:00-4:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30am-4:30pm. First two Wednesdays of the month 12:00-8:00pm.

Philanthropy Front and Center Poll --Results

Here are the results from our recent poll:

Is climate change affecting your summer travel plans?

• 86% - No.
• 14% - Yes.

'Nonprofit Times' Top 50 List Includes Greater Cincinnati CEO

The NonProfit Times released its eleventh annual Power and Influence Top 50 list. As PhilanTopic reported last week, the big news in the current year is the number of first-timers on the list, perhaps signaling the beginning of the first wave of leadership transitions from the old guard to the new.

One Ohioan made the list, and for the first time. Here is her profile along with our hearty congratulations!

Kathryn E. Merchant, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

"[Ms. Merchant's] leadership is moving beyond building assets for the greater Cincinnati area to building a national network for community foundation services. She might be the only executive to navigate the choppy waters between the Council on Foundations, GivingNet, and the state’s regional association."

This Week at the Foundation Center (August 11-15)

Classes:
Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online, Wednesday, August 13, 6:00pm.
Friday Film: "Raising More Money: Re-Igniting Your Board," Friday, August 15, 12:00pm.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online, borrow books, get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12:00-4:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30am-4:30pm. First two Wednesdays of the month 12:00-8:00pm.

In the News: Free Funding Information Center Established in Zanesville

David Holmes, regional training coordinator at the Foundation Center-Cleveland, recently visited our newly established Cooperating Collection in Zanesville, Ohio, which is housed at the Muskingum County Community Foundation and provides free access to the Foundation Directory Online Professional and other funding information. While visiting Zanesville, Mr. Holmes presented our free class, Grantseeking Basics, for the public served by the new Collection. Very well-received, the Zanesville Times Recorder ran an article about the event that includes some nice quotes from audience members along with this one from Mr. Holmes: "It was a great group, very eager to learn. I'll probably be back to do other classes. Anything we can do that can help folks find more potential funders is what we're about." 

If you are interested in learning more about our Cooperating Collections and how to establish one in your area, or how to schedule Foundation Center training for your group, we would love to hear form you.

From the Answer Desk: Prospect Research

(This post is from Katie Artzner, the Foundation Center's online reference specialist)

Q: Can you recommend a free tool for compiling information about prospective funders?

 

A: Yes! At the Foundation Center's web site, you can find Prospect Worksheets for both institutional and individual donors. These tools will help you to capture information about funders whose priorities match those of your organization.

 

 

 

Additionally, our FAQ "Where can I find information on cultivating donors?" provides links to resources and web sites that focus on prospect research generally. The Foundation Center also offers free, in-person classes to help you conduct more effective research: Introduction to Corporate Giving; Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online; and Prospect Research Basics: Researching Individual Donors.  You can also attend at no charge Introduction to Finding Funders via webinar. And our free tutorial Guide to Funding Research is always available.

Do you have a question? Ask Us!

This Week at the Foundation Center (August 4 - August 8)

Classes:

• August 5: 10 am - 12:00 pm. Grantseeking Basics with a special introduction to the Foundation Center web site.
• August 6: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Before You seek a Grant.
• August 7: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. How to Approach a Foundation.
• August 8: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Friday Film: Board Development Series: Building a Long-Range Plan.

Library Hours:
Monday, 12 - 4:30 pm; Tuesday, 9:30 - 4:30 pm; Wednesday, 12 - 8:00 pm; Thursday, 9:30 - 4:30 pm; Friday, 12 - 4:30 pm.