Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Listen! Brad Whitehead Discusses Philanthropy's Role in Economic Competitiveness

Brad Whitehead discusses economic development grantmaking and shares information about Cleveland's Fund For Our Economic Future, where Mr. Whitehead serves as president. A philanthropic collaboration of more than 70 foundations and agencies, the Fund has taken on activities aimed at increasing economic competitiveness across a 16-county area. Mr. Whitehead provides insights from the Northeast Ohio experience that may be useful to other philanthropic communities that may be grappling with how to leverage finite resources in response to significantly altered economic landscapes. Listen>>

Find other Foundation Center podcasts here. You can also subscribe to Foundation Center podcasts on iTunes or get the RSS feed here.

This Week at the Foundation Center (Sept 28 - Oct 2)

Classes:

Tuesday, September 29:
Full-day seminar! Foundation Fundraising: An Introductory Course, 9:00am-4:00pm.
The current economic crisis has noticeably affected charitable contributions. The standard approach to foundations requires rethinking. This course helps you understand grantmaking objectives of independent, corporate, and community foundations, know how to identify prospects, and gain confidence in securing their support. For nonprofits that are new to foundation fundraising.

Wednesday, September 30:
Grantseeking Basics for International Organizations, 10:00-11:30am.
For beginners, this introductory class provides an overview of the grantseeking process for representatives of foreign NGOs and U.S.-based nonprofits with international programs. We will cover legal aspects of U.S. foundation giving overseas, the types of funders working internationally and the steps involved in foundation research. The formal presentation is followed by a tour of the library, highlighting our resources on international philanthropy.

Thursday, October 1:
Grantseeking Basics, 10:00am-11:30am.
Learn how the Center's resources can help you become a more effective grantseeker!

How to Approach a Foundation, 12:30-1:30pm.
This class, intended for fundraisers with some experience under their belts, will teach you how to initiate contact with potential funders, plan calls and meetings, prepare for site visits, and build partnerships with donors.

Special Saturday class! Finding Foundation Support for Your Education with an Introduction to Foundation Grants to Individuals Online, 1:00-4:00pm.
Join us at our Cooperating Collection at the Cleveland Public Library for a class on obtaining financial aid for your studies. 

Library Hours:
Monday: 12:00-4:00pm
Tuesday: 9:30am-4:30pm
Wednesday: 12:00-4:00pm
Thursday: 9:30am-4:30pm
Friday: 12:00-4:00pm

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

The Foundation Center announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, the web portal developed by the Foundation Center with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. It connects foundation funders in education to information and tools that will help them support ARRA's education reform goals.

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

Read the full press release for details on the contents and uses of the portal.

This Week at the Foundation Center (Sept 21-25)

Classes:

Our learning center will be busy all week with the Foundation Center's Grantseeker Training Institute. We have a full house, so, if you aren't attending the Institute in Cleveland, you should consider signing up for another one being offered this fall at one of our other locations! 

Library Hours:
Monday: 12:00-4:00pm
Tuesday: 9:30am-4:30pm
Wednesday: 12:00-4:00pm
Thursday: 9:30am-4:30pm
Friday: 12:00-4:00pm

From the Answer Desk. Contingency and Scenario Planning: What's the Difference and How Do Nonprofits Get Started?

A: Both are structured ways for organizations to think about the future. In the context of planning, the terms "contingency" and "scenario" are sometimes used interchangeably. In simple terms, a contingency plan can be described as your organization’s “Plan B” or "worst case scenario" and is often tied to something specific, like a natural disaster. They are also sometimes called business continuity plans or disaster recovery plans. Scenario planning, on the other hand, is a “strategic planning method expressly developed to test the viability of alternative strategies," according to Mal Warwick in his book, Fundraising When Money is Tight. Warwick suggests six steps for creating an effective scenario plan, starting with exploring answers to the question, "What keeps you awake at night?," to draw out fundamental issues, and concluding with testing your strategic choices using “what-if” reasoning. Warwick describes scenario planning in detail and goes on to suggest Peter Schwartz’s classic 1991 book, The Art of the Long View, for further reading. (Listen to our February 2009 podcast with Mal Warwick here.)

In the July 2, 2009 Chronicle of Philanthropy article “Worst Case Scenarios,” author Ben Gose advocates that forming a contingency plan can help a nonprofit navigate the recession more successfully. Offering tips ranging from setting priorities and identifying "trip wires" (actions to take when revenues drop, for example), Gose cautions that organizations must come to terms with the fact that “painful decisions will still have to be made.” However, Mr. Gose goes on to note that during contingency planning “a charity may find that a program it considered cutting is in fact worth saving, and that finding can make a compelling story for donors.”

Additional resources:

Financial Scenario Planning for an Uncertain Future
Slides from a presentation made by Emil Angelica at the June 2009 annual conference of Dance USA.

Nonprofits Assistance Fund Scenario Planning Worksheet
A "step by step guide to nonprofit contingency planning."

ScenarioThinking.org
Open community on scenario thinking and scenario planning where you can publish scenarios, reflect on the planning processes and share online resources about scenario planning in a democratic and inclusive manner.

Do you have a question? Ask Us!

(This post is from Rob Bruno, Foundation Center librarian.)

Live from Low-profit Limited Liability Companies (L3C): A For-profit with a Nonprofit Soul

At its most elemental level, the low-profit limited liability company, or L3C, is a cross between a nonprofit and a for-profit. It is a new form of business enterprise that is designed specifically to further a socially beneficial mission, and, in the right circumstances, can qualify as a program-related investment for foundations.

Want to know more? Cass Brewer, a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin in Atlanta, will explain the nuts and bolts of this new kind of for-profit structure with a nonprofit soul. The in-person presentation at the Foundation Center-Atlanta will be followed by a question and answer session for participants. Follow along and ask your questions.

How it Works
Although this in-person program will happen in our Atlanta learning center, we will provide real-time reports on what's being said and done, right here at our blog. In the viewer window below, you can easily submit comments and questions. Our staff will ask posted questions during the program's Q&A session.

Watch! October is Funding for Arts Month

Free Events:

Wednesday, October 7:
Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts at our Cooperating Collection at the Akron-Summit County Public Library, 10:00am-12:00pm.
For you if you are an individual involved in the arts and looking for funding to complete a project, mount an exhibition, put on a performance, conduct research, or anything else arts-related.

Resource Market for the Creative Community, 4:00-6:00pm.
Attend our “trade fair” and meet “vendors” that offer resources and services for artists, writers, and others in the creative community. Don't miss it!

"I Got Funded" Artist Panel, 6:15-7:30pm.
Meet and learn from several artists who have applied for and received grants, fellowships, awards, and prizes.

Friday, October 9:
Coffee and Conversation with a Grantmaker, 9:30-10:45am.
Meet Lillian Kuri, Program Director for Architecture, Urban Design and Sustainable Development, The Cleveland Foundation.

Wednesday, October 21:
Fundraising for Arts and Culture Organizations in a Challenging Economy, 1:00-2:15pm.
Gain a basic overview of what you can do to survive, thrive, and succeed in sustaining your nonprofit during the current economic recession.

Fund Development Pulse Check: How Are Arts and Culture Organizations Doing? 2:30-3:30pm.
Learn about seeking financial support in today's economic environment from the experiences of leading development professionals from arts and culture organizations in Northeast Ohio.

Friday, October, 23:
Community Arts Organizations of the Future, 10:00am-12:00pm.
Explore today's pressing issues affecting community-based arts and culture organizations: funding, leadership capacity, community, and sustainability.

October 30:
Webinar! Funding Trends in Arts and Culture, 3:00-4:15pm.
Join us from the comfort of your own office and learn about funding trends and the outlook for arts and culture from national experts in the field.  

This Week at the Foundation Center (September 14 - 18)

Tuesday, September 15:
Introduction to Fundraising Planning, 10:00 - 11:30 am.
Learn basic strategies for devising a plan reflecting your organization's needs and resources.

Your Board and Fundraising, 12:30 - 1:30 pm.
Learn how to actively engage your board in the fundraising process.

Wednesday, September 16:
Securing Corporate Partnerships, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Learn how corporate donors differ from foundations, and where you can make inroads to gain their support and long-term commitment.

Library Hours:
Monday:  12:00 - 4:30 pm
Tuesday: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 12:00 - 4:30 pm
Thursday: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Friday: 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Hello Indiana! Foundation Center Free Training Tour (Sept 14-18)

We are visiting our Indiana Cooperating Collections and presenting free classes in five cities:

Monday, September 14:
Fundraising in a Challenging Economy in Indianapolis, 1:30 - 3:30 pm.
Learn what you can do to survive, thrive, and succeed in sustaining your nonprofit during the current economic recession.

Grants Research Open House Featuring an Introduction to the Foundation Directory Onlinein Bloomington, 7:00 - 8:30 pm.
Join us for an introduction to the Foundation Center's comprehensive Web subscription database, Foundation Directory Online Professional. 

Wednesday, September 16:
Proposal Writing Basics in Washington, 10:00 am - 11:30 am. 
Learn about the basics of writing a proposal for your nonprofit organization.

Thursday, September 17:
Fundraising in a Challenging Economy in Ft. Wayne, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm.
Learn what you can do to survive, thrive, and succeed in sustaining your nonprofit during the current economic recession.

Friday, September 18:
Fundraising in a Challenging Economyin Muncie, 10:00 am - 11:30 am.
Learn what you can do to survive, thrive, and succeed in sustaining your nonprofit during the current economic recession.

The Ohio Cultural Data Project

Ohio's arts and culture organizations now have an online management tool that allows tracking of financial and programmatic performance and benchmarking against similar organizations. Launched September 1, 2009, the Ohio Cultural Data Project is designed to strengthen organizations' ability to track trends and produce reports that can be used with funders and policymakers to make a case for support. Benefits of participation include a streamlined application process to participating funders, free access to help, and training. There only participation cost is time.

Free training sessions will be held throughout Ohio including several in Northeast Ohio, September 21-23, 2009.