Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Top Five Reads: February 2011

These were your favorite posts last month:

1. The Flipside: How is The City Mission Building a Better Northeast Ohio?
2. In The Black: Why Don't We Know?
3. From Rocking the Runway to Rocking our GrantSpace Launch Party - Valerie Mayén.
4. Midterm Elections: More Rhetoric Than Reality?
5. The Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship Program Class of 2011

This Week at the Foundation Center (March 7 - March 11)

Tuesday, March 8:
Foundation Fundraising:  An Introductory Course,  9:00am - 4:00pm
The foundation approach to funding presents distinct challenges and opportunities for nonprofits. This course for nonprofits who are new to fundraising will help you understand the grantmaking objectives of independent, corporate, and community foundations, identify grantseeker resources, and effectively partner with grantmakers.

Wednesday, March 9:
Introduction to Finding Funders,  11:30am - 1:30pm
in Akron, Ohio
Finding a good donor “fit” for your organization’s funding opportunities will significantly improve your success rate. This workshop at our Cooperating Collection at Akron-Summit County Public Library explores online research tools, such as Foundation Directory Online Professional, which help you identify foundations and corporations that support programs and organizations like yours.

Grantseeking Basics,  6:00 - 7:30pm
Come to this special evening session and get an introduction to foundations, grantseeking, and the Foundation Center's library and resources. 

Friday, March 11:
Coffee and Conversation:  Funding for Reproductive Health, 9:30 - 10:30am
at IdeaCenter, Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH
We invite you to start a conversation about local and national reproductive health funding issues with Judy Wright, Program Officer, the Brush Foundation, and Bonnie Bolitho, Senior Vice President, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio.  Learn about The Brush Foundation's grantmaking focus and interests, and hear from one of their long-term grantees about the current funding and policy activity in the field.

Hours:
Monday:  12:00 - 4:30pm
Tuesday:  9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday:  12:00 - 8:00pm Extended hours!
Thursday:  9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday:  12:00 - 4:30pm

Dominion Foundation Offers $1 Million in Higher Education Grants

The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, announced (March 3, 2011) that it is accepting applications for the Dominion Higher Educational Partnership, a competitive grant program for colleges, community colleges and post-secondary training schools. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2011 and must be submitted online.

Schools in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia may apply, as well as targeted localities in Maryland, New England and North Carolina. A total of $1 million is expected to be awarded, with an average grant of about $30,000. Grants up to $50,000 will be awarded for exceptional programs, based in part on having immediate benefits for students, the campus and the community.

The Foundation will notify applicants in early August.

Invitation! Coffee & Conversation: Funding for Reproductive Health

We invite you to attend our special Coffee & Conversation program on March 11, 2011 (9:30-10:30am). Join the discussion about local and national reproductive health funding issues with Judy Wright, Program Officer at the Brush Foundation, and Bonnie Bolitho, Senior Vice President at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio. Register here>>

March is Women's History Month and this year's theme is "Our History is Our Strength." Over time, fewer things have been a more prominent part of our civic discourse about women's issues than reproductive health. Since 1928, the Brush Foundation has worked toward a future in which family planning world-wide is available, affordable, acceptable, effective and safe. Learn about The Brush Foundation's grantmaking focus and interests, and hear from one of their long-term grantees about the current funding and policy activity in the field.

When?
Friday, March 11, 2011, 9:30-10:30am

Where?
Idea Center at Playhouse Square
Jeanette Grasselli Brown & Glenn R. Brown Teaching Lab
1375 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115-2001

The Flipside: Molly of ugive.org Talks About Strengthening The Economy Through Service Learning

Get to know your nonprofit colleagues. We've been creating short, 1-2 minute video interviews that shine a light on the work and impact of Ohio's nonprofits, giving representatives of organizations and programs a chance to tell their own stories.

Watch Molly Dull, Youth Service Coordinator at ugive.org, as she talks about how service learning and collaboration can help improve Ohio's economy. ugive gets students out into their communities to let them try out their classroom knowledge and engage with business owners and nonprofits.

See more videos at our YouTube channel.

Are you interested in being interviewed for one of our videos? Send us an email or stop by the Foundation Center-Cleveland anytime to learn more about it!

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment.

(And, thanks Flip Video for the special deal for nonprofits!)

Crowdfunding in the Arts: Kickstarter and USA Projects

Did you miss our live event on Friday, February 11, 2011 with representatives from Kickstarter and USA Projects?  No worries. You can read the transcript below.

Kickstarter is the first online funding platform for creative projects and is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. USA Projects, created by United States Artists, connects people with artists and raises tax-deductible contributions for original work in the performing, visual, media, and literary arts.