Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Notables: Policy Matters Ohio

The Nation points to Policy Matters Ohio as the most valuable state or regional policy group of 2008 in its December feature, Most Valuable Progressives of 2008. Way to go Policy Matters Ohio and congratulations! Here's what The Nation had to say:

Bridging the gap between sometimes esoteric national debates about economic issues and the real-life challenges faced by people living in Cleveland, Youngstown and Dayton, Policy Matters Ohio is a non-profit research and advocacy organization that pushes the envelope on debates about tax policy and the funding of essential education and safety-net programs. Intellectually rigorous, yet always accessible in its approach, this group has produced more than 160 reports that have given Ohio's progressive activists and legislators the tools they need to challenge corporate spin and pressure tactics. In tight economic times, groups such as Policy Matters Ohio are absolutely essential players in life-and-death debates about how state and local governmental agencies should respond to revenue shortfalls and rising demands for services. PMO's founding executive director, Amy Hanauer, is great at making the link between the initiatives of national groups with which she works--the Economic Policy Institute, Demos and the Apollo Alliance--and local and legislative policymakers in Ohio, moving progressive priorities out of Washington to the communities where good ideas can and must be turned into practical programs. As an example of what Policy Matters Ohio does, check out the group's great report: Limiting Loopholes: A dozen tax breaks Ohio can do without.

Do you know of others who got an official notable nod recently? Tell us!

2008's Most Important Causes - Cleveland+ Edition

Our big-sister blog, PhilanTopic, recently ran a post from Michael Seltzer called 2008's Most Important Causes. Michael is a respected name in NY nonprofit and global philanthropy circles, who incidentally, spent some time in the glorious Midwest working at one of those big Michigan foundations north of sunny Ohio. He's also the author of Securing Your Organization's Future, increasingly considered an executive bookshelf staple, and a satisfying read and handbook for any nonprofit that's in it for the long haul.

As Michael points out, the drum roll for 2008 has begun. So, let's applaud and celebrate the organizations that champion the most important Cleveland+ causes. Let's help to spread the word about their important work by creating a cumulative list of organization's that deserve our attention. 

Here's a start:

Center for Community Solutions - Diligently "helping the people who help people since 1913," Community Solutions functions as the region's "brain trust," providing useful research about the state of things that effect real people, and that publicly-purposed organizations have come to rely on for making sound policy and programmatic decisions.  And, their advocacy work is second to none.

East Side Organizing Project (ESOP) - Sprung from a grassroots base on Cleveland's southeast side (Union-Miles, Mt. Pleasant, Glenville, and Broadway) ESOP unites communities to take charge of making change. ESOP got out in front of the predatory lending issue long before others were paying attention, and it isn't afraid to take on any of the region's toughest issues.

Neighborhood Connections - What's not surprising is that Neighborhood Connections is the "small grants" program of The Cleveland Foundation, which is known for many innovations in the world of philanthropy. What is surprising is that groups requesting grants from Neighborhood Connections aren't required to have 501(c)(3) status, something that is often a barrier to funding success for many groups of organized and committed neighborhood changemakers.

Youth Philanthropy and Service (YPS) - You can bemoan the decline of civility among the youngest residents of Cleveland+ or you can promote organizations that connect them to a world of service, good work, and positive role models. A program of the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, YPS quietly works with schools and organizations to infuse philanthropic values into the next generation of leaders.

Please don't hesitate to add your organizations to this list.  And, more importantly, let's commit our time, talent, and treasure in 2008 to making Cleveland+ the best location in the nation.