Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Is Philanthropy Commendable?

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: "Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary." 

You have likely heard this quote, but have you thought about it in its original context? Check out this thoughtful post from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Here's an excerpt:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life." (King, Strength to Love, 1963)

Replace the word “man” in Dr. King’s writing above with the word “philanthropist” and read it again. For us, this is what it really comes down to: how does philanthropy measure up during these challenging times? Are we good philanthropic neighbors? Are grantmakers truly willing to take risks to help a brother or sister in need? Is philanthropy more than merely commendable?

What do you think? Weigh in by leaving a comment.

Finally, consider taking a moment (17 minutes 28 seconds to be exact) to watch the full "I Have a Dream" speech.

In The Black: Why Don't We Know?

(This post is from Celeste E. Terry, guest contributor to our newest feature, In the Black. This is her second post for Philanthropy Front and Center Cleveland. Read her first post, here.)

Over the holiday, a board member of the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. where I am Assistant Executive Director, called and asked me to speak to a young woman about career opportunities in philanthropy and nonprofits. A native of Cleveland who currently works as a fundraiser in Chicago and who is knowledgeable about the nonprofit sector, she would return to Cleveland in a heartbeat if the right full-time position were to materialize.

As we talked, her fascination with the work of the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland grew, and she said, "For Black people, if it's not a church tithe, we tend not to know or think about other types of organized philanthropy."  Her words struck me and made me wonder if she's right. Is philanthropy not talked about enough (or at all) in the home? Or, are the large gifts of the Cosbys and Oprahs of the world so extraordinary that philanthropy seems to be beyond the scope of most middle-class African American families? Maybe philanthropy is seen as something that only the wealthy participate in. 

Could part of the answer lie in the perception that African American people are generally on the receiving end as beneficiaries or consumers of philanthropy as opposed to being philanthropists themselves? Perhaps this is where we should begin the conversation.

Maybe Debsoftware said it best in this comment to my first post: "Apart from a tithe to the church, donations to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and workplace pledging, what else can we do to uplift our community and leave a legacy?" 

I'll share one last observation, then it's your turn to chime in (keep those comments coming). I recall a recent story about a shoe store that was mobbed mostly by African Americans wanting to be the first to buy a pricey, new, famous-maker shoe (think, swoosh). There was a pushing and shoving melee to get to the shoes. Clearly, people have the financial resources, even in the current tough economy, to make this type of, dare I say, discretionary purchase. Clearly there's some self-gratification to be had by investing in and wearing this shoe. Could we generate the same type of enthusiasm for or feel a similar sense of gratification by investing in our own community and wearing the label "philanthropist"?

This post is not meant to chastise, but rather to explore two things.

1. What would it take to open up the world of African American philanthropy beyond our traditional involvement?
2. Is it possible to build a buzz around doing good that rivals the buzz we get from owning something good?

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment.

--Celeste E. Terry

In the Black: A New Home for Conversations About African-American Philanthropy

(This post is from Celeste E. Terry, Assistant Executive Director at the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. This is her first for Philanthropy Front and Center Cleveland)

I'm delighted to join the Foundation Center-Cleveland as a guest blogger, where I will be writing primarily about African-American philanthropy in a new feature called In the Black, drawing from my years of experience as Assistant Executive Director at the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc.  I hope to engage and inform, build knowledge, gather and share ideas, and encourage a dialogue.  Mostly, my intent will be to make the exploration of African-American philanthropy fun and energizing.

I have some ideas for my first "official" posts, but I'd also like to know what interests you.  Take a moment to tell us what you want to know about African-American philanthropy.  We want to deliver what's most valuable to you and the only way we can do that is if you tell us what interests you.  It will only take a few seconds, I promise!

It is commendable that the Foundation Center-Cleveland wants to expand awareness of African-American philanthropy at this blog and I thank them for inviting me to be part of that effort.  At the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. I have created marketing opportunities that span Internet radio, Second Life, podcasting, text messaging, and other creative uses of technology to reach and engage the African-American community and others in our work.  I look forward to exploring these and other things with you.

I invite you to join me on this exciting journey and make reading and commenting on this blog part of your routine.  I look forward to getting to know you better and to beginning the discussion.  Stay tuned!

--Celeste E. Terry, MSSA

Watch This! Celeste Terry Talks About The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland

Celeste E. Terry, Assistant Executive Director of the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, discusses the activities, priorities and projects of the Fund.

Watch now! 

Black Hollywood Heads to Ohio in Fight Against AIDS

Funded in part by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, Orasure Technologies, the MAC AIDS fund, the Ohio department of alcohol, and drug addiction services, Gilead Sciences, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Black AIDS Institute, this week, the Buckeye state will host Test 1 Million Ohio Celebrity Tour.

From April 21 to April 24, 2010, celebrities Danny Glover ("Death at a Funeral"), Rockmond Dunbar ("The Family that Preys"), Lamman Rucker ("Why Did I Get Married Too?"), and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Tony Award nominee) will visit Dayton, Oxford, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus to fight AIDS stigma, raise awareness about the magnitude of HIV/AIDS in Black communities, and encourage people to get tested for HIV.

"There has never been an effort to mobilize the Black community in Ohio like this," says Mamie Harris, CEO and founder of IV Charis, a Cincinnati- and Northern Kentucky-based AIDS-service organization and event co-sponsor. Other tour supporters include the Ohio Minority Health Commission, Orasure Technologies and a statewide coalition of 27 organizations. "We hope that combining the efforts of local organizations, including colleges and universities, churches, elected officials and health departments, with a mobile 'billboard' featuring Hollywood celebrities will get people's attention," says Harris.

The tour kicks off on Wednesday, April 21 at Central State and Wilberforce Universities and continues on Thursday, April 22 with a stop at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

In Cleveland on Friday, April 23, the department of health and Radio One station 107.9 WENZ-FM will present the HIV/AIDS awareness play "Secrets." On Saturday morning April 24, Cincinnati's Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will hold its 4th annual walk and, that afternoon, the African Heritage Festival will be held at Ohio State University. HIV testing will be available at all events.

NBA Player Devin Green Returns Home to Inspire Akron Youth

(This post, re-published here with permission from blogger Tracey Webb, originally appeared in blackgivesback a blog dedicated to philanthropy in the black community.)

Akron, OH, October 13, 2009 – Professional basketball player Devin Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves went back to high school for a day in his hometown of Akron, Ohio to share his journey to the NBA with students at Butchel High school. Green’s summer was the subject of a YouTube documentary entitled "Devin Green: The Journey,”chronicling his collegiate hoops at Hampton University, and professional career in the NBA and overseas. On September 11th, Green journeyed home to Ohio to impart his learned lessons on and off the court.

Buchtel High School opened in 1931 and was named after John R. Buchtel, one of Akron's leading industrialists and philanthropists. Green spoke with two groups of students, an academic scholars program and the basketball team. Green played on the varsity basketball team for two seasons for the “Griffins” and appreciated the home court advantage to speak with the students. “Home is where the heart is, I love Ohio and appreciate all the support and encouragement,” said Green. “The Journey is a documentary about my life and professional athletic career. I want to share my journey and let the students know I sat where they are sitting and that dreams come true.”

On September 28th, Green signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves as an unrestricted free agent. Green has played with the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and European teams.

Green’s commitment to giving back and his diverse support group propels him to keep going. His hometown of Ohio is where Green garnered his spirit of community service, zest for success and work ethic – on and off the court.

 

Green has “home-court” advantage and wants to inspire Ohio students to appreciate their own “Journey.” "I found Devin's visit informative and his presentation was engaging," said Brian Turner, College Access Coordinator, Project GRAD Akron. "The students were receptive to his message and hopefully it will inspire them to go to college and embark on their own journey." To view a clip of Devin’s documentary, The Journey, visit HERE.

Photos: (Top) Devin Green with Project GRAD advisors; (bottom) Devin with Butchel High School students

London Fletcher's London's Bridge Foundation Offers Mentoring for Youth

(This post, re-published here with permission from blogger Tracey Webb, originally appeared in blackgivesback, a blog dedicated to philanthropy in the black community.)

In 2003, NFL-er London Fletcher [a Cleveland native who attended John Carroll University] of the Washington Redskins founded the London’s Bridge Foundation, an Ohio-based non profit organization to build standards of education, leadership, teamwork and recreation for today’s youth, with the ultimate goal of instilling the values of volunteerism and philanthropy. Through the foundation’s mentoring and charitable giving programs, they teach youth life skills and valuable learning lessons. One of those programs is London’s Brigade, a community project that provides access to mentors 24/7. The project uses its website, which features a blog and discussion board, to connect with students.

On September 22, 2009 during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference, Fletcher along with foundation staff and mentors took youth on a tour of the U.S. Capitol (in photo above) in Washington, D.C. They met Rep. Eleanor Norton and learned about various scholarship opportunities available to them. Norton, expressing appreciation to the foundation’s staff for bringing the youth to her office, shared that she rarely gets a chance to meet her youngest constituents. After spending the day on Capitol Hill, the youth were treated to a surprise dinner at B. Smith's restaurant in Union Station.

This month, the foundation’s theme is journalism and their upcoming mentoring trips will allow the youth to tour the Newseum, participate in a civil rights course that will allow them to stage their own mock social movement, visit BET and meet with executives in the entertainment industry, tour the Redskins stadium and have a chance to go on the field and write news paper articles about their experience.

The foundation states, “the central focus of the project is to provide students with an alternate game plan should their hopes and dreams of being professional athletes and entertainers not materialize. For many kids, especially minorities, these are the only perceived means of obtaining professional success. Thus, our primary goal is to introduce our students to alternative career options.” In addition to Washington, D.C., the foundation has provided mentoring activities in Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Charlotte, N.C. (In photo: Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and London Fletcher.) For more information, visit the website.

Hard Times on Historically Black Campuses

The New York Times ran an interesting article (registration required) a couple of weeks ago about the effect of the economy on black campuses. The article talks specifically about some of the hardships being faced by historically black institutions in Atlanta. Clark Atlanta University laid off 70 faculty members and 30 staff members in February 2009 as well as canceling physical education classes. Spelman College, among the wealthiest and most prestigious historically black colleges, eliminated 35 staff positions after a decline in enrollment precipitated a projected $48 million deficit next year. Morris Brown College just paid off the majority of a $200,000 water bill and averted having its water shut off.

This makes me wonder how Ohio's historically black colleges are doing: Central State University and Wilberforce University?

Although colleges and universities all over the U.S. are looking at shrinking endowments, decreasing giving and government cutbacks, historically black institutions have two major disadvantages during hard economic times. They typically have smaller endowments requiring heavier reliance on tuition and fees. They also have a higher proportion of disadvantaged students who are now facing their own credit crunch when they apply for loans.

According to Dr. Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the amount UNCF has collected for scholarships was down 10 percent in 2008, while the number of applications increased 26 percent. UNCF provides operating funds for its 39 member colleges (including Wilberforce University), all of them small, liberal arts institutions; administers 300 scholarship and internship programs; and serves as a national advocate for the importance of minority higher education. They've set up an Emergency Student Aid funding appeal.

For information about searching for financial aid for education, see our tutorial Finding Foundation Support for Your Education (registration required) or our section of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning financial aid. 

(Originally posted by Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, in Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta)

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.

News Round Up: AT & T Foundation; Community Foundation of Lorain County; and Skirball Foundation

News about foundations and the organizations they fund crosses the desks at the Foundation Center on a regular basis. Here's another installment in a series of posts featuring a summary of the latest information and news about grantmakers and their grants.

The AT & T Foundation announced (6/16/08) funding for flood relief in Indiana and Ohio. A $50,000 grant was awarded to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis and additional assistance is being made available to employees or retirees living in specific Indiana or Ohio counties.

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The Morning Journal reported that giving by the Community Foundation of Lorain County reached the $50 million mark this week (6/16/08) with a $25,000 grant to Save Our Children.

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The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati) announced (6/13/08) that it has received a major grant from the New York City-based Skirball Foundation.  The gift of $1.5 million will support Freedom Center programs and exhibits and also support the Partnership for Human Freedom, an initiative to raise public awareness of slavery in the world today.