Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

News Roundup: Research and Science Education, Team NEO, COSE Arts, Cleveland Carbon Fund

Representative Marcia L. Fudge named vice-chair of the Research and Science Education subcommittee.  This subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee oversees all programs at the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Representative Fudge said:

“We have a very unique opportunity to elevate science once again. We have a White House and a Congress committed to affording scientists a platform to develop new innovation and technology for a more sustainable world.”

Team NEO, grantee of the Fund for Our Economic Future, recruited 10 new companies to Northeast Ohio in 2008 (Plain Dealer, 2/3/09).  Payroll at the new companies is projected to be $30 million within 3 years.

COSE Arts Business and Innovation Awards.The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) is now accepting nominations for the 2nd Annual Arts Business and Innovation Awards. Nominations will be accepted through March 2, 2009.Winners and finalists will be recognized in four categories:  Individual Artist, Arts Business, Arts and Culture Community Champion, and Young Arts Entrepreneur. The awards will be presented at the Arts Business and Innovation Awards ceremony on April 23, 2009 at The Cleveland Play House.  Learn more at COSE.

Cleveland Carbon Fund launches.  As the first community-based, open-access carbon reduction fund in the United States, the Cleveland Carbon Fund invests in local community projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and spark economic development in Cleveland. The Fund provides an easy, highly transparent option for anyone wishing to play a role in reducing carbon emissions. By investing in the Cleveland Carbon Fund, donors can be assured their worthy contributions are making sustainable, positive change in local Cleveland neighborhoods.

Blogosphere Round Up: Stuebi at Huffington Post, Social Venture Partners Conference in Cleveland

Richard Stuebi, BP Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement at The Cleveland Foundation, asked As Financial Markets Circle the Drain, What Happens to Clean Energy? (9/28/08, Huffington Post).  Stuebi offers a "few disparate thoughts" on how the current crisis may play out:

• It is [sic] hard to envision that the dollar can do anything but fall. If true, imported goods into the U.S. will become dearer (thereby further discouraging demands), though it will create new opportunities for exporters, such as those developing and manufacturing clean energy products and services in the U.S.
• It seems pretty clear that credit markets will be much tighter and debt will be much more expensive for a long time to come. Marginal credit risks - such as ventures in high-growth mode, or projects entailing new technologies - are much less likely to be approved for loans. Even if approved, debt coverage ratios will increase.
• Dramatically worsened economic conditions might cause either President-elect - and even more importantly, the new Congress - to be more wary of imposing a new set of environmental requirements that would entail a net cost to the economy.
• The 21st Century will belong not to the U.S. but to other powers - primarily China, but also India and (unless we move off of oil sometime soon) the OPEC economies. This means that U.S. interests cannot afford to think and behave as parochially as we have through most of our history. As I argued in a recent editorial in the Plain-Dealer, and in a recent post in CleanTechBlog.com, many of the best opportunities for many U.S. players will lie in China.

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Social Venture Partners just wrapped up its conference in Cleveland (10/2-4/08). Here's what's being said:

• Social Venture Partners Pittsburgh reports that "the social venture model works; it’s having a measurable impact; and the partnership continues to grow."
• Tactical Philanthropy posed this question from a Social Venture partner who wants feedback:
  How transparent should we be? We are regularly analyzing non-profits and working closely with them, and in that process often discovering negatives, sometimes significant problems. Should those be public? Is it different if we uncover a problem and decide not to fund, versus one that might have a problem that we are going to attempt to help solve? One one hand, negative press can be horrible for a non-profit, and if you’re trying to develop a trusting relationship it won’t happen if they know their problems aren’t confidential. On the other side, if the goal is better philanthropy and community, then publicizing those problems educates everybody, and helps people find solutions and avoid mistakes.

Read This! Transcript of Going Green, Chronicle of Philanthropy Online Discussion

A transcript of Going Green, a live online discussion held July 1, 2008 and presented by the Chronicle of Philanthropy is now available. Cynthia L. Bailie, director of the Foundation Center-Cleveland, and other guests address questions about steps nonprofit organizations can take to become more environmentally friendly and to raise funds for these initiatives. Ms. Bailie is joined by consultant Sarah S. Brophy, co-author of the book The Green Museum: A Primer on Environmental Practice, and Kimberly Austin of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, which recently launched its Grants to Green program to provide environmentally focused knowledge and financing to nonprofit groups in metro Atlanta.

Funding for Environment and Animals--All Recipients vs. Ohio

June is Funding for the Environment Month at the Foundation Center. We are pleased to present the second in a series of snapshots into the state of funding for environment and animals in Ohio. The following table provides a look at giving for environment and animals by larger foundations to all U.S. recipients vs. Ohio.

About the data: Each year the Foundation Center indexes all of the grants of $10,000 and more awarded by some 1,200 of the nation’s largest private and community foundations. Our most recent (2006) sample includes 140,484 grants awarded by 1,263 larger U.S. foundations totaling $19.1 billion.

Funding for Environment and Animals in Ohio--Distribution of Grant Dollars

June is Funding for the Environment Month at the Foundation Center. We are pleased to present the first in a series of snapshots into the state of funding for environment and animals in Ohio. The following chart provides a look at the distribution of grant dollars for environment and animals awarded to Ohio recipients.

About the data: Each year the Foundation Center indexes all of the grants of $10,000 and more awarded by some 1,200 of the nation’s largest private and community foundations. Our most recent (2006) sample includes 140,484 grants awarded by 1,263 larger U.S. foundations totaling $19.1 billion. This chart analyzes 189 environment and animal grants made to Ohio recipients totaling $14.6 million.

Philanthropy Front and Center Poll -- Results

Here are the results from our recent poll:

Is your organization taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint?

• 53% - Yes.
• 26% - No.
• 21% - I don't know.

On a related note, the George Gund Foundation is sharing some of the actions and strategies adopted by its grantees that are addressing climate change. Comments?

June is Funding for the Environment Month

June is Funding for the Environment month at the Foundation Center. Meet grantmakers, learn how to find funders, and gain tips for "greening" your organization at our events scheduled throughout the month. All events are free of charge but registration is required.

Kick-Off Webinar!
Monday, June 2, 2:00-3:15pm.
Foundation Giving Trends: Focus on Environment and Animals
Join us from the comfort of your own office and learn about foundation giving for the environment and animals with presenters Helen Dorado Alessi (Toyota Motor North America); Steven Lawrence (Foundation Center); and Samuel B. Passmore (Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.)

Coffee and Conversation with a Grantmaker programs:
Friday, June 6, 10:30am-12:00pm. Start a conversation with Richard Steubi, BP Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement, The Cleveland Foundation.
Friday June 20, 9:30-10:30am. Start a conversation with Stephen Brick, Program Manager, The Joyce Foundation.

Finding Resources for "Greening" Your Organization
Thursday, June 26, 10:00-11:30am
Features a hands-on introduction to the Foundation Directory Online and how-to "greening" information from special guest Courtney DeOreo, Network and Resource Development, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability.

Worth Repeating... Is Environmentalism Compatible with Capitalism?

Perhaps the pivotal challenge facing the environmental community is resolving the apparent conflict between the need to reduce emissions and the widely held desire for continuing economic growth.

--From Richard Steubi, Is Environmentalism Compatible with Capitalism?, Advanced Energy Blog, January 14, 2008