Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Watch This! Coffee and Conversation with a Grantmaker: The Cleveland Foundation

Introduced by Kathleen Hallissey, program director of community responsive grantmaking, program officers Kevin McDaniel, Jill Paulsen, Paul Putman, and Nelson Beckford discuss The Cleveland Foundation's interests, practices, giving priorities, and plans for the future. Watch>>

What do you think about funders and nonprofits?

Ohio Grantmakers Forum (OGF) is developing a series of workshops for Northeast Ohio funders and grantseekers to help improve their working relationship. When these partnerships are at their best, both sides learn from each other and their work achieves greater impact. Unfortunately, there is significant variation in the quality and strength of this key relationship.

OGF has developed a brief online questionnaire that gauges attitudes toward nonprofits and funders and the influence of these beliefs on their work together. If you represent a nonprofit in Northeast Ohio, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. No preparation or data gathering is needed. Your input will help ensure that the new grantmaker-grantseeker workshops are meaningful and rewarding.

Take the questionnaire>>

(This post is from Todd Lloyd, Vice President, Education, Ohio Grantmakers Forum)

Watch This! Coffee and Conversation with a Grantmaker: Cleveland Colectivo

Cleveland Colectivo members Walter Wright, Katharyne Starinsky, and Noelle Celeste discuss how they are strengthening Cleveland by identifying and making collective investments that nurture innovative projects. Watch>>

News Round Up: Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley, Kresge Foundation, Fund for Our Economic Future

The Business Journal Daily reports (July 1, 2009) that the Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley (OH) has met the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations [PDF] approved by the Council on Foundations and adopted by the community foundation field in late 2000.  

“This is critically important to our donors," says Patricia Brozik, president of the Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley. "When people make a charitable bequest, establish a fund or set up an annuity, they are putting their trust in us. They are counting on us to manage the investment wisely, honor their charitable wishes and, in some cases, provide lifetime income to a loved one. The National Standards confirmation says our house is in order.”

Crain's Cleveland Business reports (July 2, 2009) that MetroHealth has met the fundraising challenge[PDF] issued by the Kresge Foundation and has been awarded $1 million to complete its Senior Health & Wellness Center at MetroHealth's Brooklyn Campus.

Fund for Our Economic Future announced (June 9, 2009) that it will continue its collaboration to support regional economic competitiveness into a third phase to start in February 2010 and end in February 2013. Fund Chairman David Abbott, also executive director of the George Gund Foundation,acknowledged that because of the global financial crisis, the Fund anticipates having fewer resources in the next three years than were available during each of its first two phases.

Listen! Jamie Merisotis Discusses Lumina Foundation's Investments in Higher Education

Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation for Education, discusses the foundation's strategic, outcomes-based approach to expanding college access and success, particularly among low-income, minority, and other under-represented populations. Listen!

June is Funding for Education Month at the Foundation Center. Check out our Focus on Funding for Education page for more podcasts, news, and resources.

New Study Examines Funding for Women and Girls and the Importance of Women's Funds

Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women's Funds, a study published jointly by the Foundation Center and the Women's Funding Network, examines institutional giving to projects targeting women and girls and explores the growing influence of women's funds in the philanthropic landscape.

According to the report, which draws on the Foundation Center's grants data, fiscal summaries, and survey research, the rate of foundation giving for women and girls has grown faster than foundation giving in all areas. The role of women’s funds has also gained in significance in recent years, both in terms of actual grantmaking and in terms of bringing attention to “…the catalytic power of investing in women and in women-led solutions” (Highlights, p. 2).

"Women are a rising force in philanthropy," said Christine Grumm, president and CEO of the Women's Funding Network. "This report demonstrates the power women-led solutions have in creating sustainable change in communities."

In conjunction with the release of the new study, Josie Atienza, assistant director of research at the Foundation Center, and Grumm presented report highlights to a group of more than 60 grantmakers and nonprofit organizations. Other speakers were Bradford K. Smith, president of the Foundation Center; Larry McGill, senior vice president for research; Ana Oliveira, president and chief executive officer of the New York Women's Foundation; and Merble Reagon, executive director of the Women’s Center for Education and Career Advancement.

For a free executive summary of Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women's Funds and information on ordering the full report, visit the Gain Knowledge area of the Foundation Center's web site.

New Foundation Center Report Provides Insight on Future Giving by Foundations

The Foundation Center has just released the 2009 edition of Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook. According to this latest report in the Foundations Today Series, U.S. grantmaking foundations increased their giving modestly by 2.8% in 2008 to an estimated $45.6 billion. However, in light of deepening economic problems, future giving is expected to decrease, as over 67% of foundations surveyed for this report indicate they will be reducing their giving in 2009.

Read a detailed press release analyzing the findings in the new report, and access the complete report at no charge at the Gain Knowledge area of the Foundation Center's web site.

Funders Speak: Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

Foundation president Susanna H. Krey says,"The impact on our endowment is a deferred problem, a problem waiting to happen. Our 2009 budget is just as strong as our 2008 budget. We are staying the course for 2009, but putting a plan in place the changing environment around us." Listen and learn more about how the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is responding to the economic downturn. 

      

(Running time 6 minutes, 36 seconds)

Listen to our other podcasts:
Joel Ratner, Raymond John Wean Foundation
Hedy Milgrom, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland
Cristin Slesh, Foundation Management Services
Michael Parks and Barbra Stonerock, The Dayton Foundation

Funders Speak: Joel Ratner, Raymond John Wean Foundation

"We're invested in a process of community change in the Mahoning Valley," says Joel Ratner, president of the Raymond John Wean Foundation, "and we are trying to do things as much the same as possible."  Listen and find out how the foundation is responding to the economic downturn.

      

(Running Time: 4 minutes, 5 seconds)

Listen to our other Funders Speak podcasts here.

Funders Speak: Hedy Milgrom, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland

Our latest edition features Hedy Milgrom, Assistant Vice President and Director of Endowments & Foundations, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, who provides an introduction to the Federation's grantmaking program (40+ supporting foundations and some 1,000 donor-advised and special purpose funds) while discussing how the foundations are reacting to the economy. 

      

(Running Time: 12 minutes, 16 seconds)

Listen to our other editions:
Cristin Slesh, Foundation Management Services
Michael Parks and Barbra Stonerock, The Dayton Foundation