Philanthropy Front and Center-Cleveland

Stimulus Dollars Awarded in Toledo to Help Nonprofits

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur announced (Oct. 20, 2009) more than $700,000 in federal funds coming to Toledo. Toledo Community Foundation (TCF) and United Way of Greater Toledo were awarded $500,000 and $202,762, respectively, to strengthen nonprofits in the community. These grants will be administered through the Center for Nonprofit Resources (The Center), a collaboration between Toledo Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Toledo, and the Community Partnership.

Although each grant will help nonprofits in Toledo develop stronger organizations as well as the ability to access federal dollars each organization will do it in slightly different ways.

More than $350,000 of TCF’s grant will be awarded to local nonprofits through a competitive application process. They will also offer trainings and workshops, while United Way will employ a consultant available to provide education and training to agencies on-site.

For example, last year the Frederick Douglass Community Association was in danger of closing. Through a consultant provided by The Center, they were able to conduct a search for a qualified director, revamp many of their policies and procedures, begin aligning their finances, and, more importantly, continue providing vital services in their local neighborhood.

Through these federal grants, Toledo Community Foundation and United Way expect more of these success stories to develop as small nonprofits and faith-based organizations get more and better help.

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

The Foundation Center announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, the web portal developed by the Foundation Center with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. It connects foundation funders in education to information and tools that will help them support ARRA's education reform goals.

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

Read the full press release for details on the contents and uses of the portal.

News Roundup: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, Don and Alice Noble Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced (July 16, 2009) the last of three rounds of Opportunity Online grants, which will help public libraries in eleven states to upgrade hardware and add new public workstations. Ohio's grants will be administered and managed through the State Library of Ohio. Despite the fact that most libraries are typically the only provider of free Internet access in their communities (73 percent), many do not have adequate funding to maintain quality computer and Internet services, and to meet growing community demand for these technology tools. Nick Slone, a librarian at Garnet A. Wilson Public Library in Waverly, OH, which is eligible for the grants, said, “A rising unemployment rate in our county has stimulated even more demand for the technology resources at our library. Many people in our community without Internet access elsewhere now come to the library regularly—even daily—to take courses and search for jobs online. If it weren’t for the library, these people would simply not be able to use the Internet as a tool to find new opportunities in this tough economy.”  Read more>>

The Toledo Blade reported (July 10, 2009) that the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo has been awarded $250,000 in stimulus funding, part of $30 million disbursed by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Commission will keep $50,000, using it in part to hire teens for a summer program. The remaining $200,000 will be applied for by local arts and culture organizations that have lost staff or are at risk of losing staff, and will be administered in part by the Toledo Community Foundation. Read more>>

The Daily Record reported (July 9, 2009) that a $500,000 grant is in place to begin the development of Oak Hill Park from land gifted to the city of Wooster by the Don and Alice Noble Foundation. The 100-acre property is valued at $1.5 million and is being designed to have 1.7 miles of recreation trails and plantings for year-round interest. Read more>>

Updated! From The Answer Desk: What do Nonprofits Need to Know About the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill)?

A: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, will provide more than $787 billion in spending and tax cuts intended to help stimulate the national economy.

The Foundation Center has collected the best resources on how nonprofits may be able to access stimulus package funding and our new MapShot: Best ARRA Funding Resources by State connects you to information about funding and other current opportunities in each state.

The Act includes new or expanded government grant programs to provide funding for assistance to communities or individuals affected by the economic crisis. Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for grants provided by this Act should visit the Grants.gov website for a listing of Recovery Act funding opportunities. For-profit organizations can find recovery procurement and contracting opportunities at FedBizOpps.gov.

In order to provide full accountability and transparency for the distribution of stimulus funds, the Federal government has created the Recovery.gov website. Visitors to the site can read the full text of the Act, view a timeline of administrative deadlines, and find news and updates on funding opportunities from Federal agencies.

Most state governments and Federal agencies have also created their own economic recovery sites. Directories of these official sites can be found at Recovery.gov:

• State Recovery Sites 
• Agency Recovery Sites

The National Council of Nonprofits has issued a series of special reports on the economic stimulus and recovery, including:

• Nonprofit Grant Opportunities - Summarizes the major spending and tax cut provisions of the Act and identifies potential grant opportunities for nonprofits.
• Stimulus Grant Tips and Thoughts - Offers grant information, tips, and considerations for nonprofits interested in applying for stimulus funds.
• Whether and How States are Accepting & Distributing Federal Stimulus Funds - Reviews how state governments have indicated they will handle the Federal funds.
• Sources of Information Regarding Stimulus Funds - Identifies sources of information about the Act and stimulus funds.

The National Council of Nonprofits also encourages organizations to contact their state nonprofit associations or their state and Congressional representatives for more information on local stimulus funding.

Selected resources below may also be helpful.

Independent Sector - Economic Recovery Act and Nonprofits - Provides this analysis and commentary on the Act at its site, along with tips for nonprofit organizations on establishing strong ties with policymakers.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State-By-State Estimates of Key Provisions Affecting Low- and Moderate-Income Individuals - This report, issued by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, outlines key provisions of the Act affecting low- and moderate-income individuals and includes a state-by-state analysis of these funding provisions.

StateRecovery.org - A service of the Council on State Governments, StateRecovery.org is targeted towards officials in state government, but contains useful information on federal assistance, listings of grant opportunities, and a series of reports analyzing the prospective impact of stimulus funding at the state level.

National Conference of State Legislatures - Economic Stimulus 2009 - Provides summaries and analysis of major provisions of the Act for state legislators, but also includes information that can useful to the general public.

National Governors Association - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - Created to provide information on state implementation of ARRA, analysis of the Act’s provisions for a range of topics, and links to additional resources.

View our other posts here.

Have a question? Ask Us!

(This post is from Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta)

Office of Governor Ted Strickland Announces Stimulus Package Information Sessions

I just received an e-mail from the Ohio Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives containing information about upcoming stimulus package information sessions. I reprint it here in its entirety:

Join members of Governor Strickland’s Staff and Executive Agencies for an
information session on the economic stimulus package.These sessions will provide information for:

-Small, Minority Owned, and Economically Disadvantaged Business Enterprises that want to learn about procurement opportunities through the stimulus package and state government
-County, Municipal, and Township government officials
-Non-Profit and Community Organizations that may apply for funding or serve individuals eligible for assistance

In each location, two information sessions will be offered to provide flexibility to attendees. Staff will provide the same presentation during both time periods. The presentation will consist of a 30-minute overview followed by two small group sessions. One session will provide information for organizations that serve individuals. The other session will focus on economic stimulus and other opportunities for businesses. These small group sessions will last approximately 60-minutes and will provide time for questions from attendees.

Columbus:
April 13th
2:00pm to 4:00pm and 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Columbus State Community College
Center for Workforce Development 315 Cleveland Avenue, 4th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Dayton:
April 17th
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Sinclair Community College
The Ponitz Center
444 W. 3rd Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Nelsonville:
April 23rd
1:30pm to 3:00pm and 3:30pm to 5:00pm
Tri-County Adult Career Center
15676 State Route 691
Nelsonville, OH 45764

Akron:
April 27th
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm to 2:00pm
University of Akron Student Union
303 Carroll Street
Akron, OH 44325   
(Shuttles will be available from The East Campus Parking Deck, 475 E. Butchtel Ave., Akron, OH 44325)

Cincinnati:
April 16th
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Techsolve
6705 Steger Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45237

Cleveland:
April 20th
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Cleveland State University
Maxine Goodman Levin
College of Urban Affairs Atrium
1717 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115 

Youngstown:
April 24th
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Operating Engineers Local 66
Union Hall   291 McClurg Road
Youngstown, OH 44512 

Toledo:
May 1st
10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Owens Community College
30335 Oregon Rd.
Perrysburg, OH 43551

Register here. 

For more information about the State of Ohio’s role in the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act please visit here.

The State of Ohio and Governor Ted Strickland have 12 Regional Economic Offices,
to learn more about the office near you look here. 
 

--Cindy Bailie