Asking your donors to make an investment in your organization that will make an impact on the world is one the greatest things you can do for a donor. Donors want to give. They need to give. Donors experience joy in their lives when they give their money away.

Monday night, at The Cleveland Foundation FRED Talk celebrating ten years of the Greater University Circle Initiative, Surdna Foundation President Philip Henderson talked about his “Rust Belt Tour” and what he found visiting Midwestern Cities.  He spoke about the importance of anchor institutions, culture, and jobs in bringing neighborhoods back the way that University Circle has come back.  Later, in a panel discussion with leaders from the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and The Cleveland Foundation, moderator Paul Clark from PNC asked Philip Henderson how he saw Cleveland.  His answer was short and to the point: “Cleveland is a leader.”

Monday night, at The Cleveland Foundation FRED Talk celebrating ten years of the Greater University Circle Initiative, Surdna Foundation President Philip Henderson talked about his “Rust Belt Tour” and what he found visiting Midwestern Cities.  He spoke about the importance of anchor institutions, culture, and jobs in bringing neighborhoods back the way that University Circle has come back.  Later, in a panel discussion with leaders from the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and The Cleveland Foundation, moderator Paul Clark from PNC asked Philip Henderson how he saw Cleveland.  His answer was short and to the point: “Cleveland is a leader.”

If your organization has employees (or hopes to in the future), it’s important to be aware of the employment laws that may apply to your organization. Lack of knowledge in this area can lead to expensive fines and legal fees. 

Imagine your good luck: you’re at a holiday party, and find yourself one-on-one with a potential major donor you’ve never had the chance to meet before. Can you quickly and compellingly impress them with what your organization stands for? 

Foundation Center’s new tool, Foundation Funding for U.S. Democracy, indicates that foundations made grants of almost $299 million between 2011 and 2014 in the campaigns, elections, and voting category, which  includes support for implementation, research, reform, and/or mobilizations efforts related to campaign finance, election administration, redistricting, voting access, as well as voter registration, education, and turnout. More than half those grant dollars went for voter registration, education, and turnout initiatives, and, as one might expect, the annual total spiked in 2012, a presidential election year, as did funding for voting rights efforts.

Foundation Center would like to announce the return of David Holmes! As Cleveland Lead for Social Sector Outreach, he will be partnering with the Cleveland team in deepening our impact in the community.

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns yield significant benefits: more donations, more awareness, more relationships, and plenty of supporters to share the load. But if you haven’t done one before, getting started can feel overwhelming.

On November 18, we had the pleasure of hosting a panel of experts for a program entitled, “Successful Strategies for Nonprofit Fundraising Events.”

Many term the Holiday season as a time of giving but I think that over the years we've gotten the giving wrong.  Giving doesn't mean shopping for the perfect material item to give to somebody or trampling over one another to get the best deal on Black Friday. To me - giving has always meant compassionately doing an act of service for someone else with a smile and a big dose of enthusiasm.