The George Gund Foundation Appoints Jennifer Coleman as Senior Program Officer for the Arts
George Gund
Jennifer Coleman, a long-time force in the development of a more creative and vibrant Cleveland, will be The George Gund Foundation’s new Senior Program Officer for the Arts, the foundation announced today.
Coleman, an architect, has been president of her own design firm, Jennifer Coleman Creative LLC, since 2005. She also founded CityProwl.com, a company that creates and distributes digital audio walking tours of Cleveland. Among her many civic endeavors, Coleman has served as chair of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission and the Downtown/Flats Design Review Committee. She also has been a member of the board of trustees of many organizations, including the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Cleveland International Film Festival, LAND studio, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
“I am excited to start a new chapter of my career at The George Gund Foundation and I look forward to taking my commitment to Cleveland’s continued vibrancy in a philanthropic direction,” Coleman commented. “I am fortunate and honored to be joining this respected organization that has made such a positive impact on our city and its people.”
“It will be great to have Jennifer join us,” said David T. Abbott, executive director of the Foundation. “Her record of accomplishment and her deep artistic and community perspective will bring strength to the Gund Foundation’s efforts to maximize the impact of the arts in Cleveland.”
Coleman was selected through a national search managed by Koya Leadership Partners of Chicago. “There were numerous highly qualified candidates,” said Abbott. “Talking to many of them helped us sharpen our focus, and we are thrilled that Jennifer emerged as the best choice.”
Coleman has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University. She practiced architecture with Robert P. Madison International, URS Corporation and Westlake Reed Leskosky before starting her own firm.
Coleman will begin her new role at the Foundation on August 10, stepping into the position held for 25 years by Deena Epstein, who retired earlier this month. She and her husband, August Fluker, a principal at City Architecture, live in Cleveland with their son, Cole.
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The George Gund Foundation Awards $7 Million at Summer Meeting
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The George Gund Foundation has joined an alliance of national and Ohio-based funding partners and approved a $200,000 grant to launch the Ohio Transformation Fund, an initiative focused on changing inequities in the justice system that now result in nearly one in six Ohio adults having some form of criminal record.
“There is growing interest and urgency inside government and across Cleveland and other Ohio communities to seek changes in these policies, especially in light of recent tragic events,” said Senior Program Officer Marcia Egbert.
She said this initiative is an extension of work the Foundation has supported for more than a decade in juvenile justice reform targeted at reducing the number of youth in detention institutions, closing the worst facilities, supporting high-quality community alternatives and shifting state funding to reflect a more community-focused juvenile justice system.
At its summer meeting, Foundation Trustees also approved several grants for continued juvenile justice work including $150,000 over two years to the Northern Kentucky Children’s Law Center, up to $80,000 for the Juvenile Justice Coalition Inc. and up to $85,000 over two years to Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Innovative Practices.
“This is an important moment of opportunity in Cleveland and statewide to challenge long-embedded policies and practices in our justice system,” added Egbert. “We hope these investments will help drive effective, equitable and lasting reforms that simultaneously promote fairness and improve community safety.”
The grants were among 92 made to a wide range of education, environment, arts, human services and economic and community development organizations totaling $7,084,400.
Grants of more than $1.3 million reflected the Foundation’s continuing effort to create a portfolio of new, excellent and innovative schools in Cleveland. These included $780,000 to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for three new schools at the newly-rebuilt John Marshall High School, the second year of the Cleveland High School for the Digital Arts and a redesigned Cleveland School of the Arts; $300,000 to Friends of Breakthrough Schools for continued planning and expansion of its charter school network; $170,000 to Bard College for Bard High School Early College Cleveland; and $100,000 to Montessori Development Partnerships for the new Stonebrook Montessori School.
Other grants of interest include:
- $580,000 to the Cleveland Play House for operating support and for the Spotlight on Excellence Centennial Campaign
- $200,000 over two years to the Rails to Trails Conservancy for the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition
- $300,000 to the Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County for the PRE4CLE high-quality pre-school initiative
- $180,000 over two years to the Trust for Public Land to support its Cleveland office
- $137,500 to the Cleveland Municipal School District Transformation Alliance
- $20,000 to the St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation for the Upcycle Parts Shop
- $35,000 to the City Club of Cleveland to upgrade the technology used for its forums
The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts. Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $672 million.
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The George Gund Foundation's 2014 Annual Report Available Online
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The George Gund Foundation’s 2014 online, interactive annual report, with its photo-essay highlighting a priority issue for the Foundation, is available on the Foundation’s website.
Photographer David Burnett captured the vitality and diversity of Cleveland’s rapidly growing cycling community in this year’s photo- essay. Several photos feature bicycle commuters, particularly appropriate this week as Bike Cleveland celebrates Bike to Work Day May 15.
In his annual letter, Foundation Executive Director David Abbott discusses the ways in which biking helps make Cleveland a healthier, more accessible and more attractive community. Geoffrey Gund, Foundation president, highlights the Foundation’s interest in quality early childhood education and the role staff played in developing the nationally-recognized PRE4CLE initiative.
The report also includes guidelines and procedures for applying for grants, a financial statement and a list of grants made during 2014.
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Marissa Williams Named 2015-2017 Gund Fellow
George Gund
Marissa Williams, a community planning coordinator for the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership in Warren, Ohio, has been selected as The George Gund Foundation 2015-2017 Fellow.
The George Gund Foundation Fellows program, started in 2004, provides an opportunity for promising young professionals to work inside the Foundation, an organization that plays an active role in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland and in various national policy deliberations that impact our community. Each fellow, selected from a nationwide pool of applicants, works at the Foundation for two years.
Williams has a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Willamette University and a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. The Cleveland native also has worked as an AmeriCorps College Guide for College Now Greater Cleveland, a community relations intern with FutureHeights and a community development intern at Fairfax Renaissance Development.
She begins work at the Foundation June 15.
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Foundation Awards $3 Million to Playhouse Square Capital Campaign
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The George Gund Foundation has made a $3 million grant to Playhouse Square’s Advancing the Legacy capital campaign that will be used to restore the lobby of the historic Ohio Theatre.
The lobby, which will be renamed The George Gund Foundation Lobby, was badly damaged by a fire in 1963. During its early 1980s renovation, the lobby was not restored to its former grandeur due to lack of funding and time, and a simple, contemporary design was created.
Work on the lobby, which will include re-creation of murals and fireplaces, hand-carved ceiling panels and ornamentation, painting and new carpeting, is scheduled to begin in July.
“Playhouse Square is one of Cleveland’s greatest success stories,” said David Abbott, Foundation executive director. “The Foundation has been a key supporter of the Playhouse Square Foundation since 1978. This gift builds on our past investments and will help ensure that Clevelanders continue to enjoy the arts and cultural programs that take place in its beautifully restored theaters for years to come.”
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The George Gund Foundation Awards $6.8 Million at Winter Meeting
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The George Gund Foundation approved $6,880,970 in grants at its March meeting to organizations working on everything from downtown development to providing access to health care for uninsured and underinsured Ohio residents.
Downtown Cleveland Alliance received a three-year $900,000 grant to continue its efforts to attract residents and businesses to downtown and to provide support for similar efforts in the adjacent Flats and Campus District neighborhoods.
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks received a two-year $180,000 grant for its advocacy and outreach work around Medicaid renewal, the Affordable Care Act and other safety net programs.
MobileMed1, Inc. received a $30,000 grant for MedWorks, the organization’s free, large-scale, one-day mobile health clinics. A $30,000 grant also was awarded to Philanthropy Ohio for its statewide policy work around health care access and promotion of investment in preventative health care.
Trustees approved 60 grants to organizations working in human services, education, arts, environment and economic and community development at the Foundation’s first meeting of 2015.
Other grants of interest included:
- $75,000 in operating support to The Cleveland Water Alliance, a network of public and private organizations working to spur economic development, research, sound public policy and enhanced education around fresh water;
- $25,000 to Cuyahoga Community College for free outdoor concerts during the 2015 Tri-C JazzFest;
- $150,000 over two years to the West Creek Preservation Committee for operating support;
- $20,000 to the Piano International Association of Northern Ohio for its ArtsConnect partnership with the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association; and
- $75,000 over two years to Third Sector Capital Partners for the Cuyahoga Partnering for Family Success program.
The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts. Foundation commitments to date have totaled almost $665 million.
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George Gund Foundation 2013 Grantee Perception Report (GPR)
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The George Gund Foundation 2013 Grantee Perception Report (GPR), a survey conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, is now available for viewing on the Foundation website.
The 2013 survey, which was sent to all of the Foundation’s 2012 grantees and had a ^% response rate, is anonymous. Comments and rankings are aggregated by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and not attributed to individual grantees. The GPR allows foundations to understand how they are perceived and how results compare with other philanthropic peers.
This is the fourth George Gund Foundation GPR report since 2003, and each time staff have carefully analyzed results and made changes in Foundation operations that are responsive to grantee concerns and improve the grantmaking process.
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Foundation Joins Cuyahoga County in Launching Pay for Success Project
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Cuyahoga County is launching the nation’s first county-level Pay for Success (PFS) project in partnership with FrontLine Service, a comprehensive continuum of care service provider for homeless individuals in Ohio.
The Partnering for Family Success Program will deliver intensive 12-15 month treatment to more than 400 parents, caregivers and children over five years to reduce the length of stay in out-of-home foster care placement for children whose families are homeless.
Pay for Success is an innovative funding model that drives government resources toward social programs that prove effective at providing results to the people who need them most. PFS expands available, upfront funding for nonprofit service providers and tracks the effectiveness of programs over time to ensure funding is directed to programs that succeed in measurably improving the lives of those most in need. PFS enables governments to draw in greater resources to tackle social problems by tapping private investments for the up-front costs of the programs.
The George Gund Foundation has joined The Reinvestment Fund, The Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Cleveland Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland in jointly providing $4 million in upfront funding for the Cuyahoga County model with the ultimate goal of receiving both a financial and social return. Funds will be repaid if project goals are reached, and a small return on the investments will be paid if the program exceeds the target outcomes.
“Pay for Success represents a new way of doing business for government, social service providers and philanthropy,” said Marcia Egbert, Gund senior program officer who was instrumental in creating the partnership. “Ultimately, we believe this model harnesses the power of “big data” to improve government effectiveness but, most importantly, to improve the lives of some of our most fragile families in Cuyahoga County.”
Additional information is available at http://www.thirdsectorcap.org/our-work/cuyahoga-county-pfs/
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Foundation Grants $9.7 Million at Final Meeting of 2014
George Gund
The George Gund Foundation continued its commitment to ensuring a quality education for Cleveland children with major grants supporting Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools and Invest in Children’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK.)
A $1,333,700 grant will provide continued support for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) new and innovative schools, planning for additional new schools and development of systems to assist CMSD with its new student-based budgeting model and interventions in low-performing schools.
Invest in Children, based in Cuyahoga County’s Office of Early Childhood, received a two-year $500,000 grant to continue development and promotion of UPK, the “gold standard” preschool experience promoting school readiness for young children ages 3 to 5.
These grants were among 84 grants totaling $9,759,184 made by Foundation Trustees at the last meeting of 2014. Grantmaking for the year totaled $25,755,129.
The Foundation also made a $2 million grant to the Foundation Fighting Blindness for research on the causes, prevention and treatment of retinal degenerative eye diseases. Ideastream received a two-year $1 million grant for plans to significantly increase its radio, television and online news and public affairs programming.
Other grants of interest included:
- $400,000 to the Care Alliance for construction of its new Central Neighborhood Clinic
- $100,000, over two years, to Beyond Pesticides for the Safe Lawn, Landscapes and Public Spaces Campaign
- $350,000 in operating and flexible project support to LAND studio
- $40,000 to Case Western Reserve University for the collaborative Violins of Hope project
- $100,000 to the Ohio Organizing Collaborative for work on fracking-related issues
- $25,000 to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to open a second ReStore
The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts. Foundation commitments to date have totaled almost $657 million.
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The George Gund Foundation Seeks 2015-2017 Fellow
George Gund
The George Gund Foundation Fellowship provides an opportunity for promising professionals to work inside the Foundation, a philanthropic organization that plays a vital role in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland and in various national policy deliberations that impact our community. The Fellowship is a two-year, full-time commitment beginning in summer 2015, requiring residence in Northeast Ohio during the term of engagement.
The Fellowship experience will be tailored to the Foundation’s needs and will include a wide range of substantive assignments including reviewing grant proposals, organizing and conducting site visits and researching topics related to the Foundation’s grantmaking interests.
To be considered for the Fellowship, each candidate must submit a cover letter, a short essay discussing why the Fellowship opportunity is appealing, a detailed resume and two letters of recommendation. Please also indicate how you learned of the position. These materials should be combined into one pdf document for submission and are due no later than 5:00PM EST on January 7, 2015. A Fellow will be selected by mid-April 2015. Email application materials to hr@gundfdn.org. Letters of recommendation may be submitted as part of the application or sent separately via email or regular mail.
Successful candidates for this Fellowship will have a graduate degree and/or several years work experience in the nonprofit sector. Excellent writing skills and sufficient computer competency to carry out assigned projects are essential. A demonstrated desire to work in public service or the nonprofit sector is also important, as the Foundation views the Fellowship to be a valuable early career opportunity. The selection process is anticipated to be highly competitive.
Each George Gund Foundation Fellow will receive a stipend of $45,000 per year, plus a full benefits package including health, dental, disability and life insurance, 403(b) contributions and work-related travel expenses. Housing, transportation and other living arrangements are the responsibility of the Fellow.
The George Gund Foundation (www.gundfoundation.org), established in 1952, is the largest private foundation in Ohio. The Foundation makes annual grants totaling approximately $20 million. Program officers professionally handle grantmaking in arts, economic development and community revitalization, education, environment, and human services.
The George Gund Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic established by law.