George Gund

The Aids Task Force of Greater Cleveland has distributed re-usable canvas grocery bags to food pantry clients, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has adopted an anti-idling policy for school buses and Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has expanded its Re-Store which diverts more than 500 tons of construction material from landfills each year while providing the public with low-cost materials for home renovation and repair.

These are just a few of the projects that have been reported in the climate change statements that have been required of all George Gund Foundation grant applicants since September 2007.

“Our intent was to raise awareness about this important issue and help people understand that each one of us has a responsibility to help ameliorate the impact of climate change,” said David Abbott, the Foundation’s executive director. “We are pleased to report that our grantees have been thoughtful, pro-active and entrepreneurial in finding ways to reduce their personal and organizational carbon footprints.”

He said many organizations have instituted recycling programs, eliminated the use of disposable plates and cups, mandated double-sided printing, installed energy-saving light bulbs and started purchasing green office supplies.

The Foundation, which completed the Entrepreneurs for Sustainability’s Sustainability Implementation Training Program, also is continuing to monitor its own progress on internal goals.

 “Climate change is a very serious problem that impacts all of us, and we see implementation of our internal green team’s recommendations as a way both to decrease our carbon footprint and also to set an example for our grantees,” said Abbott.

He said the Foundation also will begin highlighting, on its website and in its e-newsletter, grantees that have made significant strides in going green.

The George Gund Foundation’s first on-line, interactive annual report, which like its print predecessors features a photo essay focused on a priority issue for the Foundation, is now available on the Foundation’s website.

Sage Sohier’s photographs provide a glimpse into the lives of preschoolers who benefit from the work of Invest in Children, Cuyahoga County’s public-private early childhood partnership. The 2008 annual report also features letters from the Foundationís board president and executive director addressing the Foundationís response to the nation’s financial downturn-a response that includes forgoing a printed report this year in order to redirect dollars to grantmaking.

The report also includes guidelines and procedures for applying for grants, a financial statement and a list of grants made during 2008. Northeast Ohio residents have the opportunity to vote on who will receive as much as $300,000 in funding for projects to accelerate government collaboration and efficiency in the region.

Northeast Ohio residents have the opportunity to vote on who will receive as much as $300,000 in funding for projects to accelerate government collaboration and efficiency in the region.

The EfficientGovNow program, sponsored by the Fund for Our Economic Future in an effort to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio, will fund three collaborative government projects selected from nine finalists. Residents of Northeast Ohio may vote in one of three ways — online at www.EfficientGovNow.org, by calling 1–877–771–5206 or with a mail-in ballot included in brochures at libraries throughout Northeast Ohio. Voting ends July 31.

The Foundation Center has collected an extensive array of resources on how nonprofits may be able to access stimulus package funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Center’s new MapShot: Best ARRA Funding Resources by State provides a state-by-state display of funding opportunities and other pertinent information.

Also informative is the Center’s PhilanTopic blog post, What Do Nonprofits Need to Know About the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?.

MapShot: Best ARRA Funding Resources by State is available at the Center’s Focus on the Economic Crisis web page, which offers a variety of resources to help nonprofits and foundations deal with the challenges of the unstable economy.

The Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaborative effort of philanthropies throughout Northeast Ohio, has launched a program to accelerate government collaboration and efficiency in the region.

The EfficientGovNow program will provide as much as $300,000 in funding to as many as three collaborative government projects from throughout Northeast Ohio. The Fund will select the round of finalists, and citizens will determine which projects get funding.

The program’s website www.efficientgovnow.org includes interactive features for both citizens and governments to encourage, suggest, submit and comment on proposals. Abstracts of proposals submitted by government will be posted April 15 for review and comment. Online voting will begin July 1.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will open its new Health Line, linking downtown Cleveland and University Circle October 24.

Clevelanders traveling between the city’s commercial and cultural hubs can have a positive impact on climate change by switching from their cars to one of the new low-emission hybrid RTA buses that will take only 20 minutes to travel the corridor. New stations are at convenient locations along the route.

“We encourage our grantees and others to demonstrate their commitment to a more sustainable and healthy city by getting out of their cars and using public transit,” said David Abbott, executive director of The George Gund Foundation.

Information about weekend festivities marking the opening of the Health Line as well as schedule and fare information is available at www.rtahealthline.com.