Announcements

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.

The Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaborative effort by Northeast Ohio funders, has released a study examining the cost of government in the region.

The study points out that money spent on public administration in Northeast Ohio from 1992 to 1996 grew 2.3 times faster than inflation, while the population has stood still. “Our region is engaged in an intense economic global competition, and we must be smart about how we invest our public dollars. An essential first step is increasing our ability to measure government expenditures,” explained Bob Jaquay, George Gund Foundation associate director and Fund vice president. “We expect that elected officials and the public will use this information to inform ongoing and new efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government in Northeast Ohio.”

To access study go to:
http://www.futurefundneo.org/page10000600.cfm

The George Gund Foundation now requires a proposal cover sheet for requests submitted to the Foundation.

Applicants will find the cover sheet on the Foundation website, or can receive it by mail by calling the Foundation at 216.241–3114. Revised program guidelines and proposal procedures also are on the website, www.gundfoundation.org.

The George Gund and Cleveland foundations have released a report, “Cleveland Schools that are Making a Difference,” which highlights 13 urban schools recognized by independent researchers for inspired leadership, thoughtful curriculum, innovative instructional practices and well-cultivated community and parental involvement.

The foundations engaged independent researchers to provide tangible evidence that quality education can be—and has been—created in a cross section of schools located in the City of Cleveland. The goal of the project was to identify, describe and share best practices that exist within Cleveland’s traditional public, private, parochial and charter schools that make a positive difference in students’ achievement.

Schools featured in the report are:
Louisa May Alcott (Cleveland Metropolitan School District — CMSD)
Citizens’ Academy (charter)
Cleveland School of the Arts (CMSD)
Benjamin Franklin (CMSD)
The Intergenerational School (charter)
Joseph Landis (CMSD)
Miles Park (CMSD)
Orchard School of Science (CMSD)
St. Francis (parochial)
St. Martin de Porres (private Catholic)
St. Thomas Aquinas (parochial)
SuccessTech (CMSD), and
Urban Community School (private Catholic/Christian)

To ensure independence and objectivity, the foundations contracted with the New York-based Institute for Student Achievement and the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University, to act as principal investigators. A Cleveland consulting firm, Candor LLC, provided analysis of student achievement data that was used to identify schools for this project.

All 13 schools selected for this report met several key criteria: they were operating in the 2004–05 school year; the majority of students were economically disadvantaged; and they were demonstrating progress in student achievement gains as evidenced from state report card data, value-added student achievement data, standardized test scores and graduation rates.

Researchers spent months conducting site visits, reviewing data and interviewing students, teachers, principals and parents. They looked at six dimensions that research shows are critical factors in positively impacting student learning: shared vision; strong curriculum and instructional methods; use of multiple data types to drive instruction and student outcomes; presence of a nurturing, safe learning environment; and positive professional development opportunities for teachers and staff.

Dr. N. Gerry House, a nationally recognized urban education leader who currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Student Achievement, said the report is unique for bringing together four types of schools—traditional public, private, parochial and charter—all serving the same student population. Both an executive summary and a full report are available.

The project evolved from the foundations’ larger strategy to help create a portfolio of new, excellent schools in Cleveland. Both the Gund and Cleveland foundations have dedicated substantial resources to support new schools in Cleveland. Foundation grants totaling $1.5 million have supported research, planning and start-up support for new schools in Cleveland, including the CMSD’s four single-sex elementary schools that opened in 2007 and a new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) high school scheduled to open this fall. The foundations granted another $1 million to open and staff the Office of New and Innovative Schools at the CMSD, which will assume overall strategy and supervision of the district’s new opportunity schools, and have also supported various new Cleveland charter and private schools.

George Gund Foundation grantees are becoming increasingly aware of the threat posed by global climate change and are taking thoughtful steps to promote environmental sustainability, according to global climate change statements that have been part of the Foundation’s application process since September.

“We have received more than 175 climate change statements in the two grant cycles since we began the requirement and are impressed with the many ways in which our grantees are taking positive steps in everything from waste reduction to energy conservation,” said David Abbott, the Foundation’s executive director. “While some organizations are just beginning to think about their role in global climate change, others already have made significant adjustments in their operations.”

He said efforts fell into six general categories—energy conservation, green building, green purchasing, transportation, waste reduction and education and advocacy.

Abbott said the Foundation is sharing some of the actions and strategies that had been adopted by grantees on its website to encourage others to think about how they can become more proactive in addressing climate change.

“We are pleased to be able to share this information and are also using it to help reduce our own carbon footprint,” he added. “I am pleased to report that our internal Foundation “green team” has completed the Entrepreneurs for Sustainability Sustainability Implementation Training Program, and that more than 75% of the dollars we spend on office supplies are now purchasing green products. We also have eliminated the use of disposable dishware and individually bottled water as a waste reduction measure, and have conducted an energy audit of our offices.”

In addition to information from the grantee climate change statements, the Foundation’s website also includes sample statements for different types of organizations, online resources to help organizations better understand climate change and reduce their carbon footprint and a list of frequently asked questions about our climate change policy. These resources will be updated periodically to support the evolution of organizations’ practices related to climate change.