For more about Pham Thi Hue, click on the photo to watch her performing at Concordia International School Hanoi.

Hue is a small, delightful woman, much younger looking than her impressive list of degrees and international awards would suggest.  Her instrument, the long-necked, stringed Dan Day, is almost twice her height. She asked David Badagnani, an Ethno-musicologist from Kent, whom she met recently, to introduce the piece she would play.  David, who leads the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble, helped us understand how rare this music is – and in fact suggested that the concert might be the North American premiere of ca tru music and certainly of this particular ancient song. The song was a noted translation of the 9^th century Tang Dynasty poem “Pipa Xing” (“The Song of the Pipa Player”) by Chinese poet Bai Juyi, into Vietnamese. The song was a noted translation of the 9^th century Tang Dynasty poem Pipa Xing (The Song of the Pipa Player) by Chinese poet Bai Juyi, into Vietnamese.  The song/poem tells of a Chinese official moved to tears by the chance hearing of a young woman playing the pipa – a stringed instrument not unlike another of Hue’s instruments, the Ty Ba – a pear-shaped string instrument that reminds me of the lute.

Beautiful and serene, dressed in deep blue velvet, Hue sat on a piano bench at one end of the large, Cleveland Heights living room, closed her eyes and began to play and sing.  As one who has heard much and many types of music in my day, I must say I had never heard anything like this. The words seemed to come less from lungs and mouth and more from deep in the throat and heart. The stringed instrument was plucked and strummed delicately and very melodically, but with some unusual harmonies.  We all sat listening, in part not knowing how to understand what we were hearing and in part transfixed by what was clearly deep mastery of the instrument and Hue’s total immersion in the moment.

Next, Hue invited David Badagnani, himself a master of Chinese wind instruments, to play with her – a beautiful and otherworldly duet.  David’s instrument, the sheng, goes back 3,000 years (although probably not that particular instrument!). It was also completely foreign to me. About the size of a small watermelon, it looked like miniature calliope or a tiny pipe organ – a dozen or more ebony pipes of different lengths clustered vertically together around a central drum and with a mouthpiece attached.  But such beautiful sound!

Then came the final treat of the evening. Hue had invited two other local musicians, Ismael Douglas and Josh Sherman, to ‘jam’ with her.  They had met just a few days earlier to see what they could do together. Hue had never heard a steel acoustic guitar before – Ismael’s instrument, and Josh was a master on the Indian tabla (small drum). So, Vietnamese and American musicians improvised on instruments native to three countries for the first time. Hue asked us to envision three clouds in the sky coming together as one.

This was a classical jazz performance of the highest order. Each musician was supported and showcased by the others as they took turns as soloist and came together in a rollicking ensemble. They delighted us – but I think they delighted each other more.  A true cross-cultural fusion through music. One cloud indeed.

The report is peppered with quotes from executive directors and development staff alike, and any nonprofit leader will recognize themselves and the challenges they face.  The report clearly documents the vicious cycle that perpetuates the sector’s lack of capacity and success.

The report chronicles the many reasons why this is the case, and it also recommends 10 action steps to address the challenges.  Each of these steps is vitally important and there are some for funders as well as for the nonprofit sector itself, but two struck me as particularly essential to get right even without addressing the others. 

“Share Accountability for Fundraising Results.”  The task of fundraising cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the development officer.  There must be a strong partnership with the executive director, with the board, and, yes, even with the rest of the staff.  There needs to be developed a “culture of philanthropy” within the organization and everyone must see themselves as part of the development team.

“Apply Transition Management to the Development Director Position.”  Most organizations have transition plans for the executive and the board chair.  With development being the most frequently vacated position in most nonprofits, it is critical that the relationships, strategies, processes, and internal supports not be lost in these transitions and that there be a plan to carry on when these transitions take place. 

This is a report worth reading by all nonprofit executive directors, development officers, and board chairs.  Hopefully, it can begin a fruitful conversation that can at least slow the revolving door and begin to make fundraising a goal and responsibility of the whole organization – not just the person honored (or burdened) with the title.

We all met again Friday evening at Negative Space at the Asia Town Plaza for a meet-and-greet with local artists.  Organized collaboratively with the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, about 50 local artists showed up to meet their seven international colleagues and hopefully begin some new relationships.

Drinks; a very eclectic, delicious, and global cuisine; and lots of good music and conversation ensued.  Negative Space was the perfect venue for this event and we thank the owners/partners for their wonderful support and hospitality.

Tom Schorgl of CPAC talked about the truly remarkable variety of supports for individual artists here in Cleveland. We showed the Creative Fusion video to explain the program to those unfamiliar with it. Each Creative Fusion host presented their artist to the group and each artist spoke briefly and passed out their business cards (created for them by Michael Gill of Zygote Press – thank you, Michael). The meeting went past the scheduled time, but no one seemed to mind – even though the food was totally consumed.

Then almost everyone trooped from Negative Space’s fabulous facility the few blocks to Zygote Press’s equally fabulous artist space for Zygote’s annual 100 x 100 benefit event.  A totally rockin’ evening with one of Cleveland’s countless and always exceptional bands (Pompous Ass). 

There were many hundreds of people vying to plop down $100 to get an original print by one of the 100 artists exhibited, and hoping to have their name picked early to get their first choice.  It was like hens clucking around the farmer’s wife at feeding time. (I clucked early and got a fabulous piece by Deborah Pinter).  I left around 11 p.m. and the place was still jumpin’.

Spoiler Alert: Opinion Forthcoming!

I love this benefit because people get to buy real art at a reasonable price and the artist can offer just one in a series of prints without having to donate a one-of-a-kind or go to the expense of framing it.  Much better than the ‘auctions’ where artists spend a small fortune presenting and  donating an original work and it gets ‘auctioned’ for a pittance.  The nonprofit and the artist both get cheated in that scenario – the non-profit never gets the full benefit of what the work is worth and the artist’s work is devalued in public opinion and the market by being sold cheap.

Off my soap-box now. 

Look for more about Creative Fusion in upcoming posts.  This week, we are all off to see “War Horse,” then “Carmina Burana” and finally Shakespeare – “Much Ado About Nothing.” 

Many, many thanks to PlayhouseSquare, the Cleveland Orchestra, and Great Lakes Theater for making this exceptional taste of Cleveland culture available to our global artists.

For a short video on the Creative Fusion program, click here.

The artists come from: South Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, Chile, India, and a husband and wife team from Mexico who maintain studios in Tijuana and Beijing, China.  Their host organizations (in the same order) are the Ingenuity Festival, Cleveland Public Theatre, Young Audiences, the Rainey Institute, Art House, and Zygote Press.

The foundation has arranged a very busy orientation for the artists over their first two weeks here: a Lolly the Trolley tour of Greater Cleveland’s cultural districts both east and west, a docent tour of the Art Museum, an artist mixer at Negative Space in Asia Town, and performances at PlayhouseSquare, Great Lakes Theater, and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Each artist’s host organization will get them integrated into the community, and provide many other opportunities for them to learn the depth and breadth of the arts in Cleveland.

This will be a short post, just to introduce you to the artists. Look for more in future posts, on their activities and the public events associated with their outreach and creative activities.  I met all the artists last week and each brings enthusiasm and great talent and a desire to get going.  I am so excited about what they will accomplish while here – for themselves and for our community. For now, join the foundation in welcoming:

• Sabi Yun, multimedia, installation, and performance artist from South Korea
• Ana Paula Jones, actress, art historian, and performance artist from Brazil
• Hue Pham Thi, musician and composer from Vietnam
• Daniela Pizarro, visual, performance, and community artist from Chile
• Alka Mathur, visual and community artist from India
• Mely Barragan and Daniel Ruanova, public art artists from Mexico and China

Do You Remember Polynomials and Quadratic Equations?

The GED is getting overhauled. Starting in January 2014, the GED will be based on the national Common Core state standards, designed to better prepare grades K-12 for the workplace and higher education. The GED is accepted nationwide as an alternative to a high school diploma,

The test will be complex, strategic, and analytical. The reading sections will more than double, from 200-400 words to 450-900 words. The long essay based on personal experiences will disappear, replaced by short essays drawing evidence from literary or informational texts. Math will extend beyond algebra to include polynomials, graphing, and quadratic equations.

The test will be 100% computerized. Since it’s a timed test, a student will need to be very comfortable with keyboarding and using the mouse, especially for graphing.

It will cost more: 300% more. Currently, the GED costs $40. The new test will be $120, and be available only at three testing sites in Cuyahoga County. A student must register at a test site, using a credit card.

If a person has passed portions of the current GED, those scores will be wiped out after Dec. 31, 2013. The last day to register for the current test is Aug. 9, 2013, and places are limited.

Seeds of Literacy offers free, one-to-one tutoring in basic education and GED prep for adults. Our classes are filling up, but we have room for more. Please encourage those who need to complete the current GED to do so, soon. For more information about our program, visit www.seedsofliteracy.org or call 216.661.7950.

First, through the weekly professional development seminars, interns are exposed to the work done by our dynamic local nonprofit and public organizations and its leaders. We also assign each intern with a Cleveland Foundation staff member, who serves as a coach to help support the intern’s development and to talk through their career path. 

Second, the host site projects  are meaningful and challenging, which helps to build a strong resume. Finally, the internship program provides a forum to discuss and reflect on Cleveland’s opportunities along with its challenges.

If this sounds like a good way to spend your summer, please apply – we have a new seamless online application process. The deadline is Feb. 14.

Our internship program aims to:

• Offer first-hand knowledge of the Greater Cleveland nonprofit community, its leadership, and organizations.
• Provide meaningful career-related work experience.
• Increase local organizations’ capacity to conduct important short-term projects.
• Stimulate interest in a career in the nonprofit or public sectors.
• Expose students to a broad range of public sector endeavors.

Do you know a student who is up for a challenge?  If so, please tell them to apply for our 2013 Summer Internship program.

Who should apply?

People interested in applying should:

How do I learn more?

Our paid internships last 11 weeks, beginning on June 3 and ending on Aug. 16, 2013. For more information and instructions on how to apply, visit our Summer Internship page on our website. You’ll also find a list of the 17 host site organizations for this summer.

The application deadline is Feb. 14, 2013.  Personal interviews with select applicants will be conducted in March, and interns will be notified of their acceptance into the program in April.

At this time, we are issuing a challenge to Cleveland’s best and brightest – are you a college student or do you know a college student who is up for the challenge?  To qualify for the program, you must:

• Be a student of a local college or university in Cuyahoga, Lake, or Geauga counties, or be a resident of Cuyahoga, Lake, or Geauga
• Have a strong academic record
• Have strong research, computer, and verbal and written communication skills
• Have an interest in the nonprofit or public sector

Stay tuned … application instructions will be posted on our website shortly.

2013 Summer Internship Program Host Sites

Campus District, Inc., is a community development organization that is redefining itself, its role, and purpose within the educational and medical district anchored and guided by the top level leadership from Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, St. Vincent Medical Center, and the Plain Dealer.

City of Lakewood’s department of planning and development coordinates long-range planning, zoning, and economic development for the city as well as administers the federal Community Development Block Grant Funds awarded to Lakewood by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest today, with assets of $1.8 billion. Through the generosity of donors, the foundation improves the lives of Greater Clevelanders by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on vital issues.

Cleveland Metroparks is Cleveland’s “Emerald Necklace,” an open space of natural beauty and diversity. The Metroparks is dedicated to conservation, education and recreation. It offers an array of facilities and opportunities from golfing and fishing, to water and winter recreation areas, wildlife areas, outdoor education, recreation programs, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Cleveland Rowing Foundation promotes and shares the athletic, health, educational, and social benefits of rowing throughout Greater Cleveland. It works in concert with community partners to enhance the recreational quality of the Cuyahoga River.  Each year, it hosts more than 1,000 high-school, collegiate, and adult athletes on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland.

Economic and Community Development Institute’s mission is to invest in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change. ECDI’s programs and services have grown into a comprehensive suite of programming designed to lead low-income Ohioans out of poverty. Program participants are given the training, tools, and assistance they need to earn living wage incomes in the short term and purchase and maintain assets for the future.

Famicos Foundation provides a broad range of services such as real-estate development and historic preservation, affordable and market-rate housing choices, community engagement, and sustainability programming to Greater Cleveland residents with targeted efforts in the southern Glenville-Wade Park neighborhood.

Foundation Center was established in 1956 and today is supported by close to 550 foundations. It is a leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. Thousands of people visit the center’s website each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and its network of 470 funding information centers located in public libraries, community foundations, and educational institutions nationwide and beyond.

GroundWork’s mission is to bring the passion and verve of modern and contemporary dance into the hearts and minds of the people of Northeast Ohio.

Lake Erie Ink provides creative writing programming to youth during after school, evening, and weekend programs in a large and engaging space in Cleveland Heights.

LAND Studio (LAND) is an acronym that describes the approach and focus of the organization, which is to: Green Cleveland’s Landscape with attractive, active, and accessible public parks; Inspire our city’s people with temporary, permanent, and performance public Art;  Unite Neighborhoods through collaborative planning and dynamic programming; and enrich communities by supporting and facilitating sustainable building and smart Development.

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center Community Center (LGBT) is working toward a society free of homophobia and gender identity oppression by advancing the respect, human rights, and dignity of the LGBT communities. Over the past 37 years, the center has grown to offer support, referral, social, health, and educational services to hundreds of LGBT individuals each month.

North Union Farmers Market’s mission is to champion local foods in Northeast Ohio and to promote its environmental, economic, and health benefits by connecting certified producers with consumers through a network of markets.

Open Doors Academy exists to protect, inspire, nurture, and challenge adolescents to reach their full potential through the provision of meaningful out-of-school enrichment activities in a safe and structured environment. ODA is the only program in Northeast Ohio to offer a year-round, seven-year continuum of academic, social, and emotional support for students and their families from middle school through high school graduation and beyond.

Seeds of Literacy provides free, one-to-one tutoring in basic education and GED preparation to adults in Cuyahoga County.

The Trust for Public Land was established with a mission to preserve and protect open spaces for public enjoyment.  In order to accomplish its mission, TPL works with a variety of agencies, both public and private. Typically, TPL purchases land and holds it until a suitable long-term landholder, in most cases a governmental agency, is in position to take title.  

West Side Community House is a neighborhood settlement house that has served the residents of Cleveland’s West Side since 1890. Its mission is to transform lives in the community with programs such as: Family-to-Family, Tapestry System of Care, a full array of Senior Services, and Youth Services Sisterhood program.

But now I want to talk about what George has been doing here during an extension of his residency and a terrific event I attended this weekend.

Last summer, the county library sponsored a free playwriting workshop with George. Due to the enthusiastic response, the library and CWRU teamed to kick the effort up a notch, sponsoring a free master class workshop for emerging playwrights on the CWRU campus. A flier was circulated through the university and the county  library, and 15 writers were selected to participate based on the evaluation of a writing sample. The playwrights worked with George for six weeks over the course of this past fall, developing and honing their scripts. 

The culminating event was held Sunday, Dec. 9 in Clark Hall on the CWRU campus. Seven playwrights developed a short section of their work to be read in a public event. They recruited and auditioned local actors and/or other students, and rehearsed them for the reading. At the appointed time, an audience of students and fellow workshop participants assembled in Clark Hall and, for 2½ hours, we were treated to scenes from seven very different plays by seven distinct and colorful dramatic voices. Some scenes had two characters, others as many as eight actors speaking parts. And the topics ranged from life in an inner-city apartment building, to the death of a patriarch whose children all had very different experiences of his parenting, to twin musicians, both involved in a complex relationship with the same man. Oh, yes – and not one, not two, but three serial killers – all in the same play.

The playwrights came from the county’s summer workshop, from the humanities department of the university, and from the general public. They were:

• Cornell Calhoun
• Elise Geither
• Mike Hammer
• Deborah Magid
• Sheila Sullivan 
• Craig Webb 
• Vickie Williams 

I was positioned in the audience to watch George as he listened to his students’ plays being read. He was totally rapt – leaning forward as if to support the work itself with his body, smiling at well-delivered lines, laughing at all the funny parts, and intently focused on every word. It was clear that this reading was as important to him as it was to his students.

I spoke with several of the playwrights after the reading and was struck by how each of them independently wanted to tell me how generous a teacher and mentor George Seremba had been and how much they valued the experience. I even learned that one writer who was not chosen for the master class wrote an effusive and laudatory letter thanking George for his warmth and encouragement. Pretty unusual for a response to rejection. 

But then I have to say how consistently this tracks with so much of what I have heard about George Seremba. His enthusiasm for his work with students, his engagement with the local theater community, and his unflagging kindness and humility of spirit has been an inspiration and an education for so many of the lives he has touched while here. George has left his mark on Cleveland – one which will not soon disappear.

Through a continuing commitment by the university, George will be able to stay on for another semester as an assistant visiting professor in the department of English. The university is considering offering another master class workshop in the spring semester 2013. So if there are budding playwrights out there, stay tuned, and check Case’s Baker Nord Center website for details.

How I Spent My Summer: Thomas Corrigan

July 30, 2012

Host Site: NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts & Technology

One of the founding principles of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its Cleveland replication NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts and Technology is that environment shapes behavior. When we dismiss people as victims they internalize it. Poverty and despair become self-fulfilling prophecies when we allow individuals to succumb to circumstantial barriers because they have not been born into opportunity.

Why shouldn’t a ninth grader study photography using state-of-the-art camera equipment or learn to record his own music using industry-grade technology? Why shouldn’t an unemployed or underemployed adult be able to graduate from cost-free training that empowers her to find a career in one of Cleveland’s premier hospitals instead of another dead-end job?

These are the questions that the tireless staff at NewBridge wake up every morning to answer. Never in my life have I seen such a dedicated team of people share the same philosophy to drive their daily mission. Often those who have not heard about NewBridge question the cohabitation of arts programs for high school students and medical training programs for adults. In her June 20 column about NewBridge, the Plain Dealer’s Sharon Broussard explained it best: “Today’s high school dropout often becomes tomorrow’s unemployed or underemployed adult.” In this sense NewBridge is both reactive to the perils of an outdated economy and proactive to the risk of undereducated adolescents. Every NewBridge student—young, old or middle-aged—is an asset worthy of success, whether that means finishing high school or getting training that will secure a good-paying job.

Returning to Cleveland for the summer from college in Washington, DC, I know that the Cleveland Foundation has facilitated an opportunity for me and my fellow interns unlike any other in the country. Observation has shown me that Cleveland is a unique place for nonprofit organizations. We have an unparalleled stock of superb agencies in Cuyahoga County, but the region still maintains an atmosphere of cooperation and access. I have been able to harness connections from previous internships to explore new partnerships for NewBridge. Executive Director Jeff Johnson and NewBridge staff members have taught me that the Information Age means new capabilities for nonprofits to capture data and measure success. I have started building a comprehensive database for youth program student records. I have also helped coordinate the adult program’s Class of 2012 graduation and its new classes, which began this month.

With a distinctly 21st century mentality, NewBridge and its affiliates in other cities are pioneers in the Knowledge Economy, recognizing the transition that must take place from America’s past. This transition also means a new way of thinking about how nonprofit organizations should operate. On Saturday, July 28, NewBridge will graduate its second phlebotomy technician class and inaugural pharmacy technician class. This amazing group of newly-minted medical professionals will not rest once they are handed their diplomas. Reinvigorated by knowing their own strength, they each have their eyes set on new career goals with a proud and supportive alma mater on their résumés.