Foundation Blog

Cleveland Foundation Blog

Our grantees make us proud

The documentary PolyCultures: Food Where We Live  is set to screen March 25 and 26 at the Cleveland International Film Festival. One of our grantees, the New Agrarian Center, partnered with LESS Productions, to produce the film. The...

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Ohio City – but not the one you think

This past Monday, I spent a very stimulating 90 minutes with the folks at Glazen Creative Studios brainstorming ways to engage the local population’s pride and confidence in the city and the region. These were sincere, smart, and committed folks who cannot...

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Revisiting the ImagiNation

In December 2007, the Cleveland Foundation hosted a meeting of the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), a non-political think thank and consortium of organizations supporting the arts in learning. At that meeting, AEP rolled out a major frame-changing concept: to...

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Managing through the Downturn

Times are tough, and as nonprofit executives you don’t need me reminding you.  Every day my colleagues and I hear from more and more organizations that are stretching their dollars and reevaluating their programs. Everyone is searching for new funding...

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What former gang members can teach us

I heard a great story at a conference a few months back. In my mind this story represents how responsive and innovative nonprofits can and must be. I was on a site visit in East Los Angeles at a nonprofit called Homeboy Industries.  A staff member recounted...

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Angry at the arts: It’s the American way

“An artist with an instrument is every bit as 'shovel-ready' as a potential new highway. In fact, without some help maintaining jobs in culture in, say, struggling downtown Cleveland, there is one fewer reason to build another way to get there.” So says...

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Blogs We Should Read

As someone new to the world of blogging, I’m curious about what blogs I should be reading – specifically blogs that might be helpful for philanthropy and nonprofits. Whom do you recommend? I should note that I do not have (or have not made) time in my life...

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Youth, art and workforce development

For six weeks ArtWorks provides an opportunity for youth to create art (including music, dance, visual art, theater) and learn workforce skills.  I visited the ArtWorks program when we had placed a Cleveland Foundation summer intern at the sponsoring...

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Lead on, (Next Gen) leaders!

by Jill Paulsen, program officer Cleveland is a town where you can make a real difference. Where you can lead. Just ask our 30 newly minted Ladder to Leadership fellows, participants in a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the...

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