It was a beautiful fall day when more than 30 organizations came together to share their thoughts on what was happening in Lake and Geauga counties.   There were similarities between what we heard in some of our Cuyahoga County conversations but also subtle differences as well as new ideas that were raised. 

Here are my recollections based on notes and the dialogue we held as a group:

In terms of challenges, agencies talked about an increase in demand for services which in some instances meant an increase of clients placed on waiting lists.  Others noted a shift in the needs of clients with many requiring more financial assistance, most likely due to the prolonged economic downturn.  Agencies, like their counterpoints in Cuyahoga County, were worried about state budget cuts and how to find other sources of funds to make up for those diminishing dollars.  Many suggested that nonprofit organizations did not have the capacity to develop additional resources. Finally, some noted that for those agencies that rely on memberships – either individuals or organizations – this was an expense some had to drop despite the value of the services.

In terms of opportunities, agencies were finding creative ways of doing more with less but some noted the need for more volunteers to help with implementing their missions.  For those who were doing this well, it was an opportunity to share its knowledge with others.  In shifting or re-thinking its priorities, agencies felt they had the ability to conduct operations differently, perhaps collaborating with another agency or reaching out to a specific segment of the community.  Individuals noted the opportunities in health (but with the challenge of implementing electronic health records), with stimulus dollars and in buying property that once were impossible to afford.  

The group had a long discussion about the role of boards and the need for training around responsibilities, particularly in the area of fundraising.  Topics including finding good board members, the time needed to education and train individual members and the impact on the executive director when good board members rotate off. 

The nonprofit community appreciated the role of the Lake-Geauga Fund in the community and having an office that was centrally located.  Many liked having the inquiry first, rather than submitting a full proposal.  One area that the community asked the foundation to think about was having flexibility in reporting deadlines.  Many times the results of the project are not yet fully known when the project is “officially” done.  Given the importance of outcomes, it was suggested that important data may be missing from these final reports. 

Another related topic of conversation was the need for balance with operating or infrastructure support to ensure quality.  Some participants noted that agencies are being held to very high standards in terms of deliverables or outcomes.  At the same time, many funding sources such as the Federal or State government, United Way, and foundations put strict limits on administrative expenses.  Grantees asked for a better balance and flexibility as it felt like most funders were tipping toward project-only support which was causing a lot of pain for the nonprofit community.   Participants asked the funding community for a deeper appreciation and/or understanding for the need for quality staff, updated systems, equipment and supplies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the clients being served. 

What else should we be talking about?  Let us know…

The second part of the community conversations centered on how to deepen the relationship between the foundation and individual organizations, along with a discussion about what was working well with the foundation and areas for improvement.  

Here is what we heard:

Some of the strengths of the Cleveland Foundation noted by the participants were that we were approachable, helpful, had good knowledge of the community, open about funding shifts, and were forward thinkers.  Some participants expressed appreciation for our role as convener, particularly in bringing together multiple funders while others noted the foundation’s leadership in various sectors such as aging.  One participant stated that “the program officers are accessible and provide good guidance – they want grantees to succeed.”

While gains have been made in the online grantmaking system, it was clear from our participants that there were still technological glitches and that there was room to improve.  Other areas for improvement including making sure information is accessible and searchable on our website, standardizing forms and reporting systems, more connection to donors as well as clarity around access to donors, donor-advised funds and supporting organizations, and more specific feedback on declines. 

Several participants expressed the desire for the foundation to provide general operating grants rather than just project support, which is something we also heard last year. As a result of this comment, we talked about the importance of recognizing that programs can not happen without infrastructure – staff, space, tools, etc. – and that this was an important part of telling the story of the organization.  In addition, it was important for the foundation to also articulate the importance of infrastructure to achieving the outcomes in the project being funded. 

For the third question, how do we build better relationships with grantees, there were lots of great ideas!  We heard it was important to maintain our commitment to site visits, to attend other events when possible and friend you on Facebook.  Some also expressed appreciation in how we have embraced social media tools like Twitter and Flickr to reach out to grantees and to tell stories of our grantees work.   You asked us to continue to provide introductions to other funders or “shakers and movers” as one grantee noted, including national partners.  (And we reminded you that if you are approaching a national partner to let us know as well.)  A few asked us to consider how we could improve or increase our role in identifying and facilitating partnerships or “match-making” to help with collaboration. Others appreciate our networking opportunities and encouraged us to continue to promote this aspect of our work. 

In one meeting, there was a discussion about how foundations could support the nonprofit sector in these challenging times.  For example, individual agencies are faced with negotiating lines of credit with banks which in many instances are needed due to delays in getting reimbursements from public sector funding.  Organizations are providing the critical service, waiting for the dollars and struggling with cash flow.  Is there a way to highlight this situation and find a more systemic solution?

On behalf of the community responsive team, I want to thank all of you for informing our work!  Please continue to share your knowledge with us.  I am looking forward to attending the community conversation that will focus on Lake and Geauga counties next week and will also share and compare what we learn from that dialogue.

Millennials, also called Generation Y or Generation Next, are people born after 1980. I came across this article that made me think about the young talent that I have worked with in the Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program.   The article talked about how Millennials are often regarded as lazy, entitled and fickle (see Lindsay Lohan and the cast of Jersey Shore).  This has not been my experience.  Like the author of the article, the Millennials I have worked with are optimistic, self-confident, and are hungry for responsibility.

The article also outlined characteristics common among Millennials.  They have a natural ability to multitask, they are idealistic, tech savvy and don’t have an “old fashioned” sense of privacy.  They openly share private and intimate details about their lives on Facebook and Twitter.  These same generational traits also make them great employees.  For example, the article talked about the free marketing that results when a Millennial tweets about something he achieved at work to his 1,5000 friends.  How to manage and exploit these traits for maximum effect is the management challenge. 

As I reflect on the 2010 class of the Cleveland Foundation’s summer internship, we learned a few things about how to manage Millennials. To get the best out of Millennials, managers need to give clear goals, provide the necessary resources and latitude to achieve these goals and most importantly – give regular them feedback. 

If given the right opportunity with right support from management, Millennials can do incredible things. 

The Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program is now accepting applications from area nonprofits or governmental agencies until November 29, 2010.  College students, recent graduates, and graduate students work full-time for an 11-week session during the summer (June 6 through August 19, 2011). The Cleveland Foundation provides funding to cover the intern’s stipend.
More information can be found here.

Over the past few months, the community responsive team has held another series of dialogues with nonprofit agencies in branches of the Cleveland library system. 

We have had the privilege of meeting with over 130 individuals representing the many sectors of the nonprofit community.   During these sessions, we gave an overview of grantmaking at the foundation; shared what we learned in our first round of community conversations as well as the Center for Effective Philanthropy survey; and what we have done, to date, with these suggestions.  And then we asked our partners to think about and respond to the following questions:

• What are the challenges and opportunities facing your organization in the next 18 months?
• What is working well with the Cleveland Foundation?  What could be improved?
• How do we build better relationships with our grantees?

This blog will focus on the first question – the challenges and opportunities of the coming year for nonprofits.  Our nonprofit colleagues broke into groups of 4-6 members to share and discuss the opportunities that the agency they worked for was facing as well as what they had heard from other groups.  Here is some of what we heard:

As you can imagine, there were many challenges particularly as the fall-out from the economic downturn continues.  Grantees talked about the increased need for services, the increased complexity of those needs and the changing face of that client as individuals struggle to find employment.  The issue of long term unemployment and its impact on the families and the community was on the minds of many.  Grantees were working hard to meet those needs but fundraising was a concern particularly in light of the state and county budgets. Some noted the strain on staff due to the increased need in this community.  There were questions about the impact of the current county scandal and how the new county government would affect organizations. 

Grantees noted the passion of their staff and the increased workload.  One agency leader noted that during tough times, professional development and/or training is sometimes the first item to be slashed from the budget.  Yet, professional development is a critical tool to ensure that staff is ready to meet the increased demand, avoid burn-out and help retain quality staff.

We heard that committed donors were decreasing support, it was hard to engage new donors, and competition was stiff for tight resources.  Grantees wondered about what happens after the stimulus dollars are spent while others noted that government funding opportunities were targeted and time-limited.  Finally, some of our grantees spoke about the concern around putting basic needs first in terms of funding.

Yet the participants shared many opportunities to explore in the coming months.  Attendees talked about the openness to change, sharing resources and information and the prospect of building on the strengths of the nonprofits.  Others spoke about how to engage volunteers more fully in the work while others talked about how technology could support new ways of providing services.  Many talked about the opportunity of connecting organizations for deeper collaboration and enhanced efficiencies.  Others noted that with the shortage of capital that this might provide the opportunities to reinvest in existing assets.

Several members of the community strongly believe that now is the time to focus on the benefits of nonprofits as an industry.  Nonprofits contribute to the economic development of the region through its employment base and resulting payroll taxes, its ability to attract people to the region, its safety-net features and more.  How do we make sure this message is heard in our community?

In the coming year, nonprofits will be taking advantage of many of these opportunities to tell its own individual story better to ensure that its mission is implemented effectively and clients or patrons are served.  Are there other critical opportunities or challenges that we missed? 

Let us know….. and next week I will focus on sharing the other feedback that we heard from our partners.

A discussion of hashtags needs to start with a discussion of Twitter. I first blogged about Twitter in early 2009 (see post here).

Since that time more and more nonprofits and foundations have started using it (including @CleveFoundation). On the other hand, many folks are still shunning this technology. One of the benefits I’ve discovered is the ability to quickly share and access information. While I have come to love Google Reader (and will post a blog about that soon), as a way to sift through a lot of information, I still find Twitter ideal for speed.

Folks who aren’t using Twitter in the nonprofit/philanthropy arena often mention two barriers: 1) a lack of time – especially lacking time to “read about what people ate for breakfast” or other trivial items, and 2) not being able to locate quality information. A lot of the barriers can be removed by limiting the people you follow to only those who share quality information and by organizing your time online. Hashtags are another answer to those concerns.

Similar in concept to tagging photos, the hashtag (indicated by the “#” prior to the other characters) is simply a way to categorize information. By including it as part of a tweet, it is possible to easily pull up tweets that include specific information. Hashtags are used to categorize all tweets (including those coming from multiple people) from a particular conference, for example, or to categorize tweets in other ways.

As part of the foundation’s ongoing efforts to share what we learn from our research (which I share through my general Twitter posts at @paultofu) and from grant reports, I have been using the Twitter hashtag #advicefromgrantees. In an effort to protect grantee anonymity while sharing some key insights, I send out occasional, quick, bite-sized morsels of information or advice from area nonprofits.

The tweeted information is pulled anonymously from the “What advice would you give to other organizations planning a similar program? What would you do differently if you had the chance?” section of the grant reports we receive.

We’re hopeful that some of the tweets will provide reminders or new information to help other nonprofits. Other foundations can also use the hashtag to share information. If you are not using Twitter you can also use a Google Search to find those specific #advicefromgrantees tweets.

We’ve all heard the sobering statistics about the shortage of nurses: 40 percent of Ohio’s practicing nurses expect to leave the field in the next 10 years – a shortfall of nearly 32,000 registered nurses by 2020. At the same time, an educational bottleneck has resulted from an insufficient and diminishing pool of faculty to teach additional students. Educational facility space limitations also place serious constraints on expansion.

Susan Taft, Ph.D., associate professor in Kent State University’s College of Nursing, has piloted an innovative solution to the bottleneck that has occurred as a result of limited numbers of full-time nursing faculty. Nurses with master’s degrees working outside of academia will be given the flexibility to teach online courses rather than traveling to traditional classes, with the goal of increasing the number of non-traditional nurse educators available to teach non-clinical aspects of nursing courses. By increasing the number of available faculty, more nursing students will receive the training they need to enter the workforce.

The Cleveland Foundation has been chosen as one of nine foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN), a national initiative to find innovative ways to create an appropriately sized nursing workforce with the skills necessary to meet the changing demands of the 21st-century patient population.

The foundation has been awarded a two-year grant of $200,000 to address Ohio’s nursing shortage by expanding the number of nurse educators. The grant will be matched by $210,000 in local funding. We are part of a local partnership with The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the nursing schools at Kent State University, Cleveland State University, the University of Akron, and Ursuline College created to implement solutions for tackling nursing workforce issues specific to Northeast Ohio through this project.

We will be updating the community on this project throughout the next two years. Additional information and updates will be shared via Twitter (follow @CleveFoundation and @paultofu) utilizing the hashtag #PIN10.

Two of the objectives of the Cleveland Foundation’s Summer Internship Program are:

• to provide a meaningful career-related work experience and
• to stimulate interest in the nonprofit sector. 

On August 19, we said our goodbyes to the intern class of 2010.  The interns talked about how much they learned about the nonprofit sector, Cleveland and themselves.  We also learned from them.

 Lessons learned

Overall, the interns felt that their projects were challenging and meaningful.  They were pushed out of their comfort zones.  One intern had to lead a youth landscaping crew – his first time in a leadership position.  Another intern had to develop and implement a social media strategy, while another had to create a video and handbook on community garden.

The interns also talked about how their interest in the nonprofit sector has increased.  Not only were interns introduced to work of diverse organizations such as Near West Theatre, Cleveland Public Art and BioEnterprise, they also had interacted with nonprofit and governmental “rock stars” Mayor Frank Jackson, Randell McShepard from RPM and India Pierce Lee from the Cleveland Foundation.

The interns also provided feedback as to what the Cleveland Foundation can do to improve the internship program.  One intern said we need “more rock and roll music, live animals, and candy.”  On a serious note, the interns asked for help in developing their soft skills.  They asked for trainings/workshops on how to network and how to “manage up” to make their relationship with their supervisors stronger. 

We learned that the supervisor and intern relationship is strong and effective when:

-         The supervisor has a sense of the intern’s interests, strengths and weaknesses

-         The supervisor exposes the intern to the many facets of the organization from clients to staff to board

-         The supervisor and intern are flexible to changing conditions and situations

-         There is clear and regular communication between the intern and supervisor

-         The intern asks for additional tasks or projects to build her skills

-         The intern is not afraid to speak up or voice her opinion (diplomatically) if things are moving off track

-         The intern has a clear sense of her interests, strengths, and weaknesses

As this intern class learned, so did we. 

We wish the 2010 class the best as they proceed down their academic and career paths and we thank them for helping build the capacity of the 16 area nonprofits in which they were placed.  

Are you a Cleveland area nonprofit with an important short term project and have the capacity to nurture young leadership? We start accepting applications for host sites in October 2011.

Are you a Cleveland resident or a student of a Northeast Ohio College looking for a meaningful, paid internship?  We start accepting applications January 2011 and conduct interviews in the March 2011.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Modesto Acosta, a junior at Oberlin College, is placed at Near West Theatre.

Every day, people search for that one thing that inspires them. They look for that something that excites them every morning when they wake up or titillates their imagination as they push through another hard day’s work. I too, have been looking for my inspiration, and this summer I have come one step closer to knowing what it is.

Interning with Near West Theatre, through the Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship Program, I have experienced inspiration first hand. For those who do not know, the Near West Theatre (NWT) is a community theatre that offers professional productions at affordable prices. NWT utilizes each production as a tool for educating the cast, crew, and audiences on issues prevalent to the community at large. NWT’s mission is to achieve diversity through creation, as well as experience.

While they bolster some of the best educational productions around, the one thing that makes Near West Theatre an experience worth having is the sense of community built between the staff, crew, and cast. At this point, having been involved for a little over nine weeks, I find myself not wanting to leave. Everyday, I wake up knowingly excited about working at the Near West Theatre. Not one task has felt menial and no one person has been unapproachable. The people of Near West Theatre inspire me and encourage me to continue through my hardships.

I have been blessed to be placed in a community where people are receptive to new ideas. I have benefitted experientially and psychologically from this internship. For the first time in a long time, I find myself eager to be in Cleveland, to be involved with a program that changes lives on a daily basis. 

Many of my tasks this summer pertain to programming and education. I helped construct memorial quilt panels that were inspired by the NAMES Foundation AIDS Quilt project. Not only did the Near West Theatre support this program, they instituted time and resources to develop the project. The compassion and support that Near West gives to every participant has established new standards in my interpretation of the business world, and has helped me decide that I will work within the arts and business administrations. 

“We may be young, but we’re not powerless. We play by their rules long enough and it becomes our game.” ~ Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

My ability has been challenged, my talents have been confronted, and my heart… well, my heart has decided. I am a believer in what Cleveland has to offer, and I am happy to have Near West Theatre as a part of my life.  I am no longer in a place where society’s standards define me, but a place where I define my society.

Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Monica Laco, a graduate of  Xavier University, is placed at Recovery Resources.

The Cleveland Foundation summer internship program is about going outside your comfort zone. Every week, in both our jobs and the weekly development seminars, we are challenged to think differently, dream big and jump in to new experiences, even if we’re not quite sure where we want life to take us.

As a social media and marketing intern for Recovery Resources this summer, I have had to take many journeys outside my comfort zone. I am the type of person who likes to finish one project before moving on to the next, and one of the lessons I am learning here is that it’s not about getting one or two projects finished, it’s about getting seven or eight started.

My main project now is creating a blog to draw interest in the work Recovery Resources does. Recovery Resources has been helping people triumph over mental illness, alcoholism, drug and other addictions for more than 55 years. They touch 13,000 lives annually through more than 25 programs addressing a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues. As a marketing intern, I’m finding it challenging to promote our vast array of services without overwhelming or confusing people.

I’ve also been working with the website and social media. Recovery Resources’ website is in the process of going through a total redesign and will relaunch within the next month or two. Recovery Resources is also now on LinkedIn and Twitter (follow us at @RecResCleveland)!

I am excited to continue my work here after my internship ends, as Recovery Resources has offered me a part-time job continuing my initiatives from the summer. What a privilege to step outside my comfort zone and join the fast-paced, challenging, and most of all, passionate, nonprofit sector of Cleveland.

Thank you, Cleveland Foundation.

 Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Adam Yasinow, a recent graduate of Washington University in St.Louis, was placed at BioEnterprise.

As someone who has been a member of two different summer internship programs, I have learned that there is only one factor that determines the “worthwhileness” of an internship—your relationship with your supervisor.

Lucky interns are placed with a stellar supervisor while the unlucky report to supervisors who doom the entire experience before day one.  I have not seen a single happy intern who despises his supervisor, and similarly I have yet to meet a disgruntled intern who reveres his supervisor.

A great supervisor is one who realizes that the internship program is not about the host company, but rather about the development of the intern. There is only so much one college student or young graduate can do in two months to advance the mission and vision of an organization. He or she does not have the time or the skill set to make a significant impact. It is for this reason that most interns are considered the low man on the totem pole – more often than not he or she is given little responsibility and relegated to menial tasks like data entry and copying.

That being said, a supervisor can drastically impact the career path of an intern. A great supervisor views the relationship with an intern as a two-way street. He or she rewards the intern’s hard work, dedication, and competency by providing two developmental rewards: timely feedback and exposure to new opportunities.

By receiving constant feedback, an intern is able to learn the rules of engagement of the working world and deliver professional-quality work. Exposure to new opportunities prevents monotony (a major cause of intern dissatisfaction) and illuminates an intern’s next career step. 

This summer I have been honored to work at BioEnterprise under Susan Luria. She has gone above and beyond the call of a great supervisor and made my internship a blast. She has assigned me exciting consulting work (meeting with CEOs, compiling market reports, reviewing business plans) and shaped me into a valuable member of the BioEnterprise team by providing me with constant feedback.  Moreover, Susan has taken me on two incredible field trips. The first was to a North Coast Angel Fund meeting so that I could gain a better understanding of venture capital funding and the second was to MetroHealth Hospital to become acquainted with MRI and CT equipment for the imaging initiative I am working on.  Since day one Susan has been dedicated to making this internship about me.

I want to take a moment to thank the Cleveland Foundation staff for placing me in such a wonderful and prestigious organization with a supervisor who is dedicated to developing her intern. This entire program has been about advancing the careers of Cleveland’s future leaders.  

I am saddened that the summer is winding down and this program is coming to an end. To my fellow interns, I wish you all the best. For those of you going back to school or leaving town, please come back soon – Cleveland will not be the same without you, and it could sure use your enthusiasm and leadership.