Seeing the Big Picture by Richard B. Richard, President and CEO

Perhaps it is when times are dark and we are needed most that the Cleveland Foundation’s mission for making life better here shines brightest.

As the largest grantmaking organization in Greater Cleveland, our impact is far greater than just the sum total of our grants. We are privileged to be in a position to help lead our community into the future by serving as a community think tank and incubator, by convening influential parties on issues of great importance, and by launching projects that pave the way for better days ahead.

Our community certainly faces serious challenges, especially during this economic downturn. But history shows us that new ideas and solutions take shape in environments characterized by problems and challenges. Just look at our foundation’s history. It’s no stretch to say that, for nearly a century, the foundation has been a spark that has ignited brilliant initiatives with lasting effect, even in the worst of times:

• The Cleveland Metroparks began to take shape during the Great Depression, thanks to research and funding by the foundation. Acting on one of our original studies on recreation, the Cleveland Recreation Council, itself a recommendation from the study, helped pass a levy in dismal times to allow park land to be purchased and assembled. Who could have envisioned then our gorgeous Emerald Necklace of today, with more than 21,000 acres of lush green space encircling Greater Cleveland and offering a treasure trove of recreational and outdoor experiences?
• The Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland opened in 1970 with support from the foundation and other funders. We played a central role in examining the nature and extent of the drug problem in our city in those tumultuous days, and we were a strong proponent of a safe haven that would provide quality medical care with no questions asked. Who can imagine health care in Cleveland without the Free Clinic, now a national model of medical care for the needy?
• Playhouse Square Center’s rescue from demolition and its decade-long restoration, championed by the foundation, not only returned to Cleveland a beautiful performing arts venue, but also helped to launch the revival of downtown. The foundation also was instrumental in persuading the city’s dance and theater companies to locate at Playhouse Square. Who could have predicted then that Playhouse Square would become the second-largest performing arts district in the nation, after New York City’s Lincoln Center?

If, as these examples show, misfortune can awaken our spirit and cement our resolve, what can we do now — and only now — to improve our community’s future? What are the next big ideas that will set us on an exciting new path?

The Cleveland Foundation is pursuing several bold strategies with the potential to fashion a strong future for Greater Cleveland:

• Advancing wind energy has the power to draw the next great wave of manufacturing jobs into our local economy.
• Opening our doors to doing business with many foreign countries can put our city on the global map.
• Starting up a collection of new small businesses in Greater University Circle that provide services to anchor institutions can create not only good jobs, but a first-ever chance for people in several city neighborhoods to build wealth by owning equity in a company.
• Pioneering a system of new-concept schools that can excel quickly can drive the turnaround in public education that our children and our city desperately need.

These grand-scale initiatives that the Cleveland Foundation and our many partners are leading today carry risks along with the promise of rewards. When we look back years from now, which of them will have made all the difference? With luck, all of them. It’s a chance we are willing to take.

As history has shown us, times of extreme challenge can present once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, if we choose to embrace bold dreams and if we see the big picture.