Celebrating the Faces of African American Philanthropy: Inspired Giving

Valdia Burns-Frazier knew from a young age that she wanted to own her own business, and with this dream, she believed that serving her community should be at the core of her career path and life. As a featured philanthropist at the 2018 African American Philanthropy Summit, we spoke to Burns-Frazier, entrepreneur and founder of Rogers...

Celebrating the Faces of African American Philanthropy: Mother-Daughter Charity

When Belva Denmark Tibbs became a mother, she was eager to pass on her long-standing family tradition of serving the community to her daughter, Imani. Guided by the belief that anyone can be a philanthropist, regardless of age or wealth, the women teamed up to create a donor-advised fund with the Cleveland Foundation that will benefit the...

Celebrating the Faces of African American Philanthropy: Inspired Giving

Dr. Barbara Harris, philanthropist and retired educator, believes that anyone can be philanthropic, whether through charitable giving, volunteering or a combination of both. As a featured philanthropist at the 2018 African American Philanthropy Summit, we asked Dr. Harris to share the origins of her philanthropy and what inspires her to...

Celebrating the Faces of African American Philanthropy: Leaving a Legacy

Robert P. Madison always dreamed of becoming an architect, but as an African American man growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, social inequality continuously tried to block his path to success. After overcoming countless obstacles, Madison achieved his goals by establishing a successful architecture firm that celebrates diversity, as well...

Summer of Purpose: An Environment of Self-Discovery

By Maggie StarkHolden Arboretum This was certainly not the summer I expected. Road trip, backpack, plane, train or walk if I had to escape; the only thing on my mind was the six months of loan deferment I had left between graduation and entry in the real world.  The last 10 weeks involved no escape, yet they offered me far more of a...

Celebrating the Faces of African American Philanthropy: Teamwork and Giving

Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper, entrepreneur and philanthropist, places teamwork at the heart of both her professional and philanthropic pursuits. With the belief that we can accomplish more together than alone, Dr. Burts-Cooper follows her passion for youth mentorship by contributing to the Our Hope, Our Future Giving Circle fund and awarding...

Spotlight Encore Cleveland: Legacy Leaders

Launched in 2013 by the Cleveland Foundation, Encore Cleveland helps to connect and fund a network of organizations that provide experienced Greater Clevelanders an array of meaningful opportunities in the community upon retirement or near the end of their primary careers. In our “Spotlight Encore Cleveland” guest blog series, we go...

Explore Common Ground Events by Topic – and Join Us June 30!

Our third annual Common Ground day of community conversation returns June 30, 2019. Common Ground is a single-day initiative where people gather at locations across our region to share a meal and a conversation about the places we call home. Individuals and organizations across Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties will bring family...