No Easy Solutions For Arts Organizations

Yesterday, I watched my older daughter dance on the stage of the Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center located at the East Cleveland Library. I was a proud parent, watching her tackle a particularly challenging contemporary ballet piece, silently cheering her on. But at the same time, I was moved by the beautiful space, the incredible...

Young But Not Powerless

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...

Grappling Forward

I’m sure it’s the season, and maybe my eternal optimism in the face of the daunting challenges we face, but I have been looking for a few good maxims to inspire me into the coming year.  I got a great one from Rev. Otis Moss Jr., from his address to the Cleveland City Club last week.  In sharing his vision and hopes for the nation...

Princes and Devils: The Art of Ivan Lecaros

Ivan (ee-VON) Andres Lecaros Correa is fond of saying, “If I tell you what all the symbolism is in my art, I would go to jail.” Ivan is one of the Cleveland Foundation’s 2012 Creative Fusion artists. He’s from Santiago, Chile, and he grew up under the Pinochet regime – an experience that has had a profound effect on his work as...

Why Your Grants Reports Are Critical

Let me start by stating that yes – we read all grant reports. When a new grant proposal is received, I review past reports and organization files as part of my due diligence practices, so please know that the reports are read and used as part of a continuing process. Reporting requirements vary from foundation to foundation, but...

Will we wither or winnow, or will our world be transformed?

In a recent article in The Nonprofit Quarterly headlined "Four Futures," Paul Light, professor of public service at New York University, projects four future scenarios for the nonprofit sector in responding to the economic crisis: A "Rescue Fantasy," in which a magical, massive source of funding appears A "Withering Winterland," in...

Seeking Summer Interns for 2010

We are currently recruiting the region’s best and brightest for the 2010 Cleveland Foundation summer internship program.  As we approach its 11th year, the program has helped us confirm two important pieces of information: 1) Nonprofits continue to provide interns with meaningful projects that are reflective of the times and 2)We...

How I Spent My Summer: Chantel Davis

While the word “exciting” can seem a bit clichéd, it is the perfect word to describe my anticipation to begin interning with the Summer of Sisterhood program at West Side Community House. I will work with more than 30 talented young girls as they spend the summer creating a collection of original songs and music videos. Summer of...

How I Spent My Summer: Austin Boxler

When I graduated from my Northeast Ohio high school, I had no idea what my future would be like, but I did know that I wanted to get out of Ohio. I was enamored by the idea of living in New York City or San Francisco and building a life in a glitzy coastal city full of young professionals.  Rhode Island was my first step in that...

Summer of Purpose: Everyone is Welcome

By Dana J. Smith Cleveland Special Events Corporation/Gay Games 9 To me, the city of Cleveland has always represented new beginnings and personal growth. I moved to Cleveland in 2011 to attend Cleveland State University, and my experience in the city has helped me grow into the person I am today. Cleveland has offered me so many...