Month: November 2014

The Power of One

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As populations shift, government resources turn to other initiatives, and economies continually change, many rural places in Appalachian Ohio are challenged with sustaining their communities. One of the positive trends in rural Appalachian Ohio is growing philanthropy for long term sustainability in the community. Building community-based philanthropy can organize a community around its assets and connect long-term vision to concrete action. While community-based philanthropy is only one component of social and economic sustainability, it can create positive community dialogue toward a common vision of the future. In addition, established community foundations can play a visible role in charitable giving.

For many rural communities, giving has been there for a long time. Rural communities have contributed hours of service and volunteering to help others in need. Now rural communities are being recognized for their giving and contributions by individuals. Many people may say one person or one act of giving does not make a difference. Giving by individuals, or the “power of one,” is not a unique phenomenon to rural communities.

Power of One 2014-11-20The majority of philanthropic giving, about 80%, comes from individuals. Another trend in philanthropic giving that may also surprise some people is who gives. According to Ohio Gives, 68% of individual contributors had an income level of $50K-$200K. It is not just wealthy individuals who give.

A model recently noted for the power of one is the Guernsey County Foundation. In December 2004, the Guernsey County Foundation partnered with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. The Guernsey County Foundation began with one fund of $100,000. Fast forward to 2014, ten years later the Guernsey County Foundation has grown from one to 32 individual funds totaling more than $4.3 million serving the rural community.

In Guernsey County, the community-based philanthropy is helping to foster social and economic sustainability and community dialogue toward a common vision of the future.

(Submitted by Cindy Bond, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Guernsey County & Crossroads EERA)

People First. Employment First. A Promising Model Unfolds.

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People with disabilities are the nation’s largest minority and cross all racial, gender, educational and socioeconomic lines. Throughout history, people with disabilities have been subject to prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. These experiences have occurred in many venues, especially in the workplace. In a recent study (Mansour, 2009), 40% of people with disabilities have said they have encountered job discrimination, and 33% have reported encountering “unfavorable attitudes” while on the job. For individuals who experience developmental disabilities, these negative realities coupled with high rates of unemployment and underemployment often result in isolation, exclusion and feelings of not being valued.

Cleveland CropsHowever, progress has been made over the past several decades to improve legislation, policy, practice and attitudes for individuals with disabilities so that they might have better access to integrated and competitive (community) employment. In Ohio, the Governor’s Employment First initiative furthers this vision of community employment for individuals with developmental disabilities by creating a new culture that values every person as having abilities, skills and talents to enrich communities and providing them opportunities to explore career options and seek jobs that fit their skills and interests. An integral component to this new culture is assuring that relevant training and education exists to prepare individuals with developmental disabilities for their desired careers and available jobs. In Greater Cleveland, where traditional sources of employment for people with disabilities are shrinking rapidly, entrepreneurial ventures in the booming local foods and urban agriculture movement hold much promise in providing hands-on training and creating new jobs in the community. Cleveland Crops is one such example of this promising model.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, along with its nonprofit affiliate, SAW, Inc., and with support and technical assistance from Ohio State University Extension, has turned to entrepreneurship as a new avenue for community employment opportunities for nearly 100 of the Board’s adult consumers, many of whom have struggled to find meaningful, integrated jobs. Cleveland Crops is an agriculture and food processing training and employment program designed to create innovative work opportunities and new career choices for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the development of several urban farms and a 5,000 square foot Food Innovation Center that supports consumers in producing food products and co-packing for others, Cleveland Crops is an entrepreneurial and promising model in achieving the goals of the Employment First initiative by providing training and education on the skills needed for jobs (community employment) within the robust, local food economy. Its integrated approach of learning in the community is also significant in fostering inclusion and valuing diversity as a positive influence.

Click here to learn more about Cleveland Crops.

(Submitted by Marie Barni, Program Director – CD and County Extension Director, Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA)

The changing face of philanthropy in Eastern Ohio

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Eastern Ohioans have always been generous. Disaster or illness strikes, we give generously of our time and resources. But the concept of organized philanthropy strikes many residents in this part of the state as foreign . . . something that the Rockefellers or Bill Gates do . . . but not us!!

Historically, southeastern Ohio which includes 26 of the 32 Ohio Appalachian counties has been underrepresented in charitable assets. This region represents 29.5 percent of the state’s counties, 10.5 percent of the state’s population, but only 2.5 percent of the charitable assets and 2.7 percent of giving in the state. For illustration, Ohio’s largest community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, had approximately 4.8 times the assets and made about 2.6 times the gifts of all 132 foundations in southeast Ohio combined.

closeup of blank checkOil and gas development in the region may be a catalyst for the growth of organized giving in this part of the state where shale development is occurring. New community foundation funds have been established in Harrison and Monroe Counties, and the Guernsey County family of funds all have been consolidated under the umbrella of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. In Noble County, a local community fund, under the Marietta Community Foundation umbrella, has distributed nearly $15,000 in grants to local non-profits and $7,000 in scholarships since its creation in 2005.

These “baby-steps” in some of Ohio’s smallest counties are long overdue and represent a positive sign in the region. The creation and maintenance of these local funds provide a seed from which long term growth in charitable giving may result. Hopefully some small portion of the region’s new found oil and gas wealth will make its way into these funds to assure that the current gas wealth will help the region thrive for years to come.

(Submitted by Mike Lloyd, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Noble County & Buckeye Hills EERA)