CASE STUDY #9: THE TOLEDO/NEEDMOR CO PROJECT

Foundation Funding of CO: How a national funder worked with a community foundation to jointly develop a CO funding strategy.

In 1995, the Needmor Fund - a small national family foundation based in Boulder, Colorado - approached the Toledo (Ohio) Community Foundation (TCF), proposing that the two institutions combine their efforts to strengthen CO in Toledo, with grant funds to be provided by Needmor. The Needmor Fund is a longtime supporter of CO groups; it was established and operated for many years in Toledo. The TCF agreed to join forces with Needmor and, working together, they set up the Toledo/Needmor Community Organizing Project.

The TCF had limited experience with CO prior to Needmor's offer to fund Toledo-area groups' CO efforts. The TCF representatives were interested in learning more about CO and CO funding and felt that the Needmor project presented an excellent opportunity to learn from the pros. To guide the process, a local Needmor Advisory Committee, staffed by the TCF, was set up. It considered grant requests, made funding decisions and monitored the progress of funded programs. The Advisory Committee's members included TCF board members and several community representatives knowledgeable about CO. TCF also conducted baseline research regarding the status of local CO efforts to answer questions such as "who's doing what?" and "is it really community organizing?"

During 1996-97, the Advisory Committee approved grants to support the salaries of organizers and some operating expenses for CO efforts proposed by three community development corporations (CDCs), each operating in different neighborhoods. Two of the them, the LaGrange Development Corporation and ONYX, are continuing grantees of the Project; the third was dropped after first-year funding. The TCF also completed its research and, in consultation with its grantees, the Advisory Committee determined that with expert technical assistance and training, CO could be further strengthened.

At the end of 1997 the Advisory Committee and the grantees selected ACORN as its technical assistance/training provider and hired an evaluator to monitor and assess the technical assistance and training program.

The evaluator's first-year progress report provided the TCF and the committee with data that suggested very positive results had been achieved through ACORN's work with the CDCs. Each now operated under a common definition of organizing and a much better understanding of CO; each identified opportunities to work together for the first time across neighborhood lines; CO was being integrated with the overall work of their organizations; and two highly trained organizers were now working effectively in the Toledo area.

The project operates with continuing guidance from the Advisory Committee. The two CDCs and ACORN decided to initiate a citywide organizing effort. ACORN is to open a field office in Toledo by the end of 2000, eventually employing two organizers, with the lead organizer a Toledo native. A sponsoring committee is being formed to oversee development of the local operation. Members of the project's advisory committee are serving on this new body. ACORN will assume fiscal and programmatic responsibility for the Toledo CO effort. Needmor's grants will go to ACORN and ACORN will disburse funding to the CDCs, taking responsibility for meeting all grant requirements.

Many of us really didn't have a sense of CO and what it could provide for our community. The Needmor Fund - and our own Steve Stranahan, whose family started Needmor - were the driving forces. Needmor provided the financial support for these local organizing efforts and we have been privileged to 'come along for the ride.' In providing local administrative and staff support, interacting with the Advisory Committee and talking about the Project with community leaders, we have learned a great deal. Our learning continues as the Project is still evolving. We are very encouraged by the progress to date and look forward to continuing our work with Needmor to support and strengthen CO efforts in Toledo.⁶⁰

- Pam Howell-Beach, executive director, The Toledo Community Foundation