Acknowledgements

This Community Organizing Toolbox (the Toolbox) is part of the continuing program of the Neighborhood Funders Group (NFG) to provide information and professional development opportunities to our members. We encourage you and other grantmakers to use this framework for developing, expanding and fine-tuning funding of community organizing (CO). This educational resource for funders will be posted on our Web site, www.nfg.org, where additional background information will be available.

NFG members focus on improving the quality of life for residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities. To carry out their varied but related missions, these grantmakers fund a wide range of community-serving organizations and activities - including human services, education, community development, civic participation, and CO. For many members, NFG's work to advance CO is one of the association's most critical priorities. It's a funding strategy that directly addresses NFG's goals for supporting poor people and their communities. In a 1999 survey, 88 of NFG's 200 member organizations said they funded CO. They range from small local funders to five of the 15 largest foundations in the country.

This Toolbox is the second produced by NFG. Its development is the culmination of many years of attention to lessons learned in CO by NFG members - in our annual conferences, in our newsletter, NFG Reports, and in other programs for our members. Many thanks to committee chair Henry Allen of the Hyams Foundation, who was joined by Jeannie Appleman of Interfaith Funders, Fabio Naranjo of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Frank Sanchez of the Needmor Fund, in many months of discussion and thought that guided this publication. They particularly appreciate the time given by Hubert Dixon of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Jane Downing of the Pittsburgh Foundation, Madeline Lee of the New York Foundation and Regina McGraw of the Wieboldt Foundation to review the Toolbox during its development.

Independent consultant Larry Parachini, aided by Sally Covington of the National Center for Schools and Communities, researched and wrote the CO Toolbox. We thank them for the thoughtful way in which they worked with the committee in developing and producing it. Lucinda Flowers provided editorial assistance and expert guidance and the Toolbox was designed by JoAnn Juskus.

We are grateful to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the New York Foundation, and the Wieboldt Foundation for their generous financial support of this CO Toolbox.

Mary Jo Mullan, NFG Co-chair	Garland Yates, NFG Co-chair
F.B. Heron Foundation	Annie E. Casey Foundation

2001