Success Stories

Funding Strategies: Developing New Programs

A FEW WORDS WITH Shannon McNeely Whitaker, McNeely Foundation

In this A Few Words With, SmartLink speaks with Shannon McNeely Whitaker about strategic giving. McNeely Whitaker is the Chairperson of the McNeely Foundation, founded in the early 1960s by Harry G. McNeely, Sr. and his wife, Adelaide Frenzel McNeely. Over the years, the Foundation has supported a broad range of giving throughout the Twin Cities (MN): education, neighborhood development, environment, community institutions, the arts and individual and family sustainability. Harry's company, St. Paul Terminal Warehouse Company, a pioneering warehousing, logistics and real estate business, provided initial funding for the foundation; today, the family business is known as Meritex Enterprises. In 2002, the Foundation began to focus on strategic giving with a concentration on the East Side of St. Paul, Minnesota, a culturally diverse neighborhood where, historically, new immigrants came to learn a trade, get a job in one of the many booming manufacturing and industrial corporations, and make new lives for themselves and their families.

A FEW WORDS WITH: Ashley Snowdon Blanchard

Each month, we spend a few minutes with a leader in a particular field, foundation or issue area, to seek their thoughts about how donors can best make a difference in low-income communities.  In keeping with this month’s focus on collaboration, we catch up with the President of the Hill-Snowdon Foundation Board, Ashley Snowdon Blanchard. 

Seacoast Women's Giving Circle: a wave of philanthropy washes over New Hampshire's Seacoast

When Anne Rouse Sudduth gathered 12 women in her living room in April 2006, it wasn't to discuss the latest novel on Oprah's book club list over cheesecake. Determined to pool their skills, energy and financial resources, the women formed the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle to make a difference in southern New Hampshire's Seacoast region. Not content to simply write a check for a local charity, giving circle members become engaged in emerging community issues through collective giving and grassroots action.  Most importantly, notes founder Rouse Sudduth, giving circle members want to connect with like-minded people to practice community leadership.

The Lenny Zakim Fund: a legacy of building bridges

Most people facing cancer wouldn’t dream of embarking on an ambitious new project to aggressively promote social justice. But then, human rights hero Lenny Zakim was not like most people.  When he dreamed, he dreamed big. When Lenny was diagnosed in 1995 with multiple myeloma, a rare bone marrow cancer, he called upon his many friends and supporters to help establish The Lenny Zakim Fund.  The Fund’s mission is to reach out to groups “below the radar screen” of large charitable foundations and government, and to provide financial support, technical assistance and networking opportunities.  Focused on individuals and grassroots organizations within a 50-mile radius of Boston, the Fund is especially supportive of programs that build alliances across racial, religious and ethnic lines.

The Siebel Foundation: strategic focus achieves groundbreaking results

When Woodside, CA-based software developer Tom Siebel and his wife Stacey established the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation in 1996, they did something few philanthropic organizations do:  they chose not to accept grant proposals. Investing primarily in projects it creates and operates, the Siebel Foundation’s strategic philanthropy focuses on community-based organizations that benefit the homeless and underprivileged, methamphetamine prevention as well as creative educational, research and alternative energy initiatives.  “I have the opportunity to work with some very talented people...where the consequences of failure are actually very low, and the consequences of success are almost unbelievable.”  Unbelievable success is exactly what the Siebel Foundation has achieved since launching The Meth Project in Montana in 2005.

The Discount Foundation: a small foundation focused on big impact

“What is special about Discount is that it believes that people in the community who are directly experiencing poverty have a fundamental insight into what’s happening in their lives, their families and their communities,” notes Henry Allen, executive director of the Discount Foundation, adding that the heart of Discount’s strategy is developing leaders from within. 

“Leadership development is all about drawing on people’s first-hand experiences, and trusting that they have the ability to work collectively to change the situations they confront. There’s nothing theoretical about it.”  Established in 1977, Discount supports community-based organizations striving to inspire and organize the working poor to improve their living conditions and economic opportunities.

Gina and Marty Richardson: Funding the Next Generation in Austin, Texas

Five years ago Gina Richardson began looking for something meaningful to which she could dedicate her time.  Her children were grown and out of the house.  The business she and her husband started twenty years before had truly taken off, allowing them time and resources to focus on other things in life.  And so, Gina put her ‘ear to the ground’ and searched for a project worthy of her energy and enthusiasm.

 

Inspired by an article in Newsweek about a certified public accountant (CPA) in Chicago who was helping low-income people file their tax returns, Gina—an accountant herself—was intrigued by the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and its positive impact on low-income households.  Gina began thinking about helping low-income people file tax returns in her hometown of Austin, Texas.

 

Gina and her husband, Marty, immediately embarked on an ambitious project targeting vulnerable populations in East Austin.  “We didn’t know what we were doing at the time,” laughs Gina. “Marty and I created fliers and dropped them off at local churches, calling ministers to follow up when we could.”

Through Multiple Generations: Rosenwald and Stern Families' Philanthropic Journey

When David Stern’s great-grandfather, Julius Rosenwald, established the Rosenwald Fund in 1917, he set a philanthropic precedent for the family. Rosenwald, who was instrumental in shaping the success of Sears and Roebuck Company, focused on philanthropy after resigning as president from Sears. When the Rosenwald Fund was initiated, he made the decision to use all his funds for philanthropic purposes, and to spend out the fund in 25 years. “He believed that foundations should not exist in perpetuity,” explains David Stern. “-- That all assets should be spent in one generation.  He believed philanthropic dollars should be used to bring about desired social outcomes, not to create a foundation interested in self-preservation.”

From this basis, succeeding generations would make decisions that embraced a variety of groundbreaking and creative grant-making strategies, influencing U.S. philanthropy and simultaneously facilitating social change.

Frances Hollis Brain Foundation provides for human needs, while bolstering family ties

When David Brain established the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation, his intention was to help people who had not been as lucky as he had.  He sought to help others get the “step-up” they needed to improve their own lives. Established after selling a company that provides dental care as an employee benefit, the founder's intentions were broad, but impassioned.

“My father spent his whole life in the insurance field, and late in his career, devised a means to provide low-cost quality dental care using a managed care model.  The company prospered; and by the time he sold it, managed care had become a very hot idea.” David's daughter Nancy explains.

“My father is a very hard worker, who feels there are a lot of people who work hard, but aren’t as fortunate as he was,” explains Nancy Brain, who with her sister, Diane Bryant, administers the family foundation.  Together, Nancy and Diane have translated their father’s desire to provide people with a “step up” to a giving strategy focused on organizations that provide for “basic human needs.” 

By focusing on human needs, the foundation's support has run the gamut from service organizations like Literacy Volunteers and Habitat for Humanity to making bets on new initiatives, aimed at helping disadvantaged people.

Jovid Foundation's focus on job training is one "secret" to successful giving

Joan and David Maxwell established the Jovid Foundation in 1991 with a goal to help the poor in Washington, DC move out of poverty. To do so, the foundation supports organizations that focus on job training and employment. With a focus on one geographic area and a single issue, the Maxwells offer an example of focused and disciplined giving. Yet, the Jovid Foundation does not shy away from risk, either.

Adams Trust offers trustees flexibility to link mental health, the arts and stronger communities

Shortly before his death in 1999, Charles Francis Adams visited the trustees of his foundation and informed them that he had completed his philanthropic obligations.  He wished to pass the mantle and urged them to continue the foundation's work by supporting good organizations and leaders. And with that, the former CEO of Raytheon Company and direct descendent of two U.S. Presidents, left a substantial, yet flexible and somewhat daunting legacy.

Friedman Family Foundation takes aim at poverty's root causes

When Friedman Family Foundation directors review requests for funding, they begin with a question: “Does this program have the potential to promote or create community change?”  Established in 1964, by Phyllis Koshland Friedman, a member of the Levi Strauss family, and her late husband, Howard, the Friedman Family Foundation seeks long-term, widespread solutions to poverty. Lisa Kawahara, Friedman Family Foundation staffer:  “The Friedman family has always had an interest in true equity. For them, grants are not a way to give back – but a way to create opportunity for people."

Ottinger Foundation: Strong Family Vision + Innovative Executive Directors = Success

Since the mid-1950s, the Ottinger Foundation has employed a variety of strategies to make an impact on issues the family cares passionately about, including the root causes of poverty. One key to the foundation's success has been selecting executive directors that are willing and able to take on the most challenging issues--collaboratively and ambitiously. Another has been finding courageous community leaders at the fore-front of innovation.

Helping donors achieve impact

You have questions, when it comes to your community giving.  All over the country, your fellow donors have similar goals and face similar challenges. Learn how other donors are navigating their way to effective, satisfying community giving.

David and Sandy Perloff put passion for public education on a fast track

An engineer in Silicon Valley, David Perloff found himself on the winning end of a high tech merger a number of years ago. The couple decided they would use some of their earnings to create a charitable fund.  The Perloff Family Foundation was the result.  “We both got incredible benefits from public education,” says David's wife Sandy, “and we wanted to return the favor.”

From the Trenches: A Philanthropic Experience Following Katrina

At 11 p.m. on September 7, 2005, just as I was shutting down my computer, an e-mail arrived asking whether I would be willing to go to Louisiana to help create a foundation to receive and distribute private funds for disaster relief. 

Nine days after Hurricane Katrina had hit, and with flood waters still inundating New Orleans, the Kennedy School of Government had been approached by the governor's office to send a team to join with philanthropic professionals from around the nation to plan the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation.  I jumped at the opportunity to be helpful. 

Over the next day and a half, I found it difficult enough to get confirmation of our participation, clear schedules, and coordinate flights with other Kennedy School members (Baton Rouge via Detroit), let alone gather good information from Louisiana about the particulars of our assignment and the situation on the ground. 

I packed a pillow in case I ended up sleeping on the floor of a shelter.  One of my peers brought iodine tablets for purifying non-potable water.

The Gulf Coast: Lessons on Community Building and Re-building

Hurricanes and subsequent levy breaks and flooding devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005.  This natural and man-made disaster was particularly destructive in low-income communities.  Years later, communities continue to re-build and engage all residents in envisioning a new future for the region.  Donors like you, from the Gulf Coast region and around the country, have made a real difference in shaping a brighter, more equitable future for the Gulf Coast.  Along the way, lessons have been learned which can help instruct community building efforts all over the United States.

Donor passions and diverse board enrich Douty Foundation giving

Having lived through turbulent times of social crisis and change, Alfred and Mary Douty found themselves transformed.  In 1968, these personal experiences inspired them to found The Douty Foundation and to focus their giving in disadvantaged communities.  With no children, the couple saw their giving as a way of carrying on their commitments to justice and opportunity for low-income communities.  Despite some trepidation, they opted to serve those who struggled most in Greater Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

Melville Charitable Trust sees giving as venture capital

Charged by his dying mother to discover a mission for the fledgling Melville Charitable Trust, Frank Melville agreed, with one stipulation: he wasn't interested in supporting “horse shows and bad art.” With little background in philanthropy, Mr. Melville wondered how his small family foundation could truly have an impact in his community.

To Bill Zimmerman, giving is both professonal and personal priority

Bill Zimmerman's family instilled in him from a young age that giving back to one's community is a critical part of keeping one's self and one's community strong.  Today, as a resident of Peaks Island, Maine, and a principal owner of a successful computer technology business, Zimmerman puts this value into practice.  When a senior housing project came to his attention, Zimmerman relied upon his trust in the project's leaders and responded to his community's resourcefulness and "logic."

Wilson Foundation's Future Builds Upon Bold Past

Having transformed his father's small photographic paper company into the international corporation Xerox, Joe Wilson earned a reputation in Rochester, NY, as a thoughtful leader known for meeting challenges head-on. Since 1963, the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation has embodied Joe Wilson's vision and spirit. 

As a new generation of Wilsons emerged, the foundation found itself poised for new challenges and change. Recently, the Wilson Foundation revisited its goals and the role it hopes to have in Rochester's future.

Wilson Foundation chooses strategy with lasting impact

Having shepherded his father's company from a small photographic paper manufacturer to the international corporation Xerox, Joe Wilson knew how to turn vision into reality.  Together with his wife, Peggy, Joe Wilson started the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation to make a difference in the lives of struggling families in Rochester, New York.

Wilson Foundation makes lasting impact

In 1984, the Wilson Foundation took the greatest risk in its 20-year history by initiating Wilson Commencement Park with grants of $2 million – 20% of its total endowment. 

A multidimensional housing facility, Wilson Commencement Park provides long-term shelter and services to low-income, single-parent families in Rochester, NY. 

Butler Family Fund Brings Attention, Success to New Housing Strategy

In 1999, the Butler Family Fund awarded a $20,000 grant to the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH) to help launch Housing L.A., an advocacy campaign to create an affordable housing trust fund in the city of Los Angeles. 

At the time, a housing trust fund was an untested idea in Los Angeles.