the gifford foundation marketing piece 2015 2016

www.giffordfoundation.org

As an independent private foundation with a visionary board, the Gifford Foundation is uniquely positioned as an innovating presence in Central New York. Through our initiatives, grantmaking and community engagement we direct our support in an intentionally transformative and flexible manner. It is our fundamental belief that change at the individual or organizational level holds the potential to institute change at broader community levels.

We facilitate this change through • community grants, mini-grants and a leadership award• transformative capacity building initiatives• significant commitment of staff to community engagement • trainings, workshops and convenings • partnerships and collaborations

Fostering growth. Encouraging change.

The Gifford Foundation100 Clinton Square126 North Salina Street, 3rd FloorSyracuse, New York 13202Office: 315.474.2489Fax: 315.475.4983

Visit us at:www.giffordfoundation.org

Rosamond Gifford was born in 1873, the daughter of Syracuse’s district attorney. After a brief unhappy marriage she took back the Gifford name and moved to Boston to study and teach the harp. She returned to Syracuse permanently in 1913 to care for her father in his fading years. In 1929 she moved to a farm on Oneida Lake, spending her remaining years in relative seclusion and only occasionally coming to Syracuse to visit her advisors.

It was these gentlemen who helped Rosamond establish a private foundation endowed upon her death in 1953: the Rosamond Gifford Charitable Corporation, now commonly known as The Gifford Foundation. Rosamond’s will contained no specific instructions as to grantmaking goals, identifying “religious, educational, scientific, charitable or benevolent uses.”

Rosamond Gifford’s willingness to be general rather than specific has given great flexibility to the board of trustees. The original $5 million bequest has grown to its 2015 level of approximately $20 million. Since its inception in 1954 the Foundation has awarded over $43 million in grants to nonprofits in Onondaga, Oswego and Madison Counties.

History

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Michele Lynch Office Coordinator

Sheena Solomon Director of Neighborhood Initiatives

Dirk Sonneborn Executive Director

Lindsay McClung Director of Community Grantmaking

Heidi Holtz Director of Research and Projects

Megan Wagner-Flynn Grants Manager/Program Associate

About Us


Our Staff

Volunteering at Home HeadQuarters Block Blitz

Board of Trustees as of January 1, 2016

Ben Walsh, President City of Syracuse

Jaime Alicea, Vice President Syracuse City School District

Eric Allyn, Treasurer Business Owner and Advisor

Merike Treier, Secretary Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc.

Front row left to right: Joseph Charles, Gwyn Mannion, Larry Bousquet, Merike Treier, Vincent Love.

Back row left to right: Catherine Richardson, Jaime Alicea, Kathy O’Connell (through 2015), Cynthia Morrow, Carrie Mae Weems, Suntrana Allen, Eric Allyn, Ben Walsh, Michael Feng.

Not pictured: Ronald Tascarella.

Suntrana Allen 754 Barbershop & 754 Media

Laurence G. Bousquet Bousquet Holstein PLLC

Joseph L. Charles Fust Charles Chambers LLP

Michael Feng Progressive Expert Consulting, Inc.

Vincent B. Love North Syracuse Central School District

Gwyn Mannion Marquardt Switches

Cynthia B. Morrow, MD, MPH Syracuse University

M. Catherine Richardson Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC

Ronald Tascarella Pathfinder Bank

Carrie Mae Weems Artist

Community Grantmaking


Each grant award is much more than writing a check - it is a story with a beginning, middle and end. With Finger Lakes Land Trust, it all began one rainy morning when their staff visited us to discuss not only a new website but their thoughtful work plan. We invited a proposal and awarded a $10,000 grant towards a communications consultant and web design process. For us, building capacity by increasing efficiencies and better meeting the needs of the community is right in our wheelhouse.

On to the next chapter of the story, where the Land Trust continued working with their consultant to design and implement a detailed communications strategy and web redesign. Their award-winning website now fits into a larger process involving social media, e-newsletters, an interactive map and helpful infographics.

As with all grants, the story ends with change and renewal. The Land Trust tells us of Suzanne, who having just moved to the Finger Lakes area googled “Ithaca environment organization.” Up pops the website and the easy to use online volunteer form. Soon Suzanne was attending a volunteer work day at the Roy H. Park Preserve. She joins increased numbers of web visitors, newsletter subscribers, volunteers and partnering landowners who are now engaging more significantly with the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

Finger Lakes Land Trust

Community Grantmaking

Grantmaking is traditionally reactive, but in line with our belief in community engagement we emphasize a personal approach, where we discuss with organizations their potential project or program before deciding on next steps. A primary goal of this conversation is to also understand each organization’s total capacity. We believe that organizations do their best work, and serve community members in the most effective way, when they are strong and durable. The Foundation continues its commitment to capacity building and community growth through grants awarded to nonprofit organizations in the following four areas of focus:

• Enabling organizations to become more efficient;

• Developing or strengthening programs that align with community needs or build on community plans or aspirations;

• Engaging and developing board capacity;

• Diversifying revenue streams.

For example…

• A grant of $10,000 to custom-modify software at CNY Fair Housing enabled stronger efficiencies in case management and interventions.

• Consultant support of $8,000 helped the Volunteer Lawyers Project identify strategic pathways and strengthen their board.

• A $12,000 grant to Mercy Works expanded the Synergy Program, an intensive seven-week professional development program for youth.

• The $20,000 provided to the Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) will diversify their revenue through increased earned income from a newly renovated gift shop.

We look forward to hearing more about our community nonprofits. Organizations seeking grants or wishing to explore possible projects should register through our online grants management system and submit a Letter of Inquiry, after which they will be contacted by program staff. Eligible organizations have 501(c)3 status or a fiscal agent with such status and operate primarily in Onondaga, Madison and/or Oswego Counties. We will extend guidelines if the organization is invited to apply.

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/grantmaking

WorkTrain

Deandre Crouch was nervous. As much as he liked Biddy Basketball, which he’d been playing since he was 8, he preferred hanging back and being part of the team. But his coach was encouraging him to participate in the Three-Point Shootout, one of the skill contests at their championship tournament. “Just give it a try,” Coach said. So Deandre did.

The first shot – and “swish,” it’s in. More tries, more baskets made. The whole gym grew silent as Deandre beat competitor after competitor, sinking shot after shot. He missed the ultimate win by only one point.

Deandre, and the many other youth aged 5-12 who, with their families, participate in Biddy Basketball at East Fayette Boys & Girls Club, are the main reasons we supported this basketball youth development program with two “What if…” mini grants. Our Resident Review Committee in particular liked the amount of parent involvement and leadership opportunities for youth.

“What if...” Mini Grants

www.giffordfoundation.orgBiddy Basketball

“What if...” Mini Grants

The “What if…” mini grant program started in 2011 as an outgrowth of the Foundation’s longtime initiatives working on the grassroots level in Syracuse neighborhoods. “What if…” is designed to foster growth in neighborhoods, strengthen the capacity of Syracuse residents who seek to make positive changes in their neighborhood and increase community participation, awareness and partnerships.

Since we encourage inclusion of diverse populations in decisions that affect their community, projects must be neighborhood/community based and initiated or implemented by residents, grassroots organizations or neighborhood stakeholders. “What if…” grants are given for projects with a total budget of $5,000 or less for neighborhoods within the City of Syracuse. The average grant size is $3,193.

We will review proposals for:

• Projects that create a clean, safe physical environment, promote sustainability, and protect the natural environment such as gardens, neighborhood clean-ups, tree planting, etc.

• Projects that create opportunities for learning and skill development such as workshops, trainings, afterschool programs, etc.

• Projects that preserve a strong local, cultural and spiritual heritage such as celebrations, art projects/programs, street festivals, etc.

• Projects that are supportive of individual and family well-being such as food programs, neighborhood watch programs, youth employment, etc.

One of the keystones of the “What if…” mini grant program is community involvement, so previous recipients of these small, grassroots grants are invited to serve on a Resident Review Committee to review, advise and play a role in evaluating “What if…” proposals.

In order to receive application guidelines you must attend an orientation session. Registration is available through the website.

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/whatif

The Talent Agency

ADVANS – Advancing and Developing the Value and Assets of Nonprofits in Syracuse


ADVANS organizations (2007-2017)

One Year Program • Cazenovia Area Community Development Association• Dunbar Association• Farnham Family Services• Hiscock Legal Aid Society• Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation• McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center• Red House Arts Center• SAGE/Upstate

Two Year Program• ACR Health• ARISE Child and Family Services• Child Care Solutions• E. John Gavras Center• Everson Museum of Art• Learning Disabilities Association of CNY• Onondaga Community Living• Oswego County Opportunities• Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility (Southwest Community Center)• Syracuse Northeast Community Center• Toomey Residential and Community Services

Three Year Program• Arc of Onondaga• Baltimore Woods Nature Center• Community Action Partnership for Madison County• Cooperative Federal Credit Union• Home HeadQuarters• Interfaith Works of CNY• Huntington Family Center• LiteracyCNY• Samaritan Center• Spanish Action League (La Liga)

Community Action Partnership for Madison County

ADVANS

“We were able to transform our entire agencythrough the ADVANS process. We revamped ourboard and our infrastructure and we createdmarketing materials. It has helped us to takeour agency to the next level and has been aphenomenal experience for us.” – Julie Dale, Executive Director of Community Action Partnership for Madison County

In an effort to build more sustainable and long-term ways to support nonprofits in our community, in 2007 we initiated ADVANS, which stands for “Advancing and Developing the Value and Assets of Nonprofits in Syracuse.” It is based upon the work of Dr. Susan Kenny Stevens, whose book “Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity” shows the importance of growing strong, durable organizations.

The theory behind the Lifecycles approach is that all organizations go through developmental stages – those that have the most impact, and are sustainable in the long run, understand their developmental stage and consciously strive to progress in their development.

Participant organizations (by invite only) field teams of staff and board and work intensively with a Lifecycles trained consultant in assessing programs, governance, management, administrative systems and financial resources. Further support has ranged from short term consulting and capacity grants to

extended business planning with further consulting and capacity investments.

All the ADVANS organizations, as well as their consultants, form a learning community both within and across cohorts and participate in regular ADVANS celebrations. With over 150 leadership team participants now spread across Central New York, the influence of the initiative is also felt community-wide. We have seen a new set of strategic and operational expectations influence nonprofit management and governance thought processes and practices.

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/ADVANS

BY THE END OF 2017 OVER $3.3 MILLION TO 29 NONPROFITS

14 LOCAL CONSULTANTS TRAINED

OVER 150 NONPROFIT STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS PARTICIPATING

Workshops, Trainings and Convenings


New to the area, Gwen Gou wanted to learn about the community and volunteer leadership opportunities. A longtime resident, Denise Valdes had just joined her first nonprofit board and was feeling her way forward. Both these women, of different ages, backgrounds and professions, found their solutions through Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders.

The range of subjects in NTL met their divergent interests. Gwen, who participated in the inaugural class, came to know Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare at the closing networking event and joined their board last year. From NTL speakers and classmates she learned the important role a young minority woman can play on a board, how to be an ambassador for her organization and how to add value to SBH through questions and passion.

Denise Valdes cites, in particular, the training in financials, by-laws and conflict resolution. Denise had just joined the YWCA board when she learned about NTL. In the middle of the 8-week course she was asked if she would serve as president of the board. “I never would have considered it if it weren’t for NTL,” she notes. Denise is particularly proud of her ability to listen to differing opinions and ensuring all voices are respectfully heard, skills that she felt she didn’t have prior to NTL.

Syracuse Neighborhood Action Conference

Board Development Series – The goal of this multi-session workshop series is to assist emerging and evolving boards to maximize their knowledge and potential. Sessions address roles and responsibilities, group dynamics, advocacy, and diversity.

Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders – In order to increase inclusiveness and diversity on nonprofit boards, deepen the pool of trained board members and inspire potential leaders, we organize Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders. This multi-week course on leadership development through board service is taught by community leaders and developed with prominent local partners.

StoryGrowing Project – In partnership with several other grantmakers, we are exploring workshops and coaching opportunities to build the capacity of our community around the art of storytelling.

Facilitations and Convening - We regularly host, facilitate and convene groups on a variety of topics. Our staff address community issues and needs through service on advisory groups, task forces and steering committees. We organize and partner with the city of Syracuse and community residents on the Syracuse Neighborhood Action Conference, an opportunity for peer learning and training.

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/workshops

Workshops, Trainings and Convenings

With a talented staff as one of our greatest resources we are able to listen and regularly engage with grantseekers and members of the community, confer and partner with our counterparts at other funding organizations, and assist in facilitating or convening diverse voices. Listening teaches us a lot, especially if we pay attention to the patterns that emerge.

What do we hear? That board members are sometimes uncertain about their roles. That groups often want to align over shared interests, but need guidance. That there is a need for prepared and diverse voices in our nonprofit leadership. For all of these reasons we embrace trainings and convenings as key elements of our philanthropy.

Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders

The Kathy Goldfarb-Findling Leadership Award

Kathy Goldfarb-Findling

“To be honored in the name of the life’s work and passion of Kathy Goldfarb-Findling is humbling to say the least. Kathy was a fire storm for this community.” – Sharon Owens, 2015 Kathy recipient

The Kathy Goldfarb-Findling Leadership Award, jointly awarded with the Allyn Foundation, is presented to Central New York leaders who are creative, collaborative and embrace change. Named in honor of the late executive director of Gifford, who also served as director of strategic initiatives at Allyn, the award provides an honorarium for the recipient’s personal use – whether for professional development or personal growth opportunities. The only restriction is they may not redirect the funds back to their organization.

The “Kathy” was created in 2011 at the time of Ms. Goldfarb-Findling’s retirement from the Gifford Foundation to recognize her special approach to leadership: to be nimble and creative; to encourage lifelong learning; to embrace leaps of faith and not fear failure; to work “with” not do “for”; to fully engage in collaborative approaches and to at all times believe passionately in the power of change and personal growth.

Previous recipients:Randi Bregman, Vera House Mary Ellen Clausen, Ophelia’s Place Mary Beth Frey, Samaritan Center Michael Melara, Catholic Charities Sharon Owens, Southwest Community Center Kerry Quaglia, Home HeadQuarters

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/Kathy


POWER: People & Organizations with Energy & Resilience

Helping Hounds Dog Rescue


“As a result of identifying some real capacity challenges and then being offered the tools and financial support to work on these challenges we are a better run organization. You have fueled our enthusiasm and strengthened our resilience!” – Warren Pfohl, David’s Refuge

POWER (People & Organizations with Energy & Resilience) is designed for grassroots organizations with limited or no paid staff who often face challenges in growing their capacity. Recognizing this, we developed a program based upon the “Lifecycles” approach to capacity building.

Each organization forms a leadership team and works with a specially trained consultant to examine capacity and implement a work plan, followed by a small grant for a capacity building project. The organizations also participate in regular learning sessions for networking and knowledge sharing with their peers. Our initial participants were 100 Black Men of Syracuse, CNY Arts Center, David’s Refuge, Good Life Foundation and Helping Hounds Dog Rescue.

Learn more at www.giffordfoundation.org/POWER

the gifford foundation marketing piece 2015 2016

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