annualreport
Introduction
Administration & Organization
Program Initiatives & Grant Activity
Grants Approved 2001
Grants Paid 2001
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2001 Annual Report

Board of Directors

Ashley W. Hodges
Michele W. Shutter
Katherine S. Weaver
H. Michael Weaver

Officers

H. Michael, Weaver Chairman and Vice President
Richard L. Moore, President
Ashley W. Hodges, Vice President
Michele W. Shutter, Vice President
Katherine S. Weaver, Vice President
William E. Stone, Treasurer/Assistant Secretary
Margaret B. Moore, Assistant Secretary
Hunter Hodges, Assistant Secretary

 

I. Introduction

During the last two years the level of activity and involvement of the Foundation in a number of programs and projects in the Greensboro area has intensified. While maintaining primary focal areas, as listed below, special emphasis was placed on two areas in 2001 - (1) initiating a special program focus on children and youth and (2) collaboration with other foundations to enhance the leadership and community development of the greater Greensboro area. These are both further described in the section on Program Initiatives and Grants.

Areas of focus are listed below; beyond these primary areas, the Foundation is open to considering a wide range of projects and programs that enhance life in greater Greensboro.

II. Administration and Organization

Foundation involvement in the Council on Foundations continued. Skip Moore served on the Family Foundation Conference planning committee in 2001 and as chair of the Committee for the 2002 Conference to be held in New Orleans in February, 2002. He was also invited to become a member of the Council’s Membership Committee for a term beginning in 2002.

 

Foundations in North Carolina, led by Tom Ross of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (Winston Salem) and Tony Pipa of the Warner Foundation (Durham) held exploratory talks about forming a statewide foundations group to enter into collaborative activity and to provide a networking base for those working in foundations. Skip Moore was asked to serve on an organizing committee for this effort. It is likely that a more formal organization will evolve during the 2002 program year.

 

The Board introduced a number of initiatives for consideration during the year that pertain to the organization and functioning of the Foundation. Among the topics under discussion included addition of outside directors to the Foundation Board, systems for involving a broader range of family members in Foundation activity, development of a systematic spending policy, reacting to and handling potential geographic dispersion of the family and continuing interest of future generations in the Foundation, what conditions might lead to the dissolution of the Foundation, and creation of an external investment committee. Each of these initiatives will be discussed and considered in future months, with no deadline for completion. However, steps were taken to create the Investment Committee which will become active in 2002.

 

A position description for the President was approved by the Board and a Conflict of Interest policy was also adopted.

A discretionary grant program was implemented that allows officers and directors of the Foundation to recommend grants up to $2,500 without Board approval. Grants recommended must fall within the guidelines and focus areas of interest.

 

 

III. Program Initiatives/Grant Activity

In 1999 the Board decided to emphasize the area of child care service and support in addition to its normal interest areas. Initially targeted toward issues of foster care and adoption, it was decided to broaden the program to the larger area of services for children and youth and to foster collaboration among nonprofit organizations that serve similar audiences and/or have similar program efforts.

A two-stage program was designed that sought proposals from two or more nonprofit organizations that desired to work in a collaborative arrangement. Rather than starting totally new programs that, in turn, develop funding and support needs of their own, the emphasis was placed on the extending the mutual services and operations of the partner organizations. For example, a nonprofit providing tutoring services might team with an organization specializing in after school care in a way that would better serve their common audience.

 

The first stage of the program was to invite teams of organizations to submit an initial plan for a "Design Phase." Nine projects were approved by the Board, in October, 2000, from a pool of nineteen proposals. These nine projects received up to $25,000 each to spend six months in the design of their final program proposals. The funds for this stage were to be used to search out best practices across the country; to engage consultants and facilitators to work with the member organizations in program design; and, to work out the administrative and operational aspects of the proposed program.

 

In July, 2001, the Board reviewed the nine proposals that were submitted for the "Program Phase." Of these, the Board originally planned to fund as many as three projects for a three year period. Each project could receive as much as $100,000 each year for the three-year period. Upon review, four projects were selected for implementation, as follows:

 

Adoption Alliance (Children’s Home Society with Family Service of the Piedmont): This project was designed to develop a seamless system blending foster care preparation, adoption counseling and services, and post-adoption counseling, services, and follow-up.

Bridges to Success (UNCG School of Education, UNCG Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Jackson Middle School, Center for Creative Leadership, and Reading Together): This project was designed to bring a series of independent programs and services at Jackson Middle School into a coordinated network with services designed for each child based on his/her needs.

Children’s Advocacy Center (Family Service of the Piedmont, Guilford County Social Services, Guilford County Health Department, Greensboro Police Department, and Guilford County District Attorney): This project was designed to develop a continuum of investigation, care, and prosecution (when appropriate) in instances of child abuse by creating a team that works through all aspects of a case.

 

Youth Partnering (Horsepower, Youth Focus, and One Step Further): This project was designed to expand the therapeutic horse programs of Horsepower to also serve behaviorally challenged youth in other agencies and to provide positive volunteer role models through the court diversion/youth sentencing programs of the County.

 

Investigation of program initiatives that might be undertaken to enhance community leadership activity led, in late 2000, to a collaboration with other area foundations, particularly the Bryan Foundation and the Cemala Foundation. McKinsey & Company, an internationally- known management consulting firm, was engaged to study Greensboro’s economic prospects for the ensuing five year period. The study derived from a perception that the traditional industries, particularly textiles, in Greensboro were undergoing substantial transformation that did not auger well for the future of the local economy. Three additional foundations -- Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, and the Moses Cone/Wesley Long Community Health Foundation -- joined the other three in underwriting the study.

 

Once completed, an initiative to share the results with the broader community was undertaken, leading to a number of citizens stepping forward to volunteer to "do something about the problems." While the original thought was to release the report to stimulate existing organizations and leadership to become involved, it became clear that the study effort should lead to involvement and action directly. Six task forces were formed, as follows:

 

  1. Economic development
  2. Small business development/entrepreneurism
  3. Supporting the Public Schools
  4. Attracting and retaining young professionals
  5. Improving the brand/image of Greensboro
  6. Improving and revitalizing the center city

The first two task forces were directly related to the question of the future of the local economy while the other four topical areas were identified by McKinsey through interviews with leaders of large corporations, venture capitalists, and successful small business owners as being critical to the larger economic health of the community in terms of recruiting and retaining an outstanding work force. As task force work proceeded, over 1,500 individuals from throughout the area volunteered to be involved. Numerous focus groups, meetings, and study sessions were held. In the fall of 2001, a series of public meetings were held to "roll out" the results of the work of the task forces.

 

Earlier that year, it was decided that the effort would be formalized. A nonprofit corporation, named Action Greensboro, was formed and a staff of two was engaged. This provided administrative support that had been previously carried out by the staff leadership of the three foundations. The six foundations that supported the McKinsey study agreed to fund the operating costs for up to five years although the goal is to implement as many of the recommendations as possible within the three year period 2002 - 2004. At that time, it should be possible to dissolve the Action Greensboro organization with local agencies and organizations assuming leadership for remaining tasks and goals.

 

 

 

 

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