Direct Charitable Activities 2019 - 2020

Background on these activities:
Beginning in 2003, the Foundation’s board of directors decided to invest more than just dollars into the four target counties in southern Oregon to support its regional Vision: Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Curry counties are home to successful youth and individuals, thriving families and communities as demonstrated by:

Community Specific Goals:

‣ Leverage resources to bring attention to community health & vitalization opportunities.
‣ Create opportunities for new thinking and innovative approaches on community issues.
‣ Partner with public and private funders for learning and achieving greater impact on community and regional issues.
‣ Act as a convener to surface underlying cause of community issues and the opportunity for creative resolution.

Expenses to promote and carry out these goals are outside the cash grants allocated each year and are recorded and recognized as part of the foundation’s administrative budget in 990 PF form as Direct Charitable Activities. (In-Depth Report - www.gordonelwoodfoundation.org)

Activity One

In-kind support covering office space, utilities, offices machines, office supplies and conference room for two non-profit 501c3 tenants and their associated projects:

See webpages for specific goals/outcomes of the tenants:
Jackson County
SMART www.getsmartoregon.org
Jefferson Regional Health Alliance www.jeffersonregionalhealthalliance.org
Space Lease Support projected expense/value: $37,557

Activity Two

Community and leadership development provided by Foundation staff and/or consultants and volunteers to convene, coach, facilitate, train, transcribe, act as thinking partner and leverage opportunities to positively impact youth, individuals, families, organizations and communities in alignment with foundation vision and goals in four counties.
Program Support cost/value: $216,647.79

The Fundraising School Certification in Principles and Techniques of Fundraising:
Foundation recruited, coordinated, and financed 25 nonprofit leaders from four southern Oregon counties, 21 different community based organizations to attend March 2020 four day intensive by Indiana University’s Fundraising School. COVID lockdown came one week prior to training launch. Training postponed and rescheduled for October 2020.

Regional Leadership Development:
Foundation invested in Adaptive Community Leadership cohort to continue practice sessions using the tools and strategies from the 2017 training based on schedules in-person & online.

Continued scholarships to individual leaders identified from foundation service region from community-based organizations for a year-long Advanced Leadership Program with Sustainable Leadership Institute & Centerpoint.

Specific Community Initiatives

Jefferson e Funders Forum (JeFF)

www.jeffersonfundersforum.org

Jefferson Funders Forum brings together public and private philanthropic leadership to share information, perspectives and experiences; cooperatively explore and leverage resources to positively impact communities in southern Oregon.

March 2020 COVID suppression in Oregon pivoted this learning community into ZOOM technology and connected participants every other week through August on issues of basic needs, domestic violence, broadband access, K-12 education and regional economic realities.

Southern Oregon Success: A Preconception - 24 Years Collective Impact Initiative

www.southernoregonsuccess.org

Weaves together the talent, expertise and resources of the entire community to promote the well-being, academic success for our children, youth and families. A two-county initiative:

Foundation recommended and supported costs for a consulting team to work with the regional leadership team to re-envision the working framework and goals.

Jefferson Regional Health Alliance

www.jeffersonregionalhealthalliance.org

Jefferson Regional Health Alliance is a collaboration of regional community leaders from all sectors acting in a leadership role to improve the health and health care resources of southern Oregonians.
JRHA leadership serves as a platform for collaboration in order to improve health and health care resources for the region. JRHA’s many activities and far reaching initiatives promote improvements in the health and health care resources for southern Oregon's and northern California's eight counties, which is home to approximately 515,000 people.

2019-2020 focused on implementing the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) a two-county endeavor to improve health and well-being using a community led Social Determinants Framework. Focus was also on COVID response and prevention.

The Urban Medford Bear Creek Greenway Corridor Team

www.bearcreekstewards.org

“A collaboration of businesses and organizations to promote a thriving urban Medford Bear Creek Greenway corridor through the convergence of art, environmental stewardship and recreation.”
Continued to expand community involvement in the fall & spring voluntary Bear Creek Cleanup events. Spring disruption due to COVID lockdown, but multiple smaller events were set up to continue the cleanup.

Rogue Valley Food System Network

https://rvfoodsystem.org

Brings together businesses, nonprofit organizations, government entities, farmers, and passionate community members to improve the food environment in our region.
2019-20 foundation invested in a Resource Assistance for Rural Environments Americorp position to provide capacity support to the Network for eleven months. COVID disrupted that position in March 2020, seven months into the eleven months.

Activity Three

Cash support for expenses related to organizations and projects listed in Activity 1 & 2

Expenses include: Supporting meeting expenses with community leaders and groups of leaders; as well as speakers, educational and research fees. Provide scholarships for selected project leaders or grantees to attend trainings and seminars

Support cost/value: $6,379.48