Direct Charitable Activities (Community Building Strategic Activities) 2021 – 2022
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.
- ‣ Youth and individuals thrive in school and in life.
- ‣ Individuals and families live independently and interdependently with dignity and respect.
- ‣ Communities evolve as the situation of the people who live, work and play in these communities change over time.
- ‣ Youth, individuals, families and the organizations that serve them are connected-creating a unique and sustainable community fabric.
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.
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: $24,408
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: $224,998.09
Foundation financed 1 nonprofit staff member to attend a four-day intensive by Indiana University’s Fundraising School. Spring 2022
Regional Leadership Development:
Foundation continued investment in Adaptive Community Leadership cohort to continue practice sessions using the tools and strategies from the 2017 training based on schedules in-person & online. Sessions in July 2021 & June 2022.
Provided scholarships to seven individual leaders identified from the foundation service region for a year-long Advanced Leadership Program with Sustainable Leadership Institute & CenterPoint.
Grantsmanship Center – Federal Grant writing training:
Foundation recruited and sponsored tuition for local grant writer and consultant to grow regional federal grant writing capacity among independent grant writers and consultants.
Specific Community Initiatives
Jefferson e Funders Forum (JeFF)
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.
September 2020 Wildfires subsequent to COVID response-related meetings, pivoted this learning community in November to meet with an expanded number of participants including State program leadership and FEMA disaster leadership joined funders in learning how to respond and how to begin rebuilding communities hit by fall wildfires that displaced over 6,000 people from 2,600 housing units and additional businesses in the Rogue Valley.
Southern Oregon Success: A Preconception – 24 Years Collective Impact Initiative
Weaves together the talent, expertise and resources of the entire community to promote the well- being, academic success for our children, youth and families.
Foundation continues as interested stakeholder and thought partner in this collaborative project.
Jefferson Regional Health Alliance
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 are home to approximately 515,000 people.
www.jeffersonregionalhealthalliance.org
2021-22 CHA/CHIP responsibility moved to Jackson County with new OHA Public Health funding. The Healthcare workforce, Behavioral Health, and Housing are top issues that intersect with the CHIP and the post-pandemic and wildfire impacts. The Collaborative Manager retired after a five-month transition process. Collaborative moves to quarterly online meetings, monthly executive meetings and facilitates a one- on-one interview process with each of the JRHA members. A consultant is hired to provide board meeting support and Gordon Elwood Foundation provides in-kind bookkeeping, executive support, and website management in place of staff position.
The Bear Creek Stewards (formerly the Urban Medford Bear Creek Greenway Corridor Team)
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. Fall and Spring cleanup. Foundation Webmaster provides ongoing web site upgrading.
Rogue Valley Food System Network
Brings together businesses, nonprofit organizations, government entities, farmers, and passionate community members to improve the food environment in our region.
Reimagining and Rebuilding Rogue Valley
Initiated to involve multiple sectors interested in rebuilding a more disaster-resilient community. January 2021 kicked off the weekly convening of upwards of 50 people.
Mission adopted in March for first 90 days:
We expand the community circle of prosperity and resilience by reimagining, redesigning and rebuilding the Rogue Valley’s community, economy, and housing options.
6 GOALS:
- ‣ Reimagine & Recover the regional economy post-COVID & Fire Disasters in a way that we have a valley that works for everyone
- ‣ Reimagine & Rebuild the education pathways PreK-16
- ‣ Reimagine & Rebuild Public infrastructure
- ‣ Build a more equitable and inclusive community recognizing the diversity of backgrounds & perspectives
- ‣ Reimagine & Rebuild local and regional businesses post-COVID & Fire disasters
- ‣ Reimagine & Rebuild better affordable workforce & low-income housing that provides an array of options to build family stability
During 2022 efforts to merge the goals with the Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group.
Activity Three
Cash support for expenses related to organizations and projects listed in Activity one & two.
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: $16,007.51