Collaborative Philanthropy, the second Conversation in Philanthropy this spring, will take place on Thursday, March 24, and will address on how philanthropic organizations work together to accomplish big-picture change, using three examples from foundations in the Cleveland area.
The event is at 4:30 to 6:00pm at the Mandel Community Studies Center Room #115 at 11402 Bellflower Road on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Attendees can register to attend in person or to watch via live-stream online. Free and open to the public, it includes a post-conversation reception. Social work CEUs are available for in-person attendees ($10 for 1.5 hours for alumni; $25 for non-alumni) and professional development hours are offered for Mandel School students.
Conversations in Philanthropy are part of the Mandel School’s Centennial Speaker Series and are presented by the school’s Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) program. They are supported by the Gail and Elliott Schlang Philanthropic Fund, a donor-advised fund of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
To register to attend, go to: msass.case.edu/Centennial
Collaborative Philanthropy will be moderated by MNO Program Director Robert L. Fischer, PhD, and will feature three speakers:
Deborah Vesy, President and CEO of Deaconess Community Foundation’s Human Services Restructuring Pilot: At the Deaconness Community Foundation, Deborah Vesy provides resources to individuals in Cuyahoga County who lack resources to maintain employment. She has held many positions during her impressive career, including vice president/general manager of a $10 million business and president of housing facilities for low-income elderly. She serves on the board of directors of Philanthropy Ohio, the President’s Visiting Committee of Case Western Reserve University, and the Executive Committee of the Fund For Our Economic Future, among other endeavors.
Brian Frederick, MSW, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Lorain County and Chair of the Fund for Our Economic Future: In 1998, Brian Frederick became President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Lorain County. He promotes economic competitiveness in Northeast Ohio as Chair of the Fund for Our Economic Future. He is also an Advisory Board member of the Cleveland office of the Foundation Center, a faculty member at the Center for Community Foundation Excellence, and Board Chair of the Midwest Community Foundation Ventures. Among his many accomplishments, Brain received the 2013 Ohio Philanthropy Award and the 2014 Eric Nord Award for Excellence in Leadership.
India Pierce Lee, MSSA 2005, Program Director of The Cleveland Foundation-Greater University Circle Initiative: Alumna India Pierce Lee, MSSA, is the Program Director at the Cleveland Foundation and oversees the Greater University Circle Initiative, an effort to revitalize Cleveland communities. Prior to this, India was Senior Vice President of Programs at Neighborhood Progress Inc., Senior Program Director at NE Ohio Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Director of the Empowerment Zone, and Executive Director of Mt. Pleasant NOW Development Corp. Recipient of the Mandel School’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2014, she has been recognized for outstanding service to Cleveland on many occasions and was named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business “Women of Note” in 2011.