The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) has granted its third annual arts funding awards, totaling $226,000, to three regional arts organizations: Cincinnati Opera, Q-Kidz and ish Festival.

Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) is excited to welcome six new staff members who will help us expand our capacity as a servant leader in Greater Cincinnati.

As your community foundation, we are on a mission to catalyze change that benefits our neighbors and region. We understand the systemic issues and the most critical challenges that need addressing in order to build a community where everyone can thrive. Through our Community Leadership grants, we are able to help drive these changes that create a better future for all. Racial equity is the overarching goal for this work and the following four recipients are our latest community leadership investments.

It may be December, but there is still plenty of time to give before 2020 ends. Below are three opportunities to consider as you plan your end-of-year generosity.

In a year largely defined by uncertainty, fear and glaring illustrations of racial injustice, Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) and the community’s generous donors and funders answered the call for support.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the way we meet to a halt. But it didn’t stop our conversations. The Women’s Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation is designing a community where every woman can participate, prosper and reach her full potential. To help continue this work in a virtual world, the Women’s Fund created the Tomorrowland Townhall.

Imagine a typical family. Linda and Alan raised a glass to toast the New Year, excited for a new decade. Linda was secure in her job as a Home Health Aide and Alan had an exciting new job as Head Cook at a local restaurant. Their children were soon to begin the second half of first and third grades. They had a small savings account and felt secure in their future. As a family of color from humble beginnings, they were proud of the hurdles they had overcome.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many things, but it hasn’t changed the spirit of generosity. As we head into what is typically considered the giving season, you may be planning your year-end giving. However, after months of unparalleled uncertainty and market volatility, you also may be wondering how to get started.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Greater Cincinnati’s arts scene as it reels from forced closures and capacity limitations. ArtsWave, a funder and supporter of local arts projects and organizations, estimated that more than $30 million in earned revenue would be lost by the end of summer. Hundreds of arts industry employees have lost their jobs, endured furloughs and suffered pay cuts.

Our most vulnerable neighbors continue to experience the devastating impact of racial injustice while being disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not only our duty to help, we are called to lead.

While aspiring entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities often hear the word “no,” MORTAR tells them, “yes.”

Many people believe that our systems are broken, that our neighbors fall behind because of flaws in our institutions. But that’s not true. The systems aren’t broken. They’re working exactly as they were meant to, and that’s the problem.

Shelly Espich, technology director, is a Cincinnati-area native (but lived in Las Vegas and Dallas at different points in her youth) and graduate of Northern Kentucky University. She lives in Villa Hills, Kentucky, and has four children and four grandchildren.

We previously shared with you LISC’s Housing Our Future report, the culmination of a year-long collaboration between public, private and nonprofit leaders, for which Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) was a partner, convener and funder. It outlines strategies to help everyone in Cincinnati and Hamilton County have access to quality affordable housing in the places they want to live.

Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) is a proud sponsor of Black & Brown Faces, a new exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum running October 23, 2020 – January 3, 2021 that features 10 Black regional artists’ portrayal of facial expressions of people of color during the extremes of 2020. Emphasizing mental health and wellness, the exhibit is intended to promote dialogue and advocacy and inspire hope.