Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) is committed to conversations about racial equity that build connections and move us forward with enhanced insights and shared purpose. To help advance that imperative goal, GCF will offer a series of community-wide equity education events, conducted by the Racial Equity Institute (REI), to focus on understanding and addressing the root causes of racism.

Driving impact with our investments that measurably improves our world is a strong objective for many of us, but it can also feel like a daunting goal. There’s also the perception that a choice must be made between doing good and doing well — between philanthropy and investment. The growing revolution of social impact investing is countering that viewpoint rather dramatically, and it’s being driven in part by the increasing financial power of women and millennial investors.

For four dazzling nights in 2017, more than a million people from our region came together for BLINK®. We soaked up the brilliant, visual extravaganza that shimmered across more than 20 of Cincinnati’s urban blocks. It wasn’t just a static display. The shared moment of art and light was integral to its phenomenal appeal.

The Women’s Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation created its signature event “A Conversation With …” in 2012 as a forum for a female history maker to share her journey, including triumphs and obstacles, in an intimate setting. Those history makers, in previous years, have included Dr. Mae Jemison, Abby Wambach, Cokie Roberts, Lisa Ling, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Phyllis S. Sewell and Marian Spencer.

“In our efforts toward a more equitable community for all, we know that where people work and where they live are fundamental. Through our investments, leadership, convenings, advocacy, education and awareness building, GCF is committed to advancing equity in housing as a critical step to insuring that everyone has an opportunity to thrive in our community.” — Harold Brown, GCF Vice President, Community Strategies

“Philanthropies that have come to recognize the roles of race and ethnicity are using research to become better informed about their role in social and economic disparities. These organizations are actively building into their lexicons and strategies an emphasis on historical inequality, racial equity and racial justice in their grantmaking, programs and services.” — Giving Black: Cincinnati report, December 2018

Volunteer to take a seat at the grantmaking table

Robert Killins Jr., Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s Director, Special Initiatives, is a native of Oakdale, LA, and has a bachelor’s degree in French from Grambling State University. He and his wife, parents of two daughters and a son, live in the West End.

Strategic collaboration strengthens results, as proven by a recent federal grant awarded to the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation’s Entrepreneurship Council (NKYEC).

“My dream is to find individuals who take financial resources and convert them into changing the world in the most positive ways.” — Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen

Challenges of day-to-day living, at times, can feel like performing a high-wire act without a net. Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s (GCF) annual Providing a Safety Net grants provide a cushion to our neighbors experiencing difficult circumstances, helping them to regain their balance and move forward.

The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) has granted its 2019 awards to two regional arts organizations, Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Revolution Dance Theatre.

Chief Financial Officer Will Woodward is a two-time graduate of Miami University, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA in finance. A Cincinnati native, he lives in Loveland with his wife and three young children.

After a competitive application process, the Scripps Howard Foundation has announced the 10 local nonprofits that have been named semi-finalists for a $100,000 grant to support childhood literacy initiatives in impoverished neighborhoods within the tri-state.

Black History Month events amplify a rich legacy