Building a Strong Coalition to Serve Those in Need: Summit County Initiative

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Establishing a proactive grant-making foundation, Akron Community Foundation, partnered with Summit Food Policy Coalition to address food insecurity in Summit County. Strategic planning sessions identified key goals to promote healthy eating, support food entrepreneurs, develop public policies, and ensure year-round food access. Internal goal focused on organizational stability for successful implementation.

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Building a Strong Coalition to Serve Those in Need in Summit County September 24, 2018

Presenters John Garofalo, VP of Community Investment, Akron Community Foundation Beth Knorr, Director, Summit Food Coalition

Foundation was established in 1955 with a 1 million dollar bequest from one of Akron s well known philanthropists Currently, $225 million in assets 600+ funds Since its inception, over $150 million reinvested back into the community Focus of our 4 board discretionary, reactive grant making priorities: Education Health and Human Services Arts and Culture Civic Engagement and Enhancement Our desire was to become more of a proactive grant maker

2015: Creating Measurable Community Impact Identified 5 key issues impacting our community: 1. 2. 3. 4. FOOD INSECURITY 5. The Aging Senior Population Employment Early Childhood Poverty Transportation

ACFs commitment to addressing Food Insecurity Partnered with Summit Food Policy Coalition Hired a consultant to organize a series of strategic planning sessions with experts in the community Over 60 individuals participated in the strategic planning sessions There already was a collaboration but at the time, each were working in individual silos

2015: Strategic Planning Sessions Identified opportunities for collaboration around four strategic goals: Creating a culture of healthy eating Supporting the development of a system of food entrepreneurs Establishing public policies that support healthy local food, sustainable land use, and neighborhood and economic development Creating year-round, affordable access to nutritious food for every resident

And a fifth, internal goal Ensuring the organization s ability to implement the strategic plan and provide both leadership and financial stability to the group, something the community foundation saw as key to its success.

ACFs commitment to support the Summit Food Policy Coalitions Once priorities were identified, Akron Community Foundation committed over $150,000 over a three year period (plus assisted in raising additional dollars needed) for the implementation of the strategic plan

Impact on Coalition Work Director position Internal development Re-strategizing Pulling partners together Future funding plans

Director Position Enables functioning of the collaborative Understand expectations will shift Networking

How will you engage your partners? What is the structure for the organization? Critical for tackling the mission of the organization. Internal Development

Restrategizing Revisiting the goals and objectives Developing a clear work plan Focus on relationship development Collaboratively building the framework for a just, sustainable, and vibrant local food system

Pulling partners together Restrategizing enabled us to have clearer options for partner engagement Work plan provides focus without a loss of flexibility Strong relationships lead to work that benefits the community Access: Provide support to organizations and people seeking to increase access to nutritious and local food in our communities Advocacy: Advocate for policies that support access to nutritious local food, sustainable land use, and food as a means of economic development Education: Educate partners, stakeholders, and community members on emerging issues, opportunities, and active local work Entrepreneurship: Support local food entrepreneurs and encourage opportunities to aid in their success

Contracting with organizations who focus on development and communications has been key Work plans and strong partner engagement lead to stronger budgets and clearer opportunities for grants and individual support Future Fundraising Plans

What would we do differently? 01 02 03 Make director full time sooner Focus on internal development before making a big public splash Develop a fundraising plan beyond the first three years