#GivingTuesday™ is a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, charities, families, businesses and individuals around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Greater Toledo Community Foundation encourages northwest Ohio nonprofit organizations to participate in this global day of giving.

TOLEDO, OHIO, August 15, 2023 – Keith Burwell, president of Greater Toledo Community Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Nolan Thobe, accounting associate, to the Foundation team.

Nolan Thobe joined the Foundation in October 2022 as a Finance Intern and was recently offered full-time, employee status as the Foundation’s Accounting Associate. Nolan graduated from Bowling Green State University in May with a degree in advertising. He reports to Tammy Sprow, the Foundation’s Controller.  

Tammy Sprow, controller, shared “We are excited to welcome Nolan to the Finance team. He did an outstanding job as an intern over the last year. We’re excited to expand his role and bring him on full-time.”

JOB TITLE: Vice President, Philanthropic Services
DEPARTMENT: Philanthropic Services
SUPERVISOR: Executive Vice President of Operations and Special Projects

Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a community asset. The Foundation is a collection of funds established by donors interested in philanthropy and supporting the Toledo area. Currently, the assets of the Foundation are approximately $400 million, made up of over 1,000 funds. The Foundation is the largest grant maker in the Toledo area, granting $20 million per year.

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION
Provides assistance in matters related to development and donor services, including:

• Managing and overseeing the Foundation’s Philanthropic Services department;
• Providing primary responsibility for increasing and enhancing the Foundation’s development and donor services;
• Identifying potential donors and professional advisors for the purpose of attracting new funds to the Foundation;
• Working with prospective donors to establish funds through philanthropic advising;
• Planning/implementing programs, activities and services designed to develop and maintain good relationships with potential and current donors, affiliated community foundations and professional advisors

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervises the work of the Philanthropic Services staff in the areas related to development and donor services which includes but is not limited to:

• Identify, cultivate, solicit and close prospective donors, including individuals, families, businesses and private foundations, for the purpose of attracting new funds to the Foundation, including:
  • Coordinate suggestions for planned giving vehicles with prospects and their advisors in order to meet their estate, financial and charitable planning goals;
  • Execute presentation meetings at intermediary firms;
  • Build and maintain relationships with estate and financial planning professionals (attorneys, accountants, trust officers, financial planners, brokers, insurance agents and other advisors);
  • Maintain a high level of expertise regarding state and federal taxes, gift and estate giving methods and the legal aspects of charitable giving;
  • Develop, manage and administer the wills and bequests program;
  • Work with the Foundation’s prospective donors to draft fund agreements;
  • Develop and maintain prospect and donor portfolio from identification of prospect names to the actual solicitation of the gift.
• Maintain a portfolio of qualified prospective donors and manage Philanthropic Services staff to maintain their portfolio of qualified prospective donors and fundholders.
• Have responsibility for the department in raising, on average, $10 million per year and an additional $10 million in planned gifts.
• Work with the President, EVP and Development Committee to develop long-term funding opportunities that support the strategic plan.
• Coordinate professional advisor program.
• Manage the department’s move management process; i.e., moving donors through the various stages of giving, including prospective donors to fundholders to planned gifts.
• Manage the department’s services provided to the affiliated community foundations.
• Provide staff support to the President, EVP, Board and Development Committee regarding the Foundation's development activities.
• Work cooperatively with other staff to assist as needed with his or her responsibilities and to ensure a smooth and timely flow of support services within the Foundation.
• Establish a program of personal visits with past, present and future (Legacy) donors, including:
  • Design and present gift planning ideas for current and future funds;
  • Create and manage active donors through various stages of giving
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 5 years professional fundraising experience including cultivating, soliciting and closing prospective donors with record of 6-figure major gift history and successful planned gifts experience.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of state and federal taxes and gift and estate giving methods in regards to charitable giving.
• Knowledge of community foundations preferred but not required.
• Understanding of and commitment to the Foundation's goals and mission.
• Outstanding written and verbal skills. Must be able to develop interpersonal relationships with multiple constituents.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While this is mainly an office position, the ability to lift small boxes (letter stock, postcard stock, booklets) is required occasionally.

There will be some in-town travel required and occasional out-of-town travel for professional development opportunities.

To apply for this position, email your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Please include Vice President of Philanthropic Services in the subject line.

TOLEDO, OH – July 27, 2023 – The Board of Trustees of Greater Toledo Community Foundation recently approved $192,882 in grants from the David C. and Lura M. Lovell Foundation Designated Fund of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation (Lovell Fund) to six nonprofit organizations.

Grants from the Lovell Fund are made to nonprofit organizations whose programming seeks to reduce the stigma around living with and seeking services for a mental health issue.

Grants were made to:

• Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo – $25,000 was awarded to support case management services for participants enrolled in the Opportunity Kitchen culinary arts and life skills job-training program.
• Imagination Station – $13,243 was awarded to support a STEM-based learning experience for youth receiving services from the Zepf Center, designed to develop confidence, resiliency and team building skills.
• NAMI of Greater Toledo – $35,000 was awarded to support educational programming and support for families coping with the mental health diagnosis of a family member.
• Thomas M. Wernert Center – $50,000 was awarded to expand outreach and wellness programming for individuals with mental illness.
• Toledo Streets Workforce Development – $30,500 was awarded to support the case management and job skills training services for homeless individuals with a diagnosis of mental illness. 
• Unison Behavioral Health – $39,139 was awarded to support the Unison Supportive Services program that helps chronically homeless, severely mentally ill individuals obtain and retain housing.       

TOLEDO, OHIO, July 27, 2023 – The Board of Trustees of The Andersons Fund Supporting Organization of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $213,000 to 13 area nonprofit organizations.

Grants from The Andersons Fund Supporting Organization are considered once a year, and are awarded only to nonprofit, charitable organizations. Grants support organizations with programs in the areas of education, social services, physical and mental health, neighborhood and urban affairs, natural resources, and the arts. Priority consideration is given to requests related to capital projects. The annual deadline for receipt of proposals is April 15th. 

The following grants were awarded:

• American Red Cross of Western Lake Erie – $5,000 to purchase a new van for the blood services program.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo – $20,000 to upgrade the security system and renovate the entryway of the Homer Hanham Club.
• Catholic Charities – $15,000 to renovate the La Posada Family Shelter bathrooms.
• Courageous Community Services – $9,000 to install accessible walkways and a patio area around the camp fire pit.
• Cherry Street Mission Ministries – $25,000 to replace the windows at the Life Revitalization Center.
• Lott Industries – $25,000 to replace two roof top HVAC units.
• Mom’s House – $25,000 to support the Laurie's Place capital campaign.
• Open Door Ministry – $15,000 to replace the HVAC unit in Building One.
• Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center, Inc. – $10,000 to repair the ceiling and upgrade lighting of the “big meeting room.”
• St. Martin de Porres – $20,000 to install a key card entry security system in the Community Center buildings.
• Sunshine Foundation, Inc. – $9,000 to renovate the Vanderbilt community home.
• The Victory Center – $25,000 to replace the roof.
• Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts – TAPA – $10,000 to refurbish a used grand piano and purchase three dollies.

TOLEDO, OHIO, July 12, 2023 – Keith Burwell, president of Greater Toledo Community Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Tammy Sprow as the Foundation’s Controller. She will report to Kim Cryan, chief financial officer. Tammy started with the Foundation on July 5^th.

Tammy is a degreed accountant with 25 years of work in the construction, manufacturing and grocery industries. She brings a wealth of accounting and management experience to the Foundation, having started her professional career as an auditor with Ernst & Young, LLP and most recently as the CFO for Rupp Rosebrock, Inc., a privately-owned construction management company.

“Tammy has a passion for accounting, technology and process improvement. We are excited to have her join the Finance Team and help us continue to serve our donors and grantees at the highest level” says Kim.

Supporting Access for People with Autism
Sources disagree on the current prevalence of autism and disagree even more on what causes it. But one thing everyone involved with autism will tell you: more people than ever need support to manage the disorder — and that support is not easy to access.

“We’re seeing a tsunami of autism now,” said Dustin Watkins, Executive Director of Bittersweet Farms. “Some of this increase is due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the condition in the past — but it is also definitely increasing. Autism is a spectrum and families with people on the spectrum face all kinds of challenges, no matter where they are on that spectrum.”

But, thanks to the work of visionary leaders in the northwest Ohio autism community, the region affords youth and adults across this spectrum more support and connection than many U.S. cities its size, and those resources are growing. In this annual report, we showcase three innovating organizations that have received Greater Toledo Community Foundation support via family foundations, fundholder gifts and grants.

Bittersweet Farms
As understanding of autism grew throughout the 1970s, many area schools provided classroom education and other services for children whose autism required significant support. But when these children aged out of public education in their late teens, most faced a limited future with aging parents absent peer-group friends or meaningful work.

One special education teacher in Toledo Public Schools, Bettye Ruth Kay, dreamed of a better future for her students. In 1983, that dream became Bittersweet Farms.

Bittersweet’s focus on horticulture, animal care and creative arts reaps tangible benefits for program participants. “We could do more, but our workforce is the main limitation,” said Dustin, who joined Bittersweet’s support staff right out of college. “High behavioral needs require the highest grade of professional support because it is so much about rapport and relationships. It’s a real labor of passion — nobody gets into this kind of work because of the money. But we still have to be competitive to attract skilled professionals and offer quality programs that prospective employees recognize as making a difference.”

Charitable donations are what make those programs possible. “The lion’s share of our funding comes from Medicaid — about 80-85%,” said Dustin. “Gifts from supporters make the crucial difference in the quality of our programs. Many of our core initiatives have been funded by Greater Toledo Community Foundation grants and gifts from donor advised funds.”

Avenues for Autism
When Bob and Suzy Tyner’s first child began exhibiting developmental abnormalities in the early 1950s, autism wasn’t even a word yet, let alone a diagnosis. But the Tyners were an exceptional couple. They relentlessly pursued the limited resources available at that time to help their son live his best life — and they had a vision for other families like them.

“In the 1950s and 60s, they were carving new trails,” said Dave Tyner, Bob and Suzy’s youngest son. “Dad’s original idea was ‘I want a building where people could go to get what they need.’ Mom and Dad knew that if they just had some information, they could have made a huge difference with their own son, and having blazed those trails, they felt they could make a difference for others.”

Avenues’ executive director, Stacy Harper agrees. “No two situations are the same for families with autism, and everyone’s journey is different,” she said. “Avenues is a place where families can get help, in person or online, with navigating our many area resources to find those that best fit their needs. We also provide highly trained therapists who work with caregivers as well as those on the spectrum.”

Many such families have needs that aren’t paid for by Medicaid — so the Suzanne Tyner Autism Fund was created specifically to meet these needs. Stacy gave an example: “An area family had a child who could not tolerate the tactile stimulation of a shower. They didn’t have a bathtub and couldn’t afford to pay for one. A grant from this fund covered the cost of a tub and its installation, so the child could bathe comfortably.” In 2022, this fund provided roughly $45,000 to more than 30 families for medical and social services, therapies, sensory items, tuition, safety equipment and more.

Bob and Suzy have now passed, and their legacy is being maintained by Dave and Mary Jane, with Dave’s two sons now involved as well. “GTCF has been a huge factor in the growth of Avenues for Autism” said Dave, noting that because he and Mary Jane both live out of town, GTCF’s local business connections and guidance have been as important to them as GTCF’s management of the Tyner Foundation’s funds. He concluded: “In our early days, when it was mainly fundraising, our resources were a total pass-through. Now, as a supporting organization, our foundation can provide a certain amount in perpetuity to Avenues — and more than 90% of the money goes directly to families to pay for services or other needs.”

Valentine Theatre
Thanks to the efforts of Destination Toledo, The Ability Center and several area tourism attractions, Toledo is on its way to becoming a Certified Autism Destination city for families nationwide.

The Valentine Theatre is now among these attractions — but this wasn’t the initial goal of the Valentine staff when they began exploring autism-friendly programming for children.

Another essential key to an autism-friendly experience was high-quality training for [#] of their all-volunteer team of ushers. Suitable programming designed for youngsters with autism was another need. Jori explained how GTCF made both possible: “GTCF had a community builder grant in two amounts — $50,000 and $25,000. Our application for the smaller grant was approved and allowed us to pay for staff and volunteer training. It also covered resources for visitors like headsets and fidget toys and the programming itself, so we could avoid taking on a heavy financial risk as we implemented the program.”

Kelby added: “The national touring groups who present our children’s theatre were already offering sensory-friendly adaptations of their programs. So, even though there were modifications to the experience, all of our usual families came anyway — they didn’t feel like it wasn’t for them.”

GTCF-funded staff and volunteer training also earned the Valentine a Certified Autism CenterTM (CAC) designation. The certification is granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), and supports the effort to make Toledo the second autism-friendly destination city in the U.S.

But it’s the joy of children who’ve been introduced to the experience of live theatre of which the Valentine team is most proud.

“We had tons and tons of compliments!” said Kelby. “For our very first show, I stood where our usual will-call table was to distribute headsets and fidget toys, just letting people know what we were doing. People would say, ‘I have a friend whose child has autism — I’m going to let them know about this!’ Most families like this have never been able to take their child to live theatre for fear their child might be too disruptive or that they might be ‘shushed’ or made to feel uncomfortable. Our mission was to make the Valentine a warm and accommodating place for children with autism and their families to make memories together.”

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross observed that beautiful people “do not just happen” — their compassion and concern for others is often rooted in or informed by difficult personal experiences, which sometimes accompany their many blessings. This was certainly true for Craig and Cathy Sheets.

A tax accountant and partner at the Plante Moran accounting firm, Cathy was always a high achiever. “I was a straight-A student and couldn’t understand how some students struggled to grasp things,” she said. But her first child, Sara, taught her about those struggles: she was born on the autism spectrum with a low IQ. And then, not long after their second child, Rebecca, had begun elementary school, Cathy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“With the endowed fund, we contribute to the fund to build capital when our tax obligations are at their highest,” Cathy explained. “It enables us to support in perpetuity the kinds of causes that are important to us. It also enables us to bring our girls into our family philanthropy. GTCF provides the oversight and vetting that will make it easy for them to continue our intentions after we are gone.”

Craig and Cathy are looking forward to the time when their endowment will reap rewards for others. “Right now, our focus is on its funding, so we are not thinking about exactly what to fund — and we see that as another benefit of working with GTCF,” she noted. “When future need arises, the money will be there.”

The couple also values the Foundation’s local focus. “Even though I didn’t grow up in Toledo and we’ve since moved away, Toledo is where we raised our family. So, it was very important to me to have that tie,” said Cathy. “Toledo gave us a lot and it has a special place in our hearts.”

When Bob and Sue Savage met at a Catholic young adult convention at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, excitement was in the air in more ways than one.

“President Kennedy had come to address the meeting, and everyone was thrilled to see him,” said Sue. Bob was certainly pleased to see the president — but he was also there for other sights. “What do young guys like to do? Drink beers and look at the girls!” he chuckled. Sue had caught his eye, and before long, marriage was on the horizon.

Bob’s energetic leadership as a student at The University of Toledo had drawn the attention of local political leaders. By the time Bob and Sue met, although he was barely out of college, he had already been elected to his first term on Toledo city council. He served for three consecutive terms from 1963 to 1969 as Toledo’s youngest councilman and leading vote-getter. But in 1969, he declined to run again. Both his family and business were growing, along with Bob’s role in the community as a business leader — including a term of service on the board of the brand-new Toledo Community Foundation when it was launched in 1973.

Toledo, Ohio, June 27, 2023 — Greater Toledo Community Foundation (GTCF) has announced that it will be gifting four concerts to the community as a "Soundtrack to Summer.” This generous gift will bring the sounds of summer to Toledo and provide a great opportunity for people to come together and enjoy live music.

The concerts will be held at various locations throughout the city and will feature a diverse range of musical styles and genres. From jazz and blues to rock to country, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Three of the concerts will be free to attend, making them accessible to all community members.

The Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people of Toledo and the surrounding areas. It works to support a wide range of charitable causes and organizations, including those that focus on education, the environment, social services and the arts. This gift of four concerts is just one of the many ways that they are working to make a positive impact on the community.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer these concerts to the community," said Keith Burwell, President and CEO of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. "Music has the power to bring people together and create a sense of unity and joy. We hope these concerts will provide a much-needed opportunity for people to come together and enjoy some great music."

The concerts are part of a 12-month campaign called, “Fifty Years of Funding Futures,” which includes an entire 2023 calendar of community events and programs centered on honoring the past, celebrating the present and equipping future generations for continued community impact was also announced.

"We believe that by working together, we can make a real difference in the lives of the people in our community," said Burwell. "We are committed to supporting a wide range of initiatives that will help to improve the quality of life for everyone in Toledo and the surrounding areas."

The 2023 Soundtrack to Summer Includes:

July 1: The Commonheart

• Time: 7:30 p.m. with Downtown Toledo Fireworks at 10 p.m.
• Venue: Glass City Metropark, Event Lawn
• Tickets: No Reservations Required, FREE
• Details: Includes Firework Celebration by the City of Toledo

July 6: Toledo Jazz Orchestra

• Time: 6:30 p.m.
• Venue: Toledo Botanical Garden
• Tickets: No Reservation Required, FREE
• Details: Food trucks on site. Bring a chair/blanket.

July 15: The Grape Smugglers

• Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
• Venue: Ottawa Park
• Tickets: No Reservations Required, FREE
• Details: Amphitheater seating

July 21: Chris Janson

• Time: Entertainment begins at 5:00 p.m.
• Venue: Promenade Park
• Tickets: Available at Ticketmaster
• Details: Food trucks on site. Clear bag policy. Details

For more information, please visit 50YearsForToledo.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About “Fifty Years of Funding Futures”

“Fifty Years of Funding Futures” is the 50th-anniversary campaign for Greater Toledo Community Foundation (GTCF). Through its five decades of service, GTCF has been trusted to distribute more than $310 million in grants to Toledo area nonprofits and beyond. GTCF now holds more than 900 funds and approximately $435 million in assets with the goal of creating a better community for generations to come.

Through a yearlong campaign, GTCF’s “Fifty Years of Funding Futures” will deliver meaningful communications, events and programs centering on honoring the past, celebrating the present and equipping future generations for continued community impact. For more information, visit 50YearsForToledo.com.