Cleveland Community Wealth Collaborative

Program Overview

Collaborative Schedule

Participating Organizations

Contact Us

**The Cleveland Community Wealth Initiative was featured on Cleveland's 90.3 WCPN ideastream "Sound of Ideas" program airing Monday, June 30. The discussion focused on how more organizations are starting for-profit arms to fund their charitable ventures in light of recent changes within the United Way of Greater Cleveland's funding strategy. CWV Co-Managing Director Heather Peeler was a guest. LISTEN NOW.**

Program Overview
 

The Cleveland Community Wealth Collaborative is a 10-month business planning process that helps high-performing nonprofit organizations develop and grow social enterprises. Nonprofits selected to participate are engaged in a rigorous business planning process and gain access to tools, frameworks and business experts to help them launch a new business or expand an existing business. Collaborative participants build social enterprises while honing business skills, empowering them to have a lasting impact on their nonprofit organizations. 

The goal of the Collaborative is for all participants to complete a business plan and launch or grow a viable business. The revenue generated from the business provides the nonprofit organization with more independence in creating programs and services to fulfill its mission.

The Collaborative consists of monthly peer learning sessions and one-on-one consulting for management teams.

Peer Learning Sessions

Once a month, Collaborative participants gather for an interactive peer learning session.  Each session focuses on an important aspect of business planning, including:  market research, financial analysis, competitive analysis, pricing and capitalization. In addition, each session features a notable business expert who serves as a guest speaker, sharing his/her personal stories, successes, and challenges. 

Customized Consulting

Once a month, the Community Wealth Ventures consultants offer one-on-one consulting to participating venture management teams.  The customized sessions leverage the collective potential of the team to make sound business decisions.  The meetings are often working sessions whereby the consultants facilitate business strategy decision making, in addition to helping participants create data collection templates, analyze data, and edit sections of the business plan.

To assist Cleveland nonprofits in developing and growing social enterprises, the Cleveland Foundation, The William J and Dorothy K O'Neill Foundation, The Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust, and National City Community Development Corporation have partnered with the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University and Community Wealth Ventures to launch the Cleveland Community Wealth Collaborative.

Benefits of participation

Participating organizations benefit from intensive, customized assistance from experienced business consultants, which results in a focused business plan to guide the growth of the enterprise. Other benefits include: 

• Opportunity to engage with nationally recognized business leaders;
• Use of a proven methodology and tools for developing a social enterprise;
• Access to research support; and
• In-depth monthly interaction with peer organizations.

A survey of past Collaborative participants showed 83% felt that the Collaborative was valuable or extremely valuable to their organizations. Ninety-two percent would highly recommend Community Wealth Ventures to colleagues. 

 
Requirements of participating organizations

Participants are expected to make the development of a social enterprise an organizational priority and dedicate necessary staff time to support the project.  Participants are required to keep up with assignments and attend all peer learning and customized consulting sessions.

Additionally, organizations are required to pay a $7,500 participation fee to help cover the project’s costs. The majority of the project is funded by the funding partners listed above.

Previous Cleveland Community Wealth Collaborative participants

Community Wealth Ventures has operated two successful Community Wealth Collaboratives in Cleveland to date. Organization and venture information on our 2006-2007 participants can be found here.

Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Cleveland Community Wealth Collaborative here.
 

Collaborative Schedule
 

Participating Organizations

Community Wealth Ventures selected 6 nonprofits in Cleveland to participate in the Collaborative through a competitive application process. Participating organizations include:

Cleveland Botanical Garden

www.cbgarden.org  

Cleveland Botanical Garden’s mission is to cultivate enjoyment and knowledge of plants – their beauty, diversity, and support of the living world – so vibrant green communities in our region will flourish and sustain life.   

Venture: Ripe From Downtown™ retail sales product line (salsa and vinaigrette). 

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center

www.clevelandrapecrisis.org

The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is dedicated to serving survivors of sexual violence and those who support them with free comprehensive healing and advocacy services, and to creating social change in the community through education, training and activism. 

Venture: Sexual violence prevention and education training for professional audiences. 

Saint Martin de Porres High School

www.saintmartincleveland.org

Saint Martin de Porres provides a first rate, college preparatory, Catholic education for those students who have limited choice due to economic circumstances.

Venture: Corporate work study program for high school students matched to local businesses. 

The Gathering Place

www.touchedbycancer.org

The Gathering Place is a caring community that supports, educates and empowers individuals and families touched by cancer through programs and services provided free of charge.

Venture: Children's book to educate preschoolers about parents or grandparents who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio

www.voago.org

The Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those most in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. VOAGO faithfully cares for the most vulnerable members the community, including the frail elderly, people with disabilities, homeless families and individuals, veterans, and ex-offenders.  

Venture: The Veterans Workforce Training Program, which employs veterans in skilled assembly, packaging, and inspection jobs.

Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio

www.yaneo.org

Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio enriches the lives of children and promotes creative learning by uniting arts and education. 

Venture: Fee-for-service arts programs, including in-school performances, residencies, and workshops; out-of-school arts activities; and professional development programs for teachers and artists. 

Contact Us

Nicole Hanrahan
202.478.6566