MANDEL CENTER FOR
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

On Friday, November 3rd, the Mandel Center honored the Mandel Family for their $6.75 million gift for the Mandel Center’s new building. Construction started in early August and the building is scheduled for completion in time to welcome the fall 2007 class.

A hardhat and silver shovel commemorate the Building Preview

The Mandel brothers pose with Mandel Foundation Representative Henry Goodman and Case Western Reserve University Interim President Greg Eastwood

The Mandel brothers pose with a rendering of the new Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations building

The Mandel brothers break ground

The Mandel brothers pose with a silver shovel

The Mandel Center hosted its Graduation Celebration on Sunday, May 21st to honor the 15 Master’s of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) graduates, 10 Certificate in Nonprofit Management (CNM) recipients, 16 dual degree graduates, and 8 Executive Doctor of Management (EDM) graduates for 2006. Please see the List of 2006 Graduates.

During the brief program, Susan Eagan, Executive Director and Mandel Center Professor, recognized the winners of the 2006 Mandel Center Graduation Awards.

Johanna Hess, MNO graduate, was this year’s Student of the Year Award recipient, which was presented on Friday, May 19th at the Weatherhead School of Management’s Dean’s Awards Reception. Johanna has a broad range of experience across a variety of nonprofit settings, including health and human services, youth and education programming, and museums. While enrolled as a full-time student in the MNO program, she applied her skills and knowledge in her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland. Johanna has been especially effective in linking theories learned in the classroom to practice – one of the hallmarks of the Mandel Center program. Among her accomplishments are raising over $100,000 in foundation grant funding and identifying more than two dozen new funding prospects for a local nonprofit organization. Johanna has recently assumed the position of Campaign Manager for Greater Cleveland Community Shares where she will direct and manage their annual workplace campaign. Criteria for the Student of the Year Award include: Demonstrated accomplishments within the nonprofit sector through lay or professional leadership; and Leadership ability within the context of the Mandel Center program that demonstrates commitment to and participation in a supportive learning environment.

Professor Robert Fischer was presented with the 2006 Mandel Center Teaching Award. Dr. Fischer is the Research Associate Professor for the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, where he conducts evaluation research and teaches evaluation methods to students in social science administration and nonprofit management. This year, the Teaching Award was presented at the Mandel Center’s Graduation Celebration. Criteria for the Teaching Award include: Creation of a dynamic, high impact learning environment within the classroom; demonstration of effective engaging teaching methods; encouragement and guidance toward life-long learning; and exceptional accessibility, assistance and guidance given to individual students in helping to resolve questions and problems.

Susan Eagan also recognized Johanna Hess and Katharine Johnson as the 2006 Dean’s Academic Achievement Award winners. This award is given by the Dean of the Weatherhead School of Management to recognize students who have the highest cumulative grade point average for their degree program at the Weatherhead School and the Mandel Center.

The Mandel Center thanks the faculty members and special guests who attended this year’s Celebration for helping to make it such a special and fun event. Congratulations to the 2006 graduates and award winners!

The Mandel Center would like to recognize those who have served the community through the AmeriCorps program by:

1. Waiving the $25 application fee, and

2. Providing scholarship for AmeriCorps alumni admitted to the full-time Master in Nonprofit Organizations degree program, in an amount up to twice the AmeriCorps educational benefit requested by the admitted student. This award cannot, however, exceed 35% of the applicable Mandel Center tuition rate in any given semester.

For more information, please see http://www.case.edu/mandelcenter/grad/finance/americorps/.

The Mandel Center’s Youth Philanthropy and Service (YPS) program held its 10th Annual Workshop on February 8th, 2006 at the Holiday Inn South in Independence, Ohio.

The YPS Annual Workshop provides K-12 teachers and administrators, youth development professionals, and K-12 youth with an opportunity to learn best practices and hear about local projects.

Highlights of the 2006 Annual Workshop include:

• 350 Attendees - 30% increase from previous high attendance
• Over half the attendees were K-12 youth
• 24 breakout sessions (including 13 with youth presenters)
• 27 Exhibitors

Another highlight of this year’s Workshop featured Steven Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America (YSA), as the keynote speaker. For two years, The Nonprofit Times named Mr. Culbertson to its annual list of the “Top 50” most powerful and influential nonprofit leaders in the United States. In 2002, they cited his role in positioning volunteering and young people as an issue and a national priority. In 2003, they pointed out that Mr. Culbertson and his organization are making sure that young people are not only heard by the organizations serving them, but also that they are provided with leadership positions. For more information about Mr. Culbertson and YSA, please visit the YSA website.

According to attendees, the most valuable part of the day was:

• Networking and collaborating with other people, meeting new people, and learning new ideas. [student]
• Learning from and getting inspired by Culbertson - great to hear from a national expert in youth service. [adult]
• Seeing how other groups help out in NE Ohio. [student]
• Meeting new people, young and old; learning how they operate their programs. [adult]
• The lesson: I learned more that I didn't know. [student]
• I always seem to get something from the keynote; networking with the teens. [adult]
• All of the workshops I attended were great. [student]
• Opportunity for youth to showcase their skills and experiences and to be encouraged to become giving adults. [adult]

For more information about the 2006 Annual Workshop, previous Workshops, or other YPS events, please visit the YPS website.

The Mandel Center and its alumni association held its Mandel Center Nonprofit Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 28th at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel to honor the winners of the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award and the Organization Innovation Award. The recipient of the Leadership Award for 2006 was David Simpson, CEO, Hospice of the Western Reserve. There were two winners for the 2006 Organization Award: AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and Cleveland Foodbank.

David Simpson was honored to be selected as the winner of the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award.

“I am as humbled by the recognition as I am cognizant that it is our entire Hospice of the Western Reserve team that truly deserves this recognition,” David said. “This award is a tribute to our entire staff of 1,700 paid and volunteer employees. It is their dedication and compassion that are the essence of our mission-based, not-for-profit organization.”

While the Leadership Awards was first presented in 1995, the Organization Innovation Award was presented for the first time this year.

“We’re truly honored to have received the Organization Innovation Award,” commented Earl Pike, Executive Director for AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland. “It is a recognition of the passion and creativity of our board, staff, volunteers and the community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS that we are here to serve.”

“This is a very proud moment for the Cleveland Foodbank, as there is no more prestigious award in Cleveland’s nonprofit community than this,” Anne Goodman, Executive Director for Cleveland Foodbank, said. “Tens of thousands of donors, volunteers and dedicated people who manage hunger centers work together to provide meals to vulnerable hungry men, women and children in our area every day of the year. The Foodbank is successful, and this award is possible, because of their efforts.”

Edward M. Hundert, M.D., President of Case, gave the welcoming remarks for the luncheon. The keynote address was given by Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength and Chair of Community Wealth Ventures. The renowned author, whose latest book is titled The Light of Conscience: How a Simple Act Can Change Your Life, discussed the topic of nonprofit sustainability to the audience consisting of many local nonprofit leaders.

The criteria for the Leadership Award consisted of the following: Record of leadership; services as a nonprofit management role model; creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship as demonstrated by the candidate’s ability to successfully identify and address core organization issues; leadership in fostering interaction among staff, volunteers, and the community; and commitment to the principles and skills associated with good management. Criteria for selection of the Organization Innovation Award included: Record of innovation; expansion beyond traditional organizational boundaries; and creation of a culture/climate of innovation within the organization.

The winners of this year’s awards were chosen by the Mandel Center’s Nonprofit Awards Selection Committee, which is comprised of local nonprofit leaders. Please visit the Mandel Center website for more information about the Nonprofit Awards and for a list of previous winners of the Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award.

Susan Eagan, Executive Director of the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, and Bill Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength and Community Wealth Ventures, participated in a discussion on 90.3 WCPN regarding the activities of area nonprofit organizations.

From WCPN:

Nonprofit organizations are allowed to make a profit to help fund their work. And some are finding innovative ways to do so. They might organize volunteers for a series of special events; charge for a service directly related to their mission; or even partner with for-profit institutions. All kinds of efforts are afoot in our neck of the woods. We talked about what area nonprofits are doing and how they're doing it.

WCPN PodCast of the show (MP3)

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The Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and the Mandel Center Alumni Association announce:

A Call for Nominations

The Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations is seeking nominations for two awards that will be presented at its:

Awards Luncheon
March 28, 2006
Cleveland Renaissance Hotel

Leadership in Nonprofit Management Award
Organization Innovation Award

Welcoming remarks by Edward M. Hundert, President of Case
Keynote address by Bill Shore, President of Share our Strength

Awards Luncheon Information

The July/August issue of the Mandel Center's electronic newsletter Nonprofit E-Notes has been released.

To read the latest issue, visit:
http://www.case.edu/mandelcenter/newsletter/200507/

The Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations has established a weblog to provide RSS-syndicated news to its constituents. Please check back often for updates, or if you have an RSS aggregator, please add the Mandel Center RSS feed.

Congratulations to the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations' 2005 Graduating Class!

In January 2004, the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and its Youth Philanthropy and Service (YPS) program commissioned a report on youth service in Greater Cleveland. Our intent was to provide a base of knowledge that would inform, support, and advance youth philanthropy and service in the Northeast Ohio region. Through the publication and dissemination of this important information, we would also like to create enthusiasm for the great work in youth service that is currently in progress, as well as the truly special work that is yet to come.

Report on Youth Service

With a gracious gift of $6 million from Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel, through the Mandel Supporting Foundations, Case Western Reserve University will build a new flagship building for its Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

The announcement of the Mandel gift marks the 20th anniversary of the Center, which offers the nation's most fully developed program in nonprofit management and was one of the first university-based programs in the country focused on the education of nonprofit leaders and managers.

Case Press Release