Representative Grantee List
Below is a representation of recent or current C. E. and S. Foundation partnerships.
Bellarmine University - Louisville, Kentucky
In 1998, the Foundation began a 6-year grant to fund a principled and innovative enhancement of teaching and learning, to benefit both students and faculty: "Teacher Formation and the Core of Student Learning." Based upon educational ideas espoused by Dr. Parker Palmer ("We teach who we are"), the program begins with small group retreats for faculty in order to facilitate the creation of inspiring and even adventurous new curricula, and revolutionary new goals and expectations from all involved. Faculty feedback so far reveals the program's positive influence in teaching and administration, in renewing energy and commitment amongst the faculty, and in broadening the traditional notions of a "teaching culture." Combining both skill- and knowledge-based pedagogy, the program is now attracting national interest as a model program.
Medecines Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders
The Foundation values MSF's committed work in stemming humanitarian crises, and recognizes the organization's uninterrupted presence in Liberia during the country's more unstable months of 2003. The Foundation provided a grant to help MSF continue health care operations in Liberia, specifically in the realm of cholera treatment.
Health care concerns increased in Liberia over the summer, as fighting between the government and rebel forces spread into the country's capital. Malnutrition, safe water, and the treatment and prevention of cholera became a major focus for all relief organizations. The C. E. and S. Foundation helped specifically with the procurement of Cholera Treatment Kits, which permit an MSF team to treat 1,000 people during a cholera outbreak.
Americana Community Center - Louisville, Kentucky
2003 marked the inaugural year of the Foundation's Nonprofit Management Fellowship, with the appointment of a Fellow at the Americana Community Center in Louisville's South End. As the organization has grown in recent years, both in physical size as well as programming reach, the need for more and more focused staff roles became apparent. Seeking to marry one organization's need with one individual's enthusiastic commitment to the nonprofit field, a solution was born. Several candidates were interviewed for a position involving office management, fundraising, programmatic organization, and bookkeeping.
This two-year appointment features ongoing professional development activities, as well as a built-in cadre of mentors to support the Fellow's growth in the nonprofit fielding general, and her position within her specific organization.
Center for Women and Families - Louisville, KY
The Center for Women and Families is one of over 60 members of Louisville's Asset Building Coalition. The Coalition provides the area with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, providing free help with tax return preparation. The Coalition use the VITA sites to promote the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal reward for low-income people who work, potentially providing over $4,000 to a family with two or more children. The EITC, and its promotion through the VITA sites, will benefit thousands of local families who would otherwise not know about this financial opportunity or might be unable to parse the lengthy IRS worksheets. Employing a strategic publicity campaign, the Coalition enriches the VITA sites' offering of free tax preparation to include larger tax returns, greater numbers of VITA sites available, and more Louisville residents able to benefit from them. The Center also uses the opportunity to promote Common Wealth Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), a program offering savings accounts for low-income families, wherein they can receive matching dollars for various expenses.
The Greater Louisville Project
On January 6, 2003, Louisville underwent the largest city-county government consolidation the country has had in 40 years. In anticipation of the transitional needs of the new Metro government and its stewardship of the now 16th largest city in the nation, the Greater Louisville Project (GLP) was born. With support from a coalition of local funders, the GLP has supported valuable research of Louisville data and other merged government models, culminating in the commission of a report from the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. A second, evaluative phase is underway.
In 1999, a partnership between The C. E. and S. Foundation and dedicated faculty at the University of Louisville ushered in a new vision for the approach and offerings of higher education in Louisville. The Liberal Studies Project sets forth to integrate interdisciplinary approaches with the traditional world of academic teaching and learning - an approach central to a more complete definition of academic achievement and improved intellectual preparation of a keenly competitive citizenry and workforce. The project brings two to three distinguished visiting professors, scholars, or other practitioners to a semester-long residency, wherein they "team teach" with U of L faculty, create new and inventive courses, and provide community outreach through lectures and programs both on campus and off. A great deal of creative momentum and invigoration is generated through this marriage of disciplines; its positive impact is felt throughout the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the community at large.
Metro Parks & Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy
The C. E. and S. Foundation has partnered with Louisville's Metro Parks Department and Olmsted Parks Conservancy for several years, resulting in many interesting projects that support public green space for recreation and retreat. The Foundation has made possible park/playground maintenance, new equipment, and renovation within various Louisville neighborhoods; secured over 88 acres near the Ohio River, joining adjacent public parks and a nature preserve, thereby helping to uphold the county's commitment to the preservation of natural resources for all to enjoy; and various other supporting projects.
Louisville is home to one of only five Frederick Law Olmsted Park/Parkway systems in existence. Our popular local system - on the National Register of Historic Places - encompasses 2,000 acres of land and 15 miles of parkway, and has served residents and delighted visitors for over the past 100 years. The Conservancy oversees the maintenance and preservation of this system, and advocates for the public benefits of open space planning in Louisville.
