When I came on board as Interim President & CEO in June of 2024, I knew that change was already on the horizon at Philanthropy Ohio. I was hired in 1998 as part of a staff expansion from three to over a dozen at what was then Donors Forum of Ohio, thanks to a major grant from the Ford Foundation to build what were called “regional associations of grantmakers.” A mere year later, a major change came as the Donors Forum of Ohio merged with the Cleveland Grantmakers Forum, forming one strong, dynamic statewide organization focused on helping grantmakers become more effective through learning and connecting activities, with a modest focus on public policy.
Never would I have imagined then that I would have the honor of standing here today as the Interim President & CEO. And the fact that I am here, serving as interim a second time, exemplifies the inevitability and unpredictability of change. As Philanthropy Ohio celebrates its 40th anniversary year, we can reflect together on its past, present and future changes.
The organizational changes of the past were implemented by visionary leaders who were also great change-makers.
These four leaders, together with the board, staff and members, successfully navigated change that has resulted in a strong, vibrant, learning organization today, an organization that once again stands in the midst of change not only internally but also within the sector, our state, nation and the world. I have every confidence that we all, working together, can successfully make positive change happen as we rely on our core values, vision and mission.
Fast-forward through new leaders and new organization names – Ohio Grantmakers Forum and then, in 2013, Philanthropy Ohio – and in my own quarter of a century of experience here, significant change has been undertaken to respond to or anticipate changes in the field, in our members and in our state and country.
They were strategic changes crafted and implemented by strong staff and board members dedicated to equity, integrity, voice, courage and community in a learning organization. We changed our vision and mission, grew membership and established, for the first time, a reserve fund for future needs.
During these years, our public policy work expanded from the first Education Initiative and sector issues to include other areas of members’ interests: health, housing and democracy. The annual conference became a headline event, leapfrogging among the three C cities, with national thought leaders, an RFP process for breakout sessions and numerous awards presented. And communications channels developed through continual improvements to the website, newsletters and social media.
Today, we are poised for more change, and growth is not an option; it’s a necessity. Over its 40-year history, Philanthropy Ohio has time and again made conscious decisions to embrace change: not for the sake of change alone, but to respond to members and their emerging needs; to a changing charitable sector both in Ohio and the nation; to changing sociopolitical, economic and climate changes; and to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not to say the changes were all responsive: in many cases, large and small, they were proactive changes to test new ways of working, new services and programs and even new names and brands.
You’ll hear more about these changes in the coming months, along with news on how we are celebrating our 40 years as Ohio’s philanthropy-serving organization and looking ahead to the next 40. I feel confident that our members, Board and staff will embrace change, grow, innovate and become an even stronger, more vital membership association that is indispensable to its members and to policymakers and external partners.
Claudia Y.W. Herrold
Interim President & CEO
“Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” John C. Maxwell