Dear Grantee Partners:

It has been a very busy fall at The Nelson Foundation and so Jenny and I wanted to check in with you to share a number of updates and some exciting Foundation news as well as to see how you all are doing.

    • The new strategic plan is progressing well and we especially would like to thank each one of you for the time you took to complete the grantee partner survey because your input is vital as the Foundation moves through the planning process. We appreciate how busy you all are and that the survey took precious time to complete, so again, thank you, thank you. At our December Board meeting, we hope to approve new Foundation mission, vision and values statements. We expect the final plan to be ready by mid-February and will share with you all as soon as possible.
    • 2022 core grantmaking process will be different because of the time Jenny and I will need to implement some of the new strategic plan. While we have already been in contact with grantee partners due to re-apply next year via email and on the website, please be on the lookout for more detailed instructions following Thanksgiving. In short, the application process next year will align closely to the final reports for existing grants and will be simple and streamlined.
    • The Foundation made its 1st community impact investment in collaboration with a number of other local funders, The Reinvestment Fund, PIDC, and a RAC-P grant. The Foundation made this program-related investment in the form of a 7-year loan to Thrive Village PHL LLC, a community development opportunity in the East Parkside Neighborhood of Philadelphia. Included in this initiative is the conversion of a historically blighted property into a multi-generational community asset, affordable housing, culturally sensitive medical care, healthy food access, community common space and wealth creation for a number of Black entrepreneurs. This was truly catalytic as the foundations together invested roughly $600,000 that in turn released approximately $3.5 million in additional investment!
    • Site visits – we got on the road again! In this fall’s core grant cycle, we were able to make some site visits – our first since early March 2020. What a nice treat it was to see folks in person! We look forward to doing more in-person visits during 2022 and catching up with old friends.
    • New RISE videos on evaluation are available. These are the final two in this series: “Focusing Your Evaluation Design” and “Introduction to Analyzing Data and Communicating Findings.” In addition to the links here, you may also access these videos on our website.

Jenny and I hope that you, your organizations, communities and families are doing well. We know that there is a lot more recovery and work to do, but as we head into Thanksgiving, we hope that you are all able to find some relaxation, rest, and peace. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Jenny if we can be of assistance or thought partner.

Our best to you,

Mindy and Jenny