About Us

FAQ

What does The Center for Community Solutions do?
Community Solutions works with community partners to solve health and social problems through research, planning, and advocacy; and it assists other nonprofit organizations. Community Solutions does the background work that service providers often don’t have the time, expertise, or resources to do.

What are "targeted issues?" What are "core competencies"?
The Board of Directors, with community input, periodically selects 3-5 health and social issues on which the organization will target its resources for a given period of time. Each work area has specific goals, objectives, timelines, and measures for effectiveness. New issues are selected when goals are reached and projects are ended.

Current targeted issues are: Youth Development , Appropriate Health Care for Vulnerable Citizens, and Family Health/Family Planning.

Each area is support by 3 "core competencies": Research, Public Policy/Advocacy, and Communications.

What are the tangible results of its work?
Because the issues addressed by Community Solutions are long-term and complex, our work often requires months, or even years, to recognize outcomes. And those outcomes are often intangible because we work to develop systems and to change behaviors. We give health and social service professionals the information, support, and advocacy they need in order to deal with the significant problems faced by Northeast Ohioans each day.

In the course of our work, we create needed resources and tools. Some examples include:

• New Agencies/Services: Several of the community’s organizations and services that exist today were created as a result of our research, analysis, planning, and advocacy, often in partnership with other organizations. (Examples: Starting Point, North Coast Community Homes, Bellflower Center, Golden Age Centers)

• Studies: Community Solutions provides and analyzes health and social data that helps other organizations plan, evaluate, and improve their services. (Example: Social Indicators)

• Legislative Advocacy: Community Solutions assists policymakers in developing effective public policies that address critical health and social issues facing Greater Cleveland. It also provides training to assist health and social service organizations to advocate on behalf of themselves and their constituents, resulting in better legislative decisions that affect local residents. (State Budget, Cuyahoga County Health and Human Service Levies)

• Human Services Institute: Community Solutions sponsors the region’s largest annual educational event devoted to health and social issues. It offers lectures, workshops, exhibits, and community awards, and is open to the public. The Institute is used by cities across the country as a model for community education on health and social issues. The next Institute will be March 13, 2009.

• Human Services Directory: Community Solutions published the Human Services Directory for almost 50 years. In 2002, the publication of future directories was turned over to United Way Services/First Call for Help in recognition of their role as the local Information and Referral service.

• Northeast Ohio Media Guide: Designed to help health and social service organizations, and used by hundreds in the private sector, the Media Guide offers a comprehensive directory and instructional guide on building relationships with the media. The 51st edition was released in November 2006; the next edition will be published in the fall of 2008.

Is Community Solutions part of United Way?
We are not a department or arm of United Way. We are a United Way agency in that we receive funding from them on a contractual basis, along with funding from other sources. We also partner with UWS on some specific projects, such as the Social Indicators.

Is Community Solutions part of government (city/county/state/federal)?
No. Community Solutions is a private, independent, nonprofit organization. We often work with government agencies in addressing community issues.

Where does your funding come from? How much?
Community Solutions has a budget of approximately $5 million. Our work is supported by foundation grants, government contracts, United Way, private and corporate donations, and interest from our endowment. We run an annual Friends Campaign to invite contributions from individuals and businesses. And we appreciate the long-term support of individuals who have honored us in their estate plans.

Does Community Solutions give out grants?
Yes, but not like a foundation does. We sometimes use funds to support community projects that align with our mission, goals, and issues. For example, we give limited support to public radio, specifically for the coverage of health and social issues. We are also the administrator of federal family planning funds in the  five county region.

Does Community Solutions provide services?
No. Community Solutions does not provide direct services to individuals. We help the people and organizations that do provide those services.

Does it compete with or duplicate work of other nonprofits?
No. Community Solutions works for systems change. Since it does not provide direct services, it is not in direct competition with service providers.

Is it a new organization? Why haven’t I heard of it before?
Community Solutions was established in 1913, as the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy. (For a review of our history, please click here.) Much of its work is done behind the scenes helping the people and organizations that make policy decisions, provide funding, and offer direct services. While some of our work gains media attention, we don’t generally seek or expect headline coverage.

How-and why-is it sometimes involved in politics (e.g., tax levies)?
Community Solutions was one of the organizations that encouraged the establishment of levies to support health and social services for residents in need. We campaign on behalf of such programs, but we are a non-partisan organization and do not endorse or oppose political candidates or issues that do not affect health and social conditions.

Is there a Center for Community Solutions in Gary, Indiana (or other city)? How do I find them?
While there is no branch of Community Solutions in other cities, many cities have organizations that serve similar roles. We generally suggest that callers check for the United Way in their locality or contact the National Association of Planning Councils to see what organizations may exist in a given region.