In the nonprofit and philanthropic fields, there is a lot of talk about how funders can help build capacity for their recipients. This can mean unrestricted funding for flexibility and multi-year grants. It can also mean having a more involved relationship that leverages the funder's operational strengths on behalf of the recipient's mission.
Schnitzer Cares: Student Grantmaking is blessed to be fully funded by The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, but the secret sauce of our success is actually in our relationship with Schnitzer Properties! Schnitzer Properties donates a significant amount of staff time from key departments each year, including IT, HR, Marketing, and Operations. This means the Schnitzer Cares team can stay laser focused on serving students and teachers with the best experience possible. Payroll and insurance? No problem. Printer not working? No problem.
We hope this exemplary partnership can be a model for other funder/recipient relationships in the future, and we are honored to receive a 2024 Innovation in Philanthropy Award from the Portland Business Journal.
Portland Business Journal 2024 Innovation in Philanthropy Award