Indianapolis offers a wealth of opportunities to see firsthand how some of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations are benefiting from family philanthropists. With each site session, you’ll see the facility or program in action and have the opportunity to talk with the site visit host. We hope you will explore this great American city and take advantage of all it has to offer. Space is limited so reserve your spot when you register for the Family Philanthropy Conference.

The tickets are free, required and limited. Reserve your site session ticket when you complete the conference form or, if you have already registered, by sending an email  with your name and the session choice to confreg@cof.org. Tickets may be claimed at the conference desk starting Saturday, January 31. Remaining tickets will also be available starting on Saturday, January 31. Unclaimed reserved tickets will become available on a first-come, first-served basis starting Monday, February 2.

Stop Waste, Eliminate Hunger, and Empower People = Second Helpings

Monday, February 2
9:45am–11:45am
Second Helpings, Inc.
www.secondhelpings.org

There is no disputing the strong link between the economic well-being of local communities and regions and quality of life for its residents. In the past decade, downtown Indianapolis has undergone a major economic revitalization, resulting in the emergence of innovative programs and organizations that address the needs of its community. One such organization is Second Helpings, Inc. Second Helpings, a community kitchen located in Indianapolis, was the vision of three local chefs—Kristen Cordoza, Bob Koch, and Jean Paison. Their dream was to reduce food wastage, feed the hungry, and train unemployed and underemployed adults in the food service industry.

The Second Helpings model is centered on the three key components of its mission: Taking food that would otherwise be thrown away, converting this food into nutritious meals for the hungry who live within the city, and training adults to improve their lives with the potential of being employed.

Second Helpings has experience great demand for its services since opening its doors more than 10 years ago. Today, 1.9 million pounds of food is rescued annually. And more than 475 dedicated volunteers (15–20 daily) work in the production kitchen to prepare 2,900 meals a day that are distributed to 50-plus social service agencies, day care centers, and senior centers in the area. The economic impact to the Indianapolis community is huge: Second Helpings saves the agencies it serves over $2 million annually in food preparation, kitchen, and distribution costs. And, rather than throw food away, the organization feeds many children and adults within greater Indianapolis.

Based in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Center, Second Helpings uses a portion of its food inventory for a Culinary Job Training Program. In this program, the organization trains unemployed and underemployed adults to become culinary professionals through a free, intensive, 10-week job course. In addition to the culinary skills, the Culinary Job Training Program focuses on life skills that will help the participants become effective, valued employees within the food service industry. Over the years, Second Helpings has trained hundreds of adults with enviable placement and retention rates. Upon graduation, each of the graduates has choices, opportunities, and skills to be self sufficient and provide for themselves and their families.

At this site visit, you’ll hear from Cindy Hubert, chief executive officer of Second Helpings, about the value of the program from an economic and philanthropic point of view. You will have an opportunity to see how the entire process works—from how the food is received to how the meals are prepared. In addition, you will see the Culinary Job Training Program in action and meet several of its graduates and employers.

Stephanie Powers, project director of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, at the Council on Foundations, will discuss how the Second Helpings program plays a dual community role: it meets a critical human service (food distribution) and it creates a human capital enterprise (food service training). The program demonstrates how different goals can be achieved simultaneously through strategically intertwining resources and talent, particularly relevant in the current environment of shrinking public and private resources.

Bringing Arts to the Community

Monday, February 2
9:45am–11:45am
Indianapolis Art Center
www.indplsartcenter.org

Through its art classes, lectures, exhibitions, and outreach initiatives, the Indianapolis Art Center captures the spirit and diversity of the Greater Indianapolis area. The center’s outreach initiatives have strengthened the role of the arts in local communities, making art more easily accessible to residents, including individuals who face daily struggles with social, economic, academic, physical, and emotional challenges.

Join us as we visit the Indianapolis Art Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed by world-renowned architect and Indianapolis native Michael Graves. Joyce Sommers, the center’s president and executive director, will introduce the center and share its mission and programs.

En route to the art center, we will visit the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick. The cultural trail is a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path that connects Indianapolis neighborhoods, cultural districts, and entertainment centers and serves as the downtown hub for the entire central Indiana greenway system, multi-use trails for the recreation and enjoyment of residents. It connects five downtown Indianapolis cultural districts: Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, the Canal & White River State Park, and the Wholesale District. The cultural trail was supported by a large public and private partnership, which was led by Central Indiana Community Foundation, the City of Indianapolis, and several nonprofit organizations.

Realizing Tangible Economic Benefits from Investments in Sports

Monday, February 2
2:15pm–4:15pm
NCAA Hall of Champions
http://www.ncaa.org/hall_of_champions

As is true in many American cities, sports and sporting events are part of daily life of the people of Indianapolis. In fact, ESPN calls Indianapolis the number one pro-sports city in the country; the city has also been dubbed the “Amateur Sports Capital of the World.” Because sports has been—and continues to be—a major area of economic growth for the city, community leaders formed a nonprofit organization—the Indiana Sports Corporation (ISC) in 1979. ISC’s goal is to attract and bring marquee sporting events to Indiana.

Since its inception, the organization has:

• brought more than 400 national and international sporting events to the state
• generated more than $3 billion in direct economic impact
• convinced 10 elite national sports organizations to relocate their headquarters to Indianapolis—including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which contributes $91 million to the Indiana economy every year.

Perhaps even more significant, the ISC has affected the lives of tens of thousands of young people with its positives messages and real-life examples of healthy lifestyle choices and character and leadership development.

At this site visit, you will tour the new NCAA Hall of Champions facility with Susan Williams, president of the Indiana Sports Corporation. Designed by nationally recognized architect Michael Graves, the $10 million structure is located in White River State Park (Indiana's only urban state park). You’ll see how the hall uses a variety of interactive displays, theater presentations, and other exhibits to show athletes and coaches honing their skills.

Public Education: Working Together to Create Charter Schools

Monday, February 2
2:15pm–4:15pm
Christel House Academy
http://www.cha.christelhouse.org/

Indianapolis’ commitment to public education is evident from its successful charter schools initiative, which has achieved national acclaim. The city offers a unique environment for education innovation: In 2001, the Indiana legislature granted Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson the authority to become the first mayor in the country to issue public school charters to nonprofit entities as part of broader charter school legislation. Today, Indianapolis Mayor Gregory Ballard represents one of just a few mayors in the country with the authority to sponsor charter schools.

Several of the city’s most respected nonprofit organizations, including Goodwill Industries, Indiana Black Expo, Christel House International, and Fairbanks Hospital, have stepped forward to launch new charter schools, as have many successful business professionals and civic leaders. In addition, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce has rallied support behind several important education bond initiatives and is leading a new effort to increase high school graduation rates.

At this site visit, you’ll visit the charter school Christel House Academy and hear about its success. The Christel House Academy educational program includes enhanced national and state-mandated educational objectives, implemented with a strong focus on art, music, life skills, and character development. Students participate in service-learning projects and are exposed to an internationally focused perspective on the world. In addition to learning academic basics, students learn how to apply these skills in a real-world setting. You will also meet three people that were instrumental in the creation and administration of the Indianapolis charter schools. Christel DeHaan is founder of Christel House International, whose mission is to help children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their societies. In 1998 she launched Christel House Academy. David Harris built one of the nation’s most highly regarded charter school offices while serving as Indianapolis’s director of charter schools. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting education and entrepreneurship in order to improve the education outcomes of students in Indianapolis and around the country. You will also hear from M. Karega Rausch, the current director of charter schools in Indianapolis.