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So far Ali Roshandel has created 22 blog entries.

June 2016

CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NAMED A FINALIST IN NATIONAL FUNDING COMPETITION BY ARTPLACE AMERICA

2017-11-30T00:54:47+00:00June 8th, 2016|Press Release|

The Cambridge Community Foundation has been selected among 1,400 applicants from across the country to be a finalist in a major grant program that aims to increase the role of arts and culture in community planning and development. On June 7, 2016, ArtPlace America announced that the Cambridge Community Foundation’s Central Square: Preserving Equity in a boom town project, is one of 80 projects that will be considered for its 2016 National Creative Placemaking Fund. ArtPlace America (ArtPlace), a New York City-based organization, is a ten-year collaboration among 16 partner foundations, along with 8 federal agencies and 6 financial institutions, that works to position arts and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development in order to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities. ArtPlace focuses its work on creative placemaking, which describes projects in which art plays an intentional and integrated role in place-based community planning and development. This brings artists, arts organizations, and artistic activity into the suite of placemaking strategies pioneered by Jane Jacobs and her colleagues, who believed that community development must be locally informed, human-centric, and holistic. “This is wonderful news,” said Geeta Pradhan, president and CEO of [...]

March 2016

CAMBRIDGE FORUM SETS SIGHTS ON SHARED PROSPERITY THROUGH GREATER ACCESS TO THE INNOVATION ECONOMY

2017-11-30T00:54:48+00:00March 24th, 2016|Civic Leadership, Press Release, Shared Prosperity|

S.T.E.A.M. education connects technology, art to create ‘ladders’ for students, adults in search of careers drawing on 21st century skills CAMBRIDGE Just how important is the innovation economy to those who live and work in Cambridge and the surrounding region? Almost 40 percent of the state’s workforce is employed in the innovation sector, far more than any other state. Wages in the innovation sector are typically much higher than average wages, one reason for the robust economy in Massachusetts. Massachusetts itself was ranked the top innovation hub in the country by Bloomberg News earlier this year. In turn, the innovation economy itself is driven by trained talent – employees entering the workforce with critical skills. At the same time, there is a growing need to give young people access to learn the skills that provide access to opportunity and, ultimately, a share in the prosperity innovation generates. One result has been the development of S.T.E.M. education – the letters stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math – which represents the effort to prepare young people, or adults with skills that fit the needs of the 21st century knowledge economy. S.T.E.A.M. takes that strategy a step further by bringing the [...]

URBAN INNOVATION: CAMBRIDGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT GEETA PRADHAN TALKS ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITY WITH NASHVILLE MAYOR KARL DEAN

2017-11-30T00:54:48+00:00March 21st, 2016|Press Release|

Cambridge Community Foundation President Geeta Pradhan will interview Karl Dean, former mayor of the City of Nashville, in a forum open to the public on March 29 in Boston. Dean earned national attention for his efforts to leverage a building boom to connect neighborhoods, expand transit and build greater opportunity for local residents. He is the first Mayor in Residence at the Boston University Initiative on Cities, a program created to advance strategies to help cities serve as centers of economic growth and positive social development. The one-on-one conversation, titled Urban Identity Quest, brings together two civic leaders who have earned reputations as agents of urban change and increased quality of life. He will be interviewed by Geeta Pradhan, a catalyst in efforts to leverage expanded transportation access to increase opportunity in low-income Boston neighborhoods.  Her work was crucial to the creation of the Fairmount Corridor Initiative, which brought jobs, housing and economic investment to a nine mile stretch of Boston neighborhoods. She currently serves as president of the Cambridge Community Founding, the only foundation serving all of Cambridge, making grants to local nonprofit organizations and serving as a neutral convener working across sectors to identify critical issues and [...]

MORE THAN $82 MILLION AWARDED FOR ARTS PROJECTS NATIONWIDE

2017-11-30T00:54:48+00:00March 10th, 2016|Press Release|

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects and partnerships in the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $25,000 to Cambridge Community Foundation. “As the community foundation of the City of Cambridge, we are delighted to receive this funding,” said Geeta Pradhan, president and CEO of the Foundation. “The goal of our project is to ensure that Central Square can continue to be both a vibrant cultural destination and a place where every part of Cambridge comes together. This grant creates a wonderful opportunity for us to partner with neighborhoods, businesses and the cultural community.” The Cambridge project, titled Cambridge Connects, will bring together artists and community leaders to tell stories that describe what kind of community local residents want Cambridge to be. The focus is on five neighborhoods including the Port, Cambridgeport, Riverside and Mid-Cambridge, as well as the Central Square District. It will use a variety of forms storytellers find compelling to place local residents in a dynamic and changing city. The work is designed to inform the Cambridge Community Foundation’s future work [...]

THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS BEEN AWARDED A $25,000 GRANT BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

2017-11-30T00:54:48+00:00March 10th, 2016|Press Release|

The news was announced March 10 as part of an $82 million distribution to fund local arts projects and partnerships.   “As the community foundation of the City of Cambridge, we are delighted to receive this funding,” said Geeta Pradhan, president and CEO of the Foundation. “The goal of our project is to ensure that Central Square can continue to be both a vibrant cultural destination and a place where every part of Cambridge comes together. This grant creates a wonderful opportunity for us to partner with neighborhoods, businesses and the cultural community.”   The Cambridge project, titled Cambridge Connects, will bring together artists and community leaders to tell stories that describe what kind of community local residents want Cambridge to be. The focus is on five neighborhoods including the Port, Cambridgeport, Riverside and Mid-Cambridge, as well as the Central Square District. It will use a variety of forms storytellers find compelling to place local residents in a dynamic and changing city.   The project is designed to inform the Cambridge Community Foundation’s future work and the city’s strategic planning process.   The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency created in 1965 to increase opportunities for people [...]

February 2016

CAMBRIDGE NONPROFIT COALITION ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST COORDINATOR

2017-11-30T00:54:52+00:00February 10th, 2016|Press Release|

A network of more than 52 local nonprofit organizations in Cambridge that recently joined to create the Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition has announced the hiring of a coordinator to develop the Coalition’s institutional profile and impact. Elena Sokolow-Kaufman comes to her new role from Mass Mentoring Partnership, where she served as senior manager of government relations and field resources. She was formerly with United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, where she served as director of community impact. Sokolow-Kaufman is a graduate of Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs Master’s Program in Bloomington, IN, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College in New York. In her new role, which is half-time, she will be based at the Cambridge Community Foundation and report to the steering committee of the Coalition. The Coalition grew out of a series of community-wide meetings over two years that focused on issues related to providing services to residents of the City of Cambridge. The goal of the new network is to build strong partnerships, meet changing needs, close the opportunity gap and improve the quality of life for local residents. “This is an exciting opportunity for the nonprofit organizations serving the people [...]

January 2016

CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NAMES USHA PASI VICE PRESIDENT FOR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIPS

2017-11-30T00:54:53+00:00January 20th, 2016|Press Release|

The Cambridge Community Foundation has announced the appointment of Usha Pasi as vice president for Donor and Philanthropic Partnerships. She will work with the president, the leadership, members of the board, and donors to increase the reach and impact of the foundation. “It is an exciting opportunity to be able to add someone of Usha’s caliber to our team,” said Geeta Pradhan, president of the foundation. “She brings an extraordinary record of achievement at some of the most significant organizations and institutions in our region, and nationally.” Pasi served most recently as chief development officer at Facing History and Ourselves, which engages students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry.  She played a leadership role there, and with her team, secured $150 million to support the organization’s mission. During her tenure, Facing History recorded its largest number of donors to date; grew its endowment substantially; and, raised the largest commitments in its history. Earlier, she was director of leadership gifts and associate campaign director at the Museum of Fine Arts, during an historic campaign that reimagined and greatly expanded the museum. She [...]

November 2015

CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $600K IN GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

2017-11-30T00:54:53+00:00November 18th, 2015|Civic Leadership, Press Release|

New leadership introduces streamlined application process for grantees The Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) announced grants in response to key issues that affect local residents and the community as a whole.  Grants reflected six themes or areas of interest, including: Economic Opportunity and Mobility, Educational Opportunity, Hunger and Homelessness, Arts and Cultural Vitality, Civic Engagement and Volunteerism, and Elder Support. Grants were also made with respect to the Environment, and in a category labeled Serving the Underserved. “One overriding goal is to give support to organizations that offer both high quality programs and the ability to drive change in issues that affect residents,” said Geeta Pradhan, president of the foundation. “We are looking to move the needle on key issues.” Pradhan was named to head the foundation in July. She succeeded Robert S. Hurlbut Jr., who retired after more than 20 years overseeing the city’s only community foundation. What once required multiple submissions and a complex set of deadlines for organizations seeking support from the Cambridge Community Foundation was simplified this year. Now there is a single application for four separate funds, and an online form means far less paperwork. Meanwhile, the grants approved by the foundation’s board on November [...]

August 2015

CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NAMES DAVID TRUEBLOOD VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

2017-11-30T00:54:53+00:00August 1st, 2015|Press Release|

Cambridge Community Foundation has named David E. Trueblood vice president for Communications and Public Relations. In this role, he will work to raise the Foundation’s public profile, articulating the work and goals of the Foundation to the community it serves. He will manage relationships with the media and develop new and effective ways to strengthen the community’s ability to share in a common conversation about critical issues. “David brings great skills, deep familiarity with the work of community foundations and years of personal experience living and working in Cambridge,” said Geeta Pradhan, president of the Foundation. “The perfect mix. He will be a key member of the team as we work to sharpen the role of the Foundation as a civic player in the city.” Trueblood has long experience with Boston-area media. He began his career as a reporter for local newspapers that grew into the Community Newspaper Company, now part of GateHouse Media. He wrote about the early rise of biotech in Cambridge as well as the rapidly evolving food scene as a restaurant critic. He managed newspapers and groups of papers in Greater Boston and founded an award-winning newspaper to cover the Boston neighborhoods of Allston and [...]

June 2015

CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NAMES GEETA PRADHAN NEW PRESIDENT

2017-11-30T00:54:53+00:00June 12th, 2015|Press Release|

The Board of Overseers of the Cambridge Community Foundation has named Geeta Pradhan to be its president. She succeeds Bob Hurlbut, Executive Director, who led the organization for 21 years before recently announcing plans to retire. “Geeta is innovative, collaborative and action oriented, three key qualities that we sought,” said Richard Harriman, Chairman of the Board of Overseers for the Foundation. “She brings a wealth of experience in addressing the issues and opportunities that we see in our community. Her blend of passion, bold thinking, humility and hard work will serve the foundation and the community of Cambridge well.” Pradhan brings a deep background in philanthropy, urban planning and economic development. She comes from the Boston Foundation, where she oversaw community impact and grantmaking in Education, Health, Jobs, Housing & Neighborhoods and the Arts. Pradhan also played a leading role in a range of initiatives and collaborative ventures, including work on the Fairmount Corridor Initiative, a project on a grand scale which seeks to create greater opportunity for Boston’s low-income neighborhoods by improving transit access as well as housing and community economic development through the arts, entrepreneurship, and family asset development. As the Boston Foundation’s strategic leader for the [...]

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