Gifford Summer Recap
Here's what we were up to!Published September, 2024
It was a fun and busy summer for The Gifford Foundation staff. What If community projects came to life, new cohorts were selected for our flagship capacity-building programs, well-deserved staff recognitions were celebrated, and events supporting local non-profits were enjoyed.
Programs
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Gifford awarded 27 “What If…” Mini Grants this year. Many supported local community-building events that launched over the summer. One of them was Ties, Tenders, and Fries, an event held by Women Overcoming Obstacles Together (WOOT) in partnership with Christian Brothers Academy seventh grader Payton Perry.
With the assistance of his mother, Chayna Short, and community mentors like James Williams, Payton helped his peers master the skill of tie-tying, a talent he developed after being diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of five. Payton and community mentors also shared their knowledge on manners, etiquette, and dressing to impress. Syracuse City School District guidance counselor Marial Anderson provided valuable information to parents on back-to-school preparation, and all attendees received hygiene kits courtesy of WOOT.
Babette Baker presents at Getting Grant Ready workshop.
In August, we partnered with the CNY Community Foundation to host Getting Grant Ready, a free two-part workshop series led by Babette Baker that explored the essential skills and tools for successful proposal writing. We received incredibly positive feedback from those who attended and will continue to offer this and similar workshops in the year ahead.
In other program news, between June and August, we reviewed many promising applications from those interested in participating in our Embracing Disruption and Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders programs. Final selections have now been made, and both will launch in the coming weeks.
Events
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Catching up with community partners at events that support their efforts is always a highlight of our summer. We explored the galleries of the Everson Museum at the Everson Social and got to experience the beauty of Heritage Hill at the Taste of David’s Refuge. We were energized by Juneteenth and Pride activities and impressed by all of the community gatherings that showcased local arts, culture, and food!
Gifford Assistant Director, Lindsay McClung attends the annual fundraiser, Taste of David’s Refuge at Heritage Hill Brewery.
Inside Gifford
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Always on a quest to reflect and improve, Gifford staff and board members used the summer to embark on an Intercultural Developmental Inventory (IDI) assessment led by Inclusive Leadership & Board Development Capacity Building Strategist Marissa Saunders. Like many of the capacity-building programs we offer, this was our chance to ensure alignment of our mission and values with a DEI lens and commitment. It was an informative and motivating process that has provided us with many new insights as we approach planning for the year ahead!
Kristin Sheehan (left), Laiza Semiday (right)
Another internal development that ramped up this summer is Gifford’s newly established collaborations with two local consultants. Kristin Sheehan (Sheehan Communications) has taken on marketing and communications for the Foundation, covering social media, website updates, email, and newsletters. Laiza Semidey (Legendary Soul Studio) has come on board as our go-to photographer, documenting our programs and special events.
Appearances
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Executive Director Sheena Solomon had the chance to sit down with Central Current Radio hosts Dr. Roosevelt “Rick” Wright and Maximilian Eyle to share information on Gifford’s Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders program. She also joined Bill Berthel on Emergent’s Driving Leadership series. Their drive around Syracuse explored Gifford’s role in the City of Syracuse and highlighted the incredible work of Gifford partners like A Tiny Home For Good, North Side Learning Center, and Vera House, Inc.
Recognitions
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As summer came to an end, our Executive Director, Sheena Solomon was recognized with a Community Builder award by Refugee and Immigrant Self- Empowerment (RISE) at their annual Night of Nations Event. She was joined by fellow honorees Ryan McMahon (County Executive), Robert M. Simpson (CenterState CEO), Bethaida Gonzalez (former VP for Community Engagement), and Daniel Riley (Berry Global). It was a special evening that celebrated RISE’s 20th Anniversary and raised funds to support New Americans.
Continue to keep up with our busy schedules this fall and winter by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social!
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