HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Give Where You Live
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There are needs in our community that are not being addressed because of decreased government funding and insufficient funding needed by the organizations and agencies that can best address them. There are also innovative programs that would benefit everyone in our community that need funding in order to be effectuated.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grant Giving
We provide grants to local agencies and fund programs that meet the unmet needs of our community and expand opportunities for all Highland Park and Highwood residents.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of organizations applying for grants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Health, Social and economic status
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Average number of non-monetary support contacts per grantee
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Social and economic status, Health
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Median grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Social and economic status, Health
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric pertains to the annual grants we award each year to address needs of the community
Average grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Social and economic status, Health
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric pertains to the annual grants we award each year to address needs of the community
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Social and economic status, Health
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In '23, we also distributed $367,000 in grants to address needs stemming from the '22 HP shooting; in '20-'21, we distributed $240,000 in grants to address needs stemming from the pandemic.
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Social and economic status, Health
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric pertains to the annual grants we award each year to address needs of the community
Number of endowments
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Multiracial people
Related Program
Grant Giving
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We strive to support the agencies and organizations in our community that address the unmet needs of the people who live in Highland Park and Highwood. We also aim to expand opportunities for all Highland Park and Highwood residents.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have an annual grant program whereby we accept funding applications from organizations and agencies that provide educational, child care, cultural/arts, senior service, social service, and enrichment programs. We have an investment committee that meets regularly to monitor our investment policies and endowment, and recommends the amount of grant funding to provide each year. We also have a grants committee that evaluates the funding applications and allocates the grant funds based on the number and quality of the applications that are submitted and the amount of available funds. Beyond this, our Board and Executive Director are actively engaged in fundraising to increase our endowment so we can provide more grant funding to expand opportunities and address the ever-growing needs in our community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In 2016, the Board created a multi-year strategic plan that we update annually to ensure our continued growth in board and leadership development, fundraising, our grant program, communications, and overall operations. We have a very engaged Board and Executive Director who guide and move us forward.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have a solid committee structure to implement our strategic plan; we have added new members to our Board; we have a leadership succession plan in place to ensure continuity in leadership for the next 4-8 years; and, we have an Executive Director and Administrative Assistant. We have also increased our grant allocations each year for the past decade as well as the number and variety of agencies and organizations we fund. We have further continuously evaluated our investment strategies and policies. What's next is to reach out to residents, businesses, and foundations to increase our funding base and endowment, and to network with other community foundations to learn and implement best practices.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2024
Laurie Levin
Jonathan Plotkin
Cristina Mota
Caroline Mead
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/19/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.