ACCENT ON ALUMNI
Students and Alumni Participate in BrownFlynn's Circle of 10 Contest
The organizations of several Mandel Center alumni and students have been selected by BrownFlynn, a community relationship management firm in Highland Heights, Ohio, for its "Circle of 10" contest. These 10 finalists, chosen from 63 proposals, are creative and passionate local nonprofits that rose to the top for their ingenious ideas for engaging the next generation of supporters.
The 10 finalists, chosen by an independent review panel, will compete over the next several months for community support by gaining the most pledges through the BrownFlynn website and meeting other contest criteria. One winner will be selected to win a $10,000 donation and $10,000 in pro bono services from the firm. The nine runners up receive $2,000 in professional graphic services from SCK, and all 10 finalists receive a two-minute professional video from Glazen Creative Studios.
The 10 finalists are:
- Artists Archives of the Western Reserve
- Consortium of African American Organizations
- Cleveland Bridge Builders
- Cleveland Public Art
- Entrepreneurs for Sustainability
- The Littlest Heroes
- Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
- Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
- ParkWorks
- Shoes and Clothes for Kids
It was during the first Circle of 10 meeting where all finalists were brought together that it dawned on Julie Glavan, MNO '04 and Executive Director of Cleveland Bridge Builders, that she was surrounded by so many Mandel Center alumni and current students.
"It was exciting to see that so many of my fellow alumni are leading organizations that are the cream of the crop in this community," Glavan said. "I think the Mandel Center has helped prepare all of us for the positions we hold where we are challenged everyday to be as creative as possible in our service and program offerings."
Catherine Nelson, a CNM candidate at the Mandel Center and Development Department Manager for Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, said, "It's very gratifying to see so many Mandel Center students and alumni helping to develop the best practices for reaching out to the next generation of philanthropists. The number of students and alumni involved in this unique opportunity speaks volumes for the value of a nonprofit education."
Development Director for Cleveland Public Art (CPA), Nicole McGovern, MNO '04, said that the Circle of 10 program urges each organization to encourage online giving and become more environmentally friendly, and will allow CPA to focus on cultivating donors of the future.
Greg Peckham, MNO '99 and Executive Director of Cleveland Public Art, said, "The Circle of 10 competition is an opportunity to highlight the good work going on in so many Cleveland organizations. It is not surprising to be in the company of other Mandel alumni."
If you would like to make a pledge for any of the Circle of 10 finalists, please visit the BrownFlynn website. Use the "Donate Now" button to pledge your online gift - your support puts them one step closer to being the grand prize winner.
