We identify, analyze, and explain data and issues related to health and social services, and propose nonpartisan solutions to improve the lives of Ohioans.
Working to improve community conditions and the quality of life for all Ohioans
The Center for Community Solutions is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank engaged in improving health, social, and economic conditions. Our applied research and policy analysis are what set us apart. We identify, analyze, and explain data and issues related to health and social services, and propose nonpartisan solutions to improve the lives of Ohioans.Our public policy work amplifies community voice and helps make sense of complex systems. Our research reveals changes in the health and human service space and informs next steps. Direct service organizations, funders, and policymakers use our data analysis to develop actionable strategies to develop health, social, or economic support for Ohioans.We certainly study issues, but we also actively engage in direct advocacy to change policy, practices, or perspectives. We don’t always lead from the front, but we typically have a seat at the table, if not influencing from behind the scenes.My colleagues did the analysis showing that there is a 23-year difference in life expectancy between two census tracts in Cuyahoga County just two miles apart: One near University Circle and one in Shaker Heights. That map was spotted by a colleague being used in a presentation recently by a local Board of Health. We want you to use our work, please just retain our logo! So, my request is that if you find our materials helpful, please drop us a line to let us know how you used it – we LOVE sharing those stories amongst ourselves.
111 years of Community Solutions history in 111 words
Usually, I talk about poverty – but I’m not going to do that today because I just spoke at the City Club on Friday and I’d strongly encourage you to check out the recording, where I go into much more depth about 5 Things We Need to Understand About Poverty in Cleveland.What I want to talk about is Community Solutions itself. You may have heard the story: In 1913 after 5 years of study, a group of wealthy philanthropists, community do-gooders, and the chamber of commerce came together to form the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy. The new organization would pool resources, examine issues from a community-wide perspective, create plans to meet needs and propel progress. There have been many twists and turns. In the 1970s, federated giving went one way to become United Way of Greater Cleveland and the planning and policy work went another way to become first the Federation for Community Planning, and eventually The Center for Community Solutions.
How does a 111-year-old institution remain relevant?
So how does a 111-year-old institution remain relevant? By being flexible, it's by periodically taking the time to lift our heads and try to take a clear-eyed look at where our community is TODAY, not where it was or where we wish it were. Sometimes it means adapting to the issues of the day, but often it means working quietly and consistently on unpopular topics and biding our time until a window of opportunity opens up.
Lessons (and successes) of the pandemic
COVID-19 is a perfect example. In March of 2020, when everything was shutting down, we were approached by government officials looking for solutions. The safety net could not continue to function as it was, still so dependent on face-to-face interactions. My colleagues had conversations, dusted off issue briefs, scoured regulation and legislation and helped develop a game plan which was largely implemented. We built the trust of public officials and our expertise over years. Things like P-EBT, pausing Medicaid redeterminations, temporarily increasing SNAP benefits, those were all suggestions we made.I can’t emphasize this enough: there was SO MUCH innovation in the health and human service space during COVID. Now it’s our responsibility to figure out what worked and why, and to hold on to those things. That’s one of the things that our team is actively working on every day.A bit about our team: we’re a staff of about 25 with our primary office in Cleveland on East 9th and smaller but mighty group in our Columbus office who focus on state policy and working with the state legislature and executive branch. They are smart, curious, committed and knowledgeable.
Community Solutions is an explainer and translator
At Community Solutions we don’t work for any one part of the system, we don’t provide direct services, we advocate on behalf of the COMMUNITY, not ourselves. We work from the deepest grassroots to the highest echelons of power and everything in between. Along the way, we try to serve as an explainer and a translator. To help elevate the experiences of those whose lives are affected by policy, and to demystify and untangle complex policy proposals for those working directly in the community. You can expect to see much more from us in the coming months and years.And in fact, one of the things I’m excited about is the upcoming launch of a Human Service Chamber for Cuyahoga County. There is a wildly successful model in Franklin County and Columbus, and this will be a place for a broad range of organizations working in human services to come together to talk about shared challenges and collaborate on solutions, especially by naming a shared policy agenda. Keep an eye out for more to come.Our best work happens when we have elements of what I think of as a diamond with 4 points: policy, research, community engagement, and strategic communications. Recent examples include our Status of Women Fact Sheets, survey of Community Health Workers, and forthcoming report looking at the impact of inflation on older adults. If you aren’t already, I’d strongly encourage you to sign up for our 5 Things You need to know newsletter – delivered to your inbox every Monday.
I want to acknowledge that it’s a big task to follow a beloved and transformational leader in John Corlett.
So, the title of today’s program is A familiar face in a new chair. I’ve been with Community Solutions a long time, almost 17 years. From my perspective, my move into the President & CEO role wasn’t pre-ordained. Our Board opted to undertake a full search process, 470 people expressed interest or applied, and I went through a long series of interviews. Along the way, I was able to really think about why I wanted this job and the possibilities I saw for Community Solutions. I want to acknowledge that it’s a big task to follow a beloved and transformational leader in John Corlett and to try to honor the legacy of Community Solutions and lead it into its next chapter. Community Solutions will keep convening, collaborating, and remain as a resource as we collectively try to tackle some of greater Cleveland’s most pressing problems.
