Jerry Knoop

One of the strongest values we hold at MUSTARD SEED FURNITURE BANK OF FORT WAYNE INC is dignity. That means we don’t accept furniture donations with rips, stains, or tears — even when it’s offered with good intentions. Because the truth is: what we provide isn’t “stuff.” It becomes someone’s home. And no family rebuilding after hardship should have to accept something that makes them feel less-than. Dignity isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation. If you’ve ever wondered why a nonprofit says “no” sometimes — this is why. #NonprofitLeadership #DignityMatters #CommunityImpact #FurniturePoverty #FortWayne

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🚀💪OPPORTUNITY! Here’s your chance to develop your leadership team. Velocity’s accelerator client, Monarch Coaching Co has partnered with GEM to help you cover the cost of of quality training! I highly recommend getting in touch with Erika Rivera Jaramillo and Taylor Miller-Goulait to learn more! Karen Arondoski Jeff Simek George C. Jeffrey Hohlfeldt Tom Schneider Michael Kaszubski, CFE✔️

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Wayne State is tackling Detroit's home repair crisis head on. Philanthropists, policymakers and affordable-housing advocates gathered on campus at the Richard C. Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum to discuss how to make home repairs more efficient and accessible for Detroit and surrounding communities. https://lnkd.in/gPCYk25q

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Awesome discussion about the future of Economic Development with the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance today in Traverse City. Some of the main points I carried into this discussion to create an environment of success around entrepreneurs: 1) First, do no harm. Small Businesses get hurt the most every time new rules, regulations, and mandates are added. The cumulative impact of those regulations is stifling. 2) Recognize that thousands of jobs from hundreds of small businesses is at least as good (and probably better) than thousands of jobs from one large business. Any economic development incentive program created should reward small businesses the same per job as larger businesses. 3) Control health care costs. Small business owners cannot reach their full growth potential with year-over-year double digit cost increases in health insurance. The cost drivers are known. What is needed is the will to control them. 4) Embrace small business owners as “the main thing.” Small business owners account for over half of the private sector jobs in Michigan. Their success is the key to sustainable and diverse economic health in Michigan.

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If you told me a year ago that our team would be talking about AI every day... I’m not sure I would’ve believed you! But here we are at BBB Cleveland, and the shift has been incredible. We have an incredible resource right here in our backyard with #TechCredOhio from the Ohio Department of Development. Whether you’re a small shop or a non-profit, this is the opportunity to get your team high-tech training with the state’s support. Thank you to our Accredited Businesses, SkillSpout, for announcing that more funding is coming this Spring! As a leader, watching our team’s confidence grow with this training has been the highlight of my year. If we can do it at BBB Cleveland, you can do it too. Don't let the "tech" part intimidate you. Let’s make sure Ohio stays at the forefront of this innovation. If you haven't looked into TechCred Ohio yet, consider this your sign to start. #AI #Leadership #Training #Innovation #smallbusiness #nonprofit

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Knox County Indiana Economic Development is strategically taking talent attraction to the source. MEK Group privileged to support. #TalentAttraction #workforcedevelopment #OpportunityKnox

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Including this grant, the City of Fort Wayne has received a total of $3.4 million in federal and state funds to test, monitor, and remove soil that is impacted from previous commercial and industrial uses. Read more: https://rb.gy/rah5op

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Why is Youth Solutions, Inc. Jobs For Michigans Graduates important? Right now in Michigan: - youth unemployment is 12.9% - youth disconnection is 16.2% - youth labor force participation is just 56% - all worse than national average and our neighboring states Our JMG youth have - 99% graduation rate - 94% connection rate - 63% pursuing post secondary education That’s why JMG youth from around the state came to Lansing last week to meet with their districts legislators to tell their stories behind the statistics.

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Cleveland-Cliffs announced a change in plans for the $500 million federal grant awarded in 2024. CEO Lourenco Goncalves recently shared how the money may be used. https://lnkd.in/gBvZqf5r #cincinnati #ohio #jobcreation #economy #manufacturing

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Grateful to see strong regional collaboration happening across Northwest Ohio 👏 The Seneca Regional Chamber & Development recently hosted the Chamber Professionals of Ohio – Northwest Ohio Collaborative meeting, bringing together chamber leaders for meaningful conversation around integration, best practices, and strengthening our organizations. As Chamber professionals, we’re not just planning events — we’re building ecosystems. When we share ideas, challenges, and solutions across communities, we elevate the entire region. Collaboration > Competition. Always. Thankful for peers who are committed to continuous improvement and better serving our businesses and communities. The work we do matters — and it’s even stronger when we do it together. #ChamberLeadership #EconomicDevelopment #RegionalCollaboration #NorthwestOhio #StrongerTogether

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Capital Improvement Board approves $1.5M for Fort Wayne North River District: bit.ly/CIB-15M The North River District master plan will serve as the strategic blueprint for how the 29-acre site will be used and how it will be funded.

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Community Foundation Releases Updated Community Dashboard: bit.ly/CDupdated The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne has released updated data on its Community Dashboard, offering an insightful snapshot of Allen County’s progress across five key pillars of community life.

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Expanding Educational Opportunities in Detroit 🌐 We are proud to partner with Wayne State University, DigitalC, Rocket Community Fund, and the City of Detroit on "Canopy, Powered by Connect 313" – bringing free high-speed internet to 450+ Detroit families for the next three years! This collaboration creates meaningful educational opportunities and expands technology access in Forest Park, Diggs, and Brewster communities. Since 1966, Merit has been connecting Michigan communities. Partnerships like this show what's possible when we work together to build stronger, more connected communities. 💪 A special thank you to: Art T. | City of Detroit Marvin L. Logan Jr | Rocket Community Fund Denise White | Detroit Housing Commission Joshua Edmonds | DigitalC Autumn Evans | Rocket Community Fund Learn more: https://lnkd.in/edyKAxEE #TechnologyAccess #EducationalOpportunity #CommunityConnectivity #Detroit

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We are excited to share this announcement with our friends at the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne! This is our 3rd iteration of their "Let's Rise" Community Dashboard that offers an insightful snapshot of Allen County’s progress across five key pillars of community life. Three years ago, the Foundation developed a new vision and strategic plan centered on five pillars—connected community, inspiring places, healthy mind and body, everyone’s economy, and lifelong learning. As part of their community impact initiatives, they needed support with data collection, analysis, and visualization to effectively track and monitor the key metrics aligned with these pillars and their overarching strategic plan. In order to assist the Foundation with its funding decisions, TCG was hired to provide data management assistance to help the Foundation make informed funding decisions, as well as help the community understand the progress that has been made, as well as where improvements are still needed. This original engagement led to the development of an interactive dashboard, which we have since updated annually. This is such a valuable tool for the community. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gHAhz3bm

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What does $71M in grants look like over 34 years? The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) offers a range of charitable funds allowing families, businesses, and nonprofits to choose the best vehicles to help accomplish their philanthropic goals. Learn how their funds serve past, present, and future generations in this month's Non-Profit Spotlight: https://ow.ly/mSVv50WXvaj

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Akron Community Foundation Invests Nearly $4M in Local Arts & Culture 👉 Akron Community Foundation announced $3.8M in total quarterly grants, including $693,300 dedicated to arts and culture through its Community Investment Committee. 👉 PBS Western Reserve received $15,000 to bolster local programming like Studio C, Local Focus, and Kids Script, crucial amid potential $1.2M federal funding cuts from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 👉 MooreDunsonCo and Theron Brown were awarded $7,000 for the world premiere of The Remember Balloons Live!, an expanded, multimedia dance and music performance broadcast on Western Reserve PBS. 👉 The Nightlight Cinema secured $17,000 for operating support as it doubles capacity to welcome 40,000 visitors annually. 👉 Additional co-investment support came from the Charles E. and Mary K. Booth Family Fund, This Town is My Town Fund, and Hood Family Fund. 62 grants supported diverse organizations, including: ☑️ Akron Art Museum ($51,200), Akron Civic Theatre ($37,500), Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens ($35,000), ArtsNow ($35,000), City of Akron’s Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival ($50,000) ☑️ Educational programs via Children’s Concert Society of Akron, Save The Music Foundation, YEPAW, and Project RISE-Akron Public Schools ☑️ Community enrichment and inclusion from Akron Dream Center, Assuage HER, Empowering Queens, HALCA, and Trust Drum Circles ☑️ Classical and live music support for APOLLO'S FIRE Baroque Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Tuesday Musical Association, and MUSIC FROM THE WESTERN RESERVE ☑️ Theater and dance programming funded for Magical Theatre, National Center for Choreography, Ohio Contemporary Ballet (OCBallet) formerly Verb Ballets, Ballet Theatre of Ohio, and Wandering Aesthetics ☑️ Cultural outreach and education backed at Curated Storefront, Rubber City Theatre, The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio, and Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland)

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This month's issue of Fort Wayne Magazine highlights how the city is working “one block at a time” to create sustainable growth through trust, investment, safety, and collaboration. The issue explores how local leaders, grassroots initiatives, and innovative approaches are coming together to strengthen neighborhoods and build a new kind of economic and social ecosystem in the region. Foellinger Foundation President and CEO Sarah Strimmenos wrote an article for the issue, reflecting on the lasting influence of Helene Foellinger’s vision for Allen County. She highlights how Helene’s belief in community—summed up as the idea that a community is defined by the people who contribute to it—continues to guide the Foundation's work today. Read Sarah's article: https://lnkd.in/gcx8kqwk

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Helping Bartholomew County IN Businesses Build Community-Wide Opportunity and Prosperity   Through our partnership with Su Casa and the Columbus Area Chamber, mStreet Fiber Indiana is supporting the TIME program (Target Investment in Minority Entrepreneurs)—an initiative that advances digital participation in ways that directly align with the Indiana Digital Opportunity Strategic Plan and with our commitment to maximize fiber broadband access and economic opportunity across mStreet Fiber’s central Indiana footprint. By working together, we are doing more than connecting households to high-quality fiber. We’re strengthening entrepreneurship, expanding access, and supporting long-term economic competitiveness.   Digital participation is economic development.   #IndianaBusiness #BartholomewCounty #Columbus #FiberBroadband #SmallBusiness #DigitalOpportunity

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