Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Smith Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1996
that (so far) has focused exclusively on providing
Awareness,
Business planning assistance, and
Cash-financial assistance to nonprofit
organizations in the greater Cincinnati community who are focusing on youth.
In this Web site, we undertake to tell you who we are, what we're about, and
how we work. We also detail some of our
work thus far.
The good news is that America - including Cincinnati - is embracing bolder and more
promising school reforms. The not-so-good news is that we still have a huge distance
to cover if the dream of a high-quality education for every young American is
actually to be reached. Nothing in our time is more important, and no challenge is
more daunting.
Do you need a purpose in your life? Do you want to make a difference in a child's
life and at the same time improve the quality of your life? I recommend The Smith
Family Foundation. We
are always searching for volunteers to advocate serving youth in the
Greater Cincinnati community today ... and the world tomorrow. We are not a large
foundation, but our hopes are high and our ambitions boundless. Please join us in
our quest for educational excellence for all children.
Sincerely,
Gale E. Smith
President
The Smith Family Foundation
The Smith Family Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public foundation founded in
1996. The foundation is guided by the principles of personal responsibility,
strong family, and community support.
W
e are a family committed to brightening the world with
young people learning from adults, to serve others.
W
e are committed to being a leader in the Greater
Cincinnati Community in showing others, by example, the potential each
of us has to make a difference in the life of our community's youth.
W
e will be a catalyst to wake up others - who may have,
without knowing it, become stagnant - and show them how to stand up
for what's right.
W
e will encourage individuals and organizations to serve
youth worldwide.
W
e will equip those who serve with necessary skills and
resources.
W
e will expand the beneficial impact on youth by
coordinating the efforts of those who serve them.
Board of Directors
Gale E. Smith, President & Treasurer
Laura L. Smith, Secretary
Terry L. Smith English, Vice President
Leslie A. Smith Himes, Vice President
Jeffrey R. Smith, Vice President
Todd A. Smith, Vice President
Corporate Council
Robert E. Brant
Stephen C. Kisling
Advisory
Michael Agnew
Alexander Alvarez
John Allen
Clifford Bailey
Catherine Barrett
Lisa Bastian
Mark Baverman
Jeannie Bell
Susan Bell
William Bley
Rev. V. Booth
Arn Bortz
Larry Bourgeois
Joe Brinck
Tom Brinkman, Jr.
Gayle Brock
Linda Cagnetti
Sam Casolari
Steve Clayborn
Isaac Curtis
Jackie Davis
Cammy Dierking
Taffy Douglas
Angela Durham
Dave Eby
Sally Elliot
Steve Elliott |
|
Mike Ellison
Chris Finney
Sr. Rose Ann Fleming
Jim Flood
Todd Forman
Danny Frank
FD Franklin
Elaine Smith-Girton
Chip Glaescher
Eileen Glasgow
Jennifer Gray
Cynthia Halloway
Jerry Haralson
Phil Heimlich
Ed Hobart
Ed Hurbert
Robert Humphries
Christopher Koob
Jeffrey Kreines
Byron Larkin
Dan LeBlond
Hagit Limor
Beth Link
Kathy List
Tony Maas
Gene Magers
Ed McLaughlin |
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Pete Peters
Carl Petty
Ted Power
Joseph Prell
Skip Prosser
Karen Register
Oscar Robertson
Gerald Rolfes
Durk Rorie
Brian Rowlette
Lamont Shazier
Gerald Simons
Katherine Smith
Jeff Staley
Mark Steffen
Gerald Stricker
Mike Sweeney
John Sweeney
Eric Tomasetti
Norman Townsel
David Weaver
Bill Westerheide
Steve White
Dan Valentine
Tony Yates |
Vision
Greater Cincinnati community today... the world tomorrow - will be brightened
with young people learning to serve others.
Mission
Serving Youth Worldwide.
We accomplish our mission by:
Having
a passion for showing our communities' youth that one person can be a
"difference maker."
Going
where kids are.
Building
personal relationships with the nonprofit organizations we support.
Working
with a team of like-minded individuals - volunteer leaders, committee
members, donors, and staff.
Realizing
that it's our responsibility, as leaders and difference makers in our
community, to continue to expand the opportunities for
diversity.
Promoting
multi-cultural interaction and understanding. We believe our children,
in order to be successful in the world of tomorrow, must learn about
and learn to value different cultures.
Doing
what is right and demonstrating the highest standards of stewardship
of all the resources placed in our trust.
Values
Our values as a foundation come from partnering with others in order to
increase our success.
Anyone
can make a positive difference in the world, and we feel everyone should try.
An
investment in young people is an investment in a brighter future.
Young
people are open to serving others, but need adults as role models.
The best
way to serve youth is to serve them right where they are.
Being
role models for youth means more than just serving them; it means
demonstrating for them the highest standards of integrity and
stewardship.
Goals
Without a dream there can be no goals. Set your dreams in bricks and
mortar and your goals in sand. Getting knocked down is not a crime. The crime is not
getting back up.
Major Foundation Goals for 2001
Complete
selection of local nonprofit community initiatives by Jan. 15, 2001.
Fulfill
grant commitment to MCPSC.
Successful
completion of 3rd Annual Celebration of Champions Tribute Dinner.
Selection
of Secret of Living is Giving and Gold Medal Angel Award recipients.
Providing
awareness, recognition and/or financial assistance to the following
2001 initiatives:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati
Character Council of Cincinnati
Computer Cop
Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati
Marva Collins Preparatory School of Cincinnati
One Way Farm
Finalize
plans for the Golf-a-thon fund raising vehicle being developed to
provide funds for the above initiatives.
Establish
community Endowment Fund to provide support to
our foundations charitable interests in perpetuity and build the fund to $500,000 by
end of 2006.
Initiatives
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati
Character Council of Cincinnati
Computer Cop
Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati
Marva Collins Preparatory School of Cincinnati
One Way Farm
Results Now
Who will improve the lives of young people and help them build ...
Character
Confidence
Initiative
Life skills
Self esteem
If not YOU... WHO?
Attitudes
Every Day is a Great Day
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Write it on your
heart that every day is the best day in the year. He or she is rich who
owns the day and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with
threat and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done
what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in. Forget
them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. Begin it well and
serenely with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations to waste a
moment on the yesterdays."
Each day is a miniature lifetime, and your
attitude concerning each day. It makes a difference. If you make today a
good day and repeat that procedure daily, you'll live a lifetime of good
days. I confess that this approach to life is simple, but it isn't simplistic.
Occasionally, someone accuses me of saying
that today is a good day regardless of how it's going. A degree of truth
lies in that observation, but years ago I decided that every day was
going to be a good day. This expectation has had a direct influence on
what has happened in my life and it can do the same for your life.
Expect today to be a good day, and then do
what's necessary to make your expectations come true.
Fear
... False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
What We Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that
We are POWERFUL, beyond measure,
It is our LIGHT, not our darkness,
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves:
Who am I to be BRILLIANT, GORGEOUS,
TALENTED, FABULOUS?
Who am I to be POWERFUL, SPONTANEOUS,
COURAGEOUS, FREE, AND WORTHY?
Actually, who are you NOT TO BE?
You are a child of God,
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel
Insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It is not in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people
Permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
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Our Foundation's Motto |
|
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you can. |
| |
Our Foundation's Prayer |
Loving God,
Our lives are like a patchwork quilt.
Some pieces are bright and cheerful, memories of sun and laughter,
And for these we give thanks and praise.
Others are dark and heavy, reminding us of dull routines and sad times;
For these give us courage and strength.
Knit us together -
The dark and heavy, the bright and cheerful - a family.
Wrap us in your great love and cover us with your care.
We ask this for our family and all families of the world.
Amen. |
Thanks KL |