If you google "Colectivo," the first thing that comes up is the Wikipedia entry, which describes a colectivo as a type of bus in Argentina. It's a public bus built out of smaller vehicle chassis that includes hand-painted graphics and is well-loved by Argentinians.
There is, however, another kind of colectivo - the Cleveland Colectivo. This grassroots giving circle, which was formed four years ago by a group of friends and neighbors to make a difference in the city, is celebrating its fourth year of grantmaking. Later in April, the group will decide which grassroots projects to support for this fiscal year, offering grants of $500 to $5,000. All told, the group will give away close to $20,000 to support innovative, neighborhood-based projects that will improve Cleveland.
Past projects that the Cleveland Colectivo has helped to support include a community garden in Tremont, a summer camp that taught Cleveland kids how to make sailboats and then gave them a chance to sail them at Whiskey Island, and a deconstruction enterprise that reuses bits and pieces of dismantled Cleveland buildings, remaking them into beautiful, for-sale furniture (hey, one man's trash ... ).
This year, the Cleveland Colectivo is encouraging folks in Northeast Ohio to consider forming their own giving circle, and even offering a matching start-up grant. It's one way to make a difference in your community. Although foundations are hard hit by the economic downturn, and giving less, small contributions from individuals, when pooled together, can make a big differnce. (Typically, Colectivo members give $400 per year - the group has about 25 dues-paying members, and a whole bunch of other folks that come to meetings and volunteer.)
For more info, visit www.clevelandcolectivo.org or click here.
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