December 2022 - Greenacres Foundation

22 Dec 2022

News, Research Leonore Salvado 0 comment

Ecology and Environment Research Grants

Greenacres researchers setting up plots to measure invasive species.

Research Grants Available

Supporting Ecology and the Environment

A Cincinnati based non-profit, Greenacres Foundation, is awarding up to $200,000 in grants for research focused on ecology and the environment. The foundation was established in 1988 with the intent of preserving the land for the education and enjoyment of future generations.

Greenacres Foundation seeks proposals for research that addresses one or more of the following outcomes:

Improved practices in woodland restoration and/or preservation
Improved invasive species mitigation and management
Improved forest ecosystem health
Improved practices in prairie establishment and prairie ecosystem health

Qualified organizations have through January 13th, 2023 to submit their letters of intent for this year’s grant cycle.

Applicants must have an interest in sharing knowledge about what they learn with land owners and land managers. Translational research projects that include both researchers and practitioners will be prioritized. Projects are expected to be completed within 48 months of funding date.

For more information please visit, https://green-acres.org/research/ecology-and-environment-research-grants/ or email research@green-acres.org

22 Dec 2022

Bench in shade next to large tree, with cow pastures in background

Featured Leonore Salvado 0 comment

Nippert Legacy Expands Support in 2022

The Nippert charitable endeavors, which include the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation, the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and Greenacres Foundation have collectively donated more than $13 million to grant recipients throughout 2022. Their contributions will support more than 90 nonprofits and research endeavors in 2023 and beyond.

“The impact of the Nippert legacy on Cincinnati can be felt in everything from medical and social services to the arts and education. The funds and foundations reflect the Nippert’s commitment to supporting worthy causes while honoring interests they held during their lifetimes. They believed in doing the most good and we enjoy carrying on this tradition.”

Carter Randolph, Greenacres President

The L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation was established in 1981 to provide grant opportunities for any qualified non-profits located in the Greater Cincinnati region. In 2022 it awarded $4,367,879 in grant money to 69 nonprofits with causes ranging from providing youth services, supporting recycling, hospice care, and so much more.

The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund is managed by Greenacres Foundation and was set up to support musical arts initiatives in the area. It is a proud annual supporter of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, and May Festival. In addition to supporting these organizations the Fund provides grant opportunities for non-profits who support local musical arts initiatives. In 2022 it awarded $7,217,160 in grant money to Cincinnati based organizations.

“We are thrilled to have our grant selection process completed for the year and looking forward to the recipients receiving their funds before the holidays. These funds make a real difference in the ability of these organizations to tackle the challenges facing our communities.”

Meredith Leslie, Greenacres Executive Director and board member

Greenacres Foundation preserves over a thousand acres in the region for the education and enjoyment of school children, families, and adult visitors. In 2022 Greenacres expanded their support of the community by offering new grant opportunities for organizations who focus on researching generative agriculture or ecology and environmental programs. It awarded $503,969 to these research endeavors while continuing its focus on charitable activities providing educational programming to school children. It also is providing four special one-time grants of $400,000 each to the Cincinnati Zoo, Museum Center, Freestore Foodbank, and Easter Seals.

“The vast majority of funds available for agriculture research is disproportionately distributed to continue to promote large scale, commodity-driven, food production systems that come with a host of unintended consequences. The commitment that Greenacres has made to funding research in the areas of regenerative agriculture and ecology will potentially have an exponential return on investment through enhanced ecosystem services – leading to improved soil and water quality, beneficial habitats, and healthier consumers.”

Chad Bitler, Greenacres Research Director

Nonprofits based in the Greater Cincinnati area can apply for these grants through the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation and Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund between June 1st and August 1st, while Greenacres research grants are available at various points throughout the year. Visit lnlcharitable.org or green-acres.org for more information.

2022 L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation Grant Recipients:

- - 4C For Children
  - Adventure Crew
  - American Red Cross
  - Beech Acres Parenting Center
  - Beechwood Home
  - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County
  - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati
  - Brighton Center Inc.
  - Camp Joy Foundation
  - Canine Companions
  - Catholic Innercity Schools Education Fund (CISE)
  - Center for Respite Care, Inc.
  - CET Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation
  - Childhood Food Solutions
  - Children’s Hunger Alliance
  - Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
  - Cincinnati Art Museum
  - Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation
  - Cincinnati Museum Center
  - Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
  - Cincinnati Public Radio (dba 90.9 WGUC, 91.7 WVXU, 88.5 WMUB)
  - Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub
  - Cincinnati Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship
  - Cincinnati Works, Inc.
  - Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
  - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Zoological Society of Cincinnati)
  - Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
  - Crayons to Computers
  - DePaul Cristo Rey High School
  - Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati
  - East End Adult Education Center
  - Episcopal Retirement Service Affordable Living
  - Fernside: A Center for Grieving Children
  - Freestore Foodbank, Inc.
  - Holistic Management International
  - Hospice of Cincinnati, Inc.
  - Inner City Youth Opportunities
  - Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Inc.
  - Ken Anderson Alliance
  - La Soupe, Inc.
  - Last Mile Food Rescue
  - Lighthouse Youth Services, Inc., dba: Lighthouse Youth & Family Services
  - Little Miami Conservancy
  - Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD), Inc.
  - Mill Creek Alliance
  - Nature Conservancy in Ohio
  - New Life Furniture, Inc. dba New Life Furniture Bank
  - Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc. (OFIC)
  - Ohio River Foundation
  - Ohio Valley Voices
  - OptimALL Services
  - Our Daily Bread
  - Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region
  - Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio
  - ProKids
  - Salk Institute for Biological Studies
  - Salvation Army
  - Shelterhouse Volunteer Group, dba: Shelterhouse
  - St. Rita School for the Deaf
  - St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy
  - Stepping Stones Inc.
  - Taft Museum of Art
  - Talbert House
  - Teach For America Southwest Ohio
  - The Healing Center
  - University of the Cumberlands
  - WAVE Foundation, Inc.
  - Women Helping Women
  - YWCA Greater Cincinnati

2022 Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund Grant Recipients:

- - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
  - Cincinnati Ballet
  - Cincinnati Opera
  - The May Festival
  - Cincinnati Boychoir Inc.
  - School House Symphony
  - Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati
  - 4-Way String Quartet LLC
  - Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra
  - Church of our Savior/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador
  - Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra Inc.
  - Cincinnati Fusion Ensemble Inc.
  - Linton Incorporated
  - St. Thomas Episcopal Church
  - School for Creative and Performing Arts
  - Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
  - Mam-Luft and Company Dance, Inc.
  - Cincinnati Sound Chapter
  - Queen City Chamber Opera
  - Xavier University
  - Kennedy Heights Art Center
  - A Mindful Moment

07 Dec 2022

Green and red holly with winter trees out of focus in background

Featured Leonore Salvado 0 comment

A Message from our Executive Director: 2022 Review

In 2022 Greenacres Foundation proudly welcomed a new executive director, Meredith Randolph Leslie. Please read on for her words on her first year at Greenacres:

As the year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the wonderful experiences it held and looking forward to new opportunities and challenges in 2023. Carter Randolph has led the operations at Greenacres with grace, passion, and humor for the last 34 years. He is looking forward to semi-retirement, where he will maintain his role as President and Chairman of the Board. He will continue to mentor, coach, and guide myself and the rest of our leadership team for many years to come. While I am new to employment at Greenacres, I am not new to the foundation. I grew up here; my school came to Greenacres for field trips and as I got older, I would work on the farm in the summers and volunteer as a chaperone for school groups. In 2018, I joined the Greenacres Foundation Board and am honored to now be employed by the best workplace in Cincinnati.

Over the last twelve months, we’ve started returning to pre-pandemic levels of operation and we’ve launched new programs to support our community. We’ve developed a solid strategic goal and vision for the next five years, within the mission of honoring our founders intent. Our site in Brown County, Ohio experienced the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in our meadow, and we started to hear the laughter of children enjoying environment based field trips for the first time. Celebrations of marriage filled the rooms of the Arts Center again. The Pops, Opera, Ballet, and May Festival created the most beautiful and collaborative Celebration Concert, honoring the history of Ohio. We educated local farmers on how to grow native warm season grasses, and continued our war on Honeysuckle and other invasive plants. We provided nearly 500 families with generatively-raised turkeys for their Thanksgiving table. We have been inspired by the life of Grace Lewis, a young woman who had a passion for outdoor educational opportunities. In partnership with her family, we launched Exploring with Grace to provide youth in under-resourced communities the Greenacres experience. Internally, we were able to bring back employee favorites like the Turkey Week Potluck and other family oriented holiday celebrations. 2022 has been an incredible year at Greenacres, and we cannot wait to see where 2023 takes us.

We’ve also faced challenges this year. While the pandemic is getting smaller in the rearview mirror, we can still see it. Illnesses and staffing shortages across our community have led to last minute cancellations of field trips and postponed or delayed projects. Our farming friends in Ukraine have lost everything, but we were fortunate to partner with Matthew 25: Ministries to help provide some relief through a wonderful fundraising gala put on by our events team and community partners. Our livestock and garden teams faced challenges from mother nature and worked tirelessly to overcome them.

Our team faced these challenges, and more, with grace as we stretched ourselves to new heights! I’m honored to be a part of a team of so many dedicated people.

Thank you for being on this journey with us as we continue to offer unique and powerful experiences to members of our community, and live out the vision of Louis & Louise Nippert.

Cheers to 2023 and beyond,

Meredith Randolph Leslie
Executive Director