Midwest Community Foundations' Ventures exists to build stronger communities through collaborative activities by community foundations, primarily in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Initiatives focus on advancing innovation and growth through researching opportunities, facilitating networking and mutual learning, providing technical assistance, promoting National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, capturing efficiencies, and serving as a pilot region for efforts with potential broader application. Recent achievements include increasing the number and quality of submissions for national standards compliance and launching IRA Charitable Rollover and Roth IRA Conversion marketing portfolios. In 2010-2012, work will include the provision of training on financial administration, sustainability, and succession planning; the preparation of toolkits on business model innovation and match-day events; and a retreat for chief executives. The organization will also conduct preliminary research on a potential multiyear initiative to build community foundation capacity to lead economic revitalization in eight small- and medium-sized automotive communities.

The National Center for Family Philanthropy promotes philanthropic values, vision, and excellence across generations of donors and donor families. The center ensures that family donors and their advisors have access to the highest quality information and the encouragement needed to articulate, pursue, and achieve their charitable missions; understand and meet their governance and management needs; and have a significant, positive impact on the lives and work of those they support. Since 1997, the center has done this through conducting research, developing and providing knowledge resources, training, and consulting on issues concerning family philanthropy. During 2010-2011, the center will encourage and help family foundations conduct self-assessments on their grantmaking effectiveness; publish a book entitled The Power to Produce Wonders: The Value of Family Philanthropy; conduct research and develop an assessment tool on the role of family foundation chief executives; and facilitate new collaborations with other philanthropic infrastructure organizations.

Louisiana's freshwater systems foster abundant and diverse wildlife, while also serving as important economic and social assets for human communities. The Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, a program of Tulane University, works to protect and restore these critical freshwater resources. With prior Mott support, the clinic partnered with community and environmental groups to clean up mercury contamination, reduce sewage pollution, and protect wetlands. With this grant increase, the clinic will continue its water quality and wetlands protection efforts by providing policy, legal, and technical assistance to partners; encouraging public engagement; and responding to community needs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.