Federation for Community Planning

Founded in 1913, as the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy, to coordinate funding for the numerous charities in Cleveland. It merged with the Welfare Council of Cleveland in 1917 to form the Cleveland Welfare Federation. In 1972 it became the Federation for Community Planning. By 1919 it had given up solicitation of funds and by 1966 their allocation also, evolving into a specialized community planning agency.

From the description of Records 1913-1974. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 17645003

From the description of Federation for Community Planning records, 1913-1974 [microform]. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 48854251

The Federation for Community Planning was the coordinating body for funding and direction of private and public welfare work in Cleveland, Ohio.

The organization's antecedents lie in the movement to systematize philanthropic work during the early twentieth century. As such, the Federation is the indirect descendant of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce Committee on Benevolent Associations which was established in 1900 to regulate the solicitation of funds by the numerous philanthropic organizations in the city. The committee's work led to the creation of the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy in 1913. This organization, the first of its kind for any major city, conducted a single solicitation campaign to fund a variety of member charitable organizations, thereby eliminating numerous individual solicitations that had been carried on before. The formation of the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy was, in part, based on the unified solicitation of funds that had been carried on for the city's Jewish philanthropic organizations by the Federation of Jewish Charities since 1903.

In 1917, the Federation merged with the Welfare Council of Cleveland to for the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, which became the Federation for Community Planning in 1972. The Welfare Council, in turn, had been formed in 1916 to oversee the activities of the City Department of Welfare, also formed in 1916. The Council was composed of area social workers and was expected to act as a non-political body in directing the city's relief and welfare functions. The merger of the Council and the Federation, therefore, resulted in the creation of a body that not only funded, but directed all private and public welfare activities in Cleveland.

During World War I, the conduct of a highly successful War Chest campaign which funded national war-related charities as well as local charities led again to the creation of an independent fund solicitation body in Cleveland. Based on the success of these campaigns, the Welfare Federation relinquished its solicitation work to the Cleveland Community Chest in 1919, but retained its allocation and planning functions. The Community Chest, in turn, has remained the fundraising body for local private charities and is currently operated as United Way Services of Greater Cleveland.

During the next three decades, 1920-1950, the Welfare Federation evolved into a multi-faceted organization which served as the arbiter for all charitable work in the city. Direction of the body was vested in a board of trustees which, through a series of central committees, advised the executive director and staff of the Federation. The trustees were elected by an assembly composed of two representatives from each member agency, that is, any private and public charity receiving funds and/or advice from the Federation. Such agencies included settlement houses, old age homes, organizations such as the Salvation Army and those bodies also overseen by the Jewish Welfare Federation, as well as the city and county welfare departments. In 1940, 1930 agencies were members of the Federation. By 1966, the number had increased to 235.

The importance of the Federation centered about its work in determining community needs and developing programs in member agencies to meet those needs. Allocations of funds were partially based on these broad areas of need as well as on the Federation's continuing drive to eliminate redundancy of function among recipient agencies.

In addition to the directional advice supplied by the board and central committees responsible to the board, the Federation was advised by a series of independent councils which were established during the 1920s and 1930s. The first such council, the Cleveland Hospital Council, was formed in 1918. It was followed in 1925 by the Health Council which grew out of the Public Health Association founded in 1921. Other councils which came into existence were the Case Work, Children's and Group Work Councils. In 1943, a formal association of neighborhood councils, the Area Councils Association, became affiliated with the Federation. Each of these bodies was composed of workers active in a specific area of welfare. In addition to advising the Federation, the councils, through a system of committees, often independently explored areas of need pertinent to their interests.

Among the areas of need investigated and funded by the Federation throughout its existence were illegitimacy, race relations, adoption, juvenile delinquency, adult education, housing, and health care. Exigencies particular to any time period often led the Federation into new areas. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, it became involved in public and private relief programs and the problems of transiency. During World War II it became active in fostering social protection programs, a plan for the resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland, and adoption services for war orphans. As the problems of old age services became more apparent in the 1930s, it developed programs directed toward the elderly, most of which were eventually overseen by its Committee on Older Persons. In the 1960s it became more active in its advocacy for sex education programs and worker training programs.

By 1966, the Federation had become involved in so many areas of need that its own structure had become somewhat unwieldy. In that year it eliminated the Health, Group Services, Case Work, and Children's Councils, combining their functions in a single Community Services Division. Its main committee, the Central Planning Board, became the Community Planning and Development Division, and its Financially Participating Agencies Committee (which governed the work of agencies funded through the Federation) became the Financially Participating Agencies Division. Two new agencies, attuned to contemporary needs, the Health Planning and Development Commission and the Manpower Planning and Development Commission, were also created. Most importantly, the Federation at this time turned over its allocation functions to what is now United Way Services of Greater Cleveland.

In 1972, the Welfare Federation changed its name to the Federation for Community Planning, a title that more accurately reflected the body's function. Its activities centered largely about planning for the needs of the community, whether those needs are met by private or public agencies. Today, the organization is known as the Center for Community Solutions.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Federation for Community Planning

From the guide to the Federation for Community Planning Records, 1913-1974, (Western Reserve Historical Society)

The Federation for Community Planning was the coordinating body for funding and direction of private and public welfare work in Cleveland, Ohio.

The organization's antecedents lie in the movement to systematize philanthropic work during the early twentieth century. As such, the Federation is the indirect descendant of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce Committee on Benevolent Associations which was established in 1900 to regulate the solicitation of funds by the numerous philanthropic organizations in the city. The committee's work led to the creation of the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy in 1913. This organization, the first of its kind for any major city, conducted a single solicitation campaign to fund a variety of member charitable organizations, thereby eliminating numerous individual solicitations that had been carried on before. The formation of the Federation for Charity and Philanthropy was, in part, based on the unified solicitation of funds that had been carried on for the city's Jewish philanthropic organizations by the Federation of Jewish Charities since 1903.

In 1917, the Federation merged with the Welfare Council of Cleveland to for the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, which became the Federation for Community Planning in 1972. The Welfare Council, in turn, had been formed in 1916 to oversee the activities of the City Department of Welfare, also formed in 1916. The Council was composed of area social workers and was expected to act as a non-political body in directing the city's relief and welfare functions. The merger of the Council and the Federation, therefore, resulted in the creation of a body that not only funded, but directed all private and public welfare activities in Cleveland.

During World War I, the conduct of a highly successful War Chest campaign which funded national war-related charities as well as local charities led again to the creation of an independent fund solicitation body in Cleveland. Based on the success of these campaigns, the Welfare Federation relinquished its solicitation work to the Cleveland Community Chest in 1919, but retained its allocation and planning functions. The Community Chest, in turn, has remained the fundraising body for local private charities and is currently operated as United Way Services of Greater Cleveland.

During the next three decades, 1920-1950, the Welfare Federation evolved into a multi-faceted organization which served as the arbiter for all charitable work in the city. Direction of the body was vested in a board of trustees which, through a series of central committees, advised the executive director and staff of the Federation. The trustees were elected by an assembly composed of two representatives from each member agency, that is, any private and public charity receiving funds and/or advice from the Federation. Such agencies included settlement houses, old age homes, organizations such as the Salvation Army and those bodies also overseen by the Jewish Welfare Federation, as well as the city and county welfare departments. In 1940, 1930 agencies were members of the Federation. By 1966, the number had increased to 235.

The importance of the Federation centered about its work in determining community needs and developing programs in member agencies to meet those needs. Allocations of funds were partially based on these broad areas of need as well as on the Federation's continuing drive to eliminate redundancy of function among recipient agencies.

In addition to the directional advice supplied by the board and central committees responsible to the board, the Federation was advised by a series of independent councils which were established during the 1920s and 1930s. The first such council, the Cleveland Hospital Council, was formed in 1918. It was followed in 1925 by the Health Council which grew out of the Public Health Association founded in 1921. Other councils which came into existence were the Case Work, Children's and Group Work Councils. In 1943, a formal association of neighborhood councils, the Area Councils Association, became affiliated with the Federation. Each of these bodies was composed of workers active in a specific area of welfare. In addition to advising the Federation, the councils, through a system of committees, often independently explored areas of need pertinent to their interests.

Among the areas of need investigated and funded by the Federation throughout its existence were illegitimacy, race relations, adoption, juvenile delinquency, adult education, housing, and health care. Exigencies particular to any time period often led the Federation into new areas. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, it became involved in public and private relief programs and the problems of transiency. During World War II it became active in fostering social protection programs, a plan for the resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland, and adoption services for war orphans. As the problems of old age services became more apparent in the 1930s, it developed programs directed toward the elderly, most of which were eventually overseen by its Committee on Older Persons. In the 1960s it became more active in its advocacy for sex education programs and worker training programs.

By 1966, the Federation had become involved in so many areas of need that its own structure had become somewhat unwieldy. In that year it eliminated the Health, Group Services, Case Work, and Children's Councils, combining their functions in a single Community Services Division. Its main committee, the Central Planning Board, became the Community Planning and Development Division, and its Financially Participating Agencies Committee (which governed the work of agencies funded through the Federation) became the Financially Participating Agencies Division. Two new agencies, attuned to contemporary needs, the Health Planning and Development Commission and the Manpower Planning and Development Commission, were also created. Most importantly, the Federation at this time turned over its allocation functions to what is now United Way Services of Greater Cleveland.

In 1972, the Welfare Federation changed its name to the Federation for Community Planning, a title that more accurately reflected the body's function. Its activities centered largely about planning for the needs of the community, whether those needs are met by private or public agencies. Today, the organization is known as the Center for Community Solutions.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Federation for Community Planning

From the guide to the Federation for Community Planning Photographs, 1937-1967, (Western Reserve Historical Society)