Who We Are
Inner Visions of Cleveland is a whole new kind of hands-on non-profit organization dedicated to supporting neighborhood community improvement projects conceived, initiated, and driven by the residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland.
How We Are Different
We don’t want your money. Well, maybe just a little bit of it. We would rather have ten people give $100 than a single $1,000 contribution. Why? Because we would rather have ten people involved with a project instead of just one. That’s ten people working towards a shared goal -- accepting and supporting their neighbors’ visions for a better Cleveland. You can see why one of our mottos is Small Bucks Bring Big Change.
How We Do It
Our role isn’t just to connect people from both ends of the economic spectrum. We actively seek out residents with both simple and complex project ideas that will help to build better neighborhoods.
We meet them at community events, through referrals, word-of-mouth, and partnering with other non-profit organizations and other leadership groups. We even read about people in the newspaper and then seek them out.
We assist them with strategic planning and connections to resources. We maintain contact with residents from the beginning of their projects to completion and beyond. We are always working and learning together.
We also offer support for the projects in the same ways that friends support one another. For example, we hosted a housewarming shower for a grassroots group rehabbing and furnishing a home for abused women. The group filled out gift registries at area stores and people who wanted to contribute could choose a gift from the registry and bring it to the party!
More of What We Do
We host book events for the book Inner Visions: Grassroots Stories of Truth and Hope by Jan Thrope, (Orange Frazer Press), First Place Non-Fiction Winner of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The book is a photojournalistic introduction to Cleveland area residents and their projects. You’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the residents themselves as they share their projects with the audience. 100% of the proceeds of the book are used to fund community development projects led by residents.
We also sponsor Good News Tours that take you to actual project sites to meet the residents and experience their projects firsthand. Call 216 965-4721 to get information on the next tour.
What You Can Do
Want to learn more? Call Jan Thrope at 216.965.4721 or .
