InterAct for Change Drives Active, Collaborative Giving; Brings New Model of Philanthropy

May 14, 2007 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Donald E. Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of the Health Foundation Fund, and Penny Friedman, president of BeneFactors, LLC, today announced the creation of InterAct for Change, a full-service, nonprofit enterprise with a focus on active giving and positive change with measurable results.

InterAct for Change is the result of BeneFactors joining with the Health Foundation Fund, a public charity started by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati in 2002. Previously, BeneFactors was a strategic, advisory and administrative consulting firm serving philanthropic foundations and individuals since 1998. Hoffman will serve as president and CEO and Friedman will serve as vice president and chief operating officer of InterAct for Change.

“The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and the Health Foundation Fund went through an extensive strategic planning process in 2005-2006,” according to Hoffman. “While the Board of The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati set future directions for serving the health needs of our 20-county region, the Fund Board moved away from just health to focus on philanthropy. Inviting BeneFactors to join us jump-starts InterAct’s capabilities enormously.” The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati is contributing $1 million over the next five years to underwrite InterAct’s growth.

InterAct for Change offers confidential and customized philanthropic services and programs beyond its origins in health. InterAct designs and implements meaningful strategies for individuals, families, foundations, philanthropic funds, and giving collaboratives. Services include:

InterAct Advisors: A nonprofit consulting practice with a full range of services to support effective individual, family, corporate, and next generation philanthropy, including strategic planning, mission/vision development, creation of a personalized philanthropic plan, and boards in transition.
Foundation Services: Once the planning stage is completed, InterAct provides ongoing strategic, advisory, and administrative services to private foundations, charitable trusts, and supporting organizations to improve grantmaking programs, find and evaluate which charitable organizations match the client’s mission, and ensure compliance with legal and tax requirements.
Giving Collaboratives: Entrepreneurial opportunities for people and organizations to work together by combining personal resources and skills to creatively address social and human problems.
Venture Philanthropy: Affiliation with Seattle-based Social Venture Partners International is pending. SVPI is a diverse network of engaged donors who pool financial contributions and business skills to learn from each other and build capacity for positive community impact. InterAct will be the regional home for SVP Cincinnati.
Philanthropic Funds: Partner-advised and restricted funds, which offer donors an opportunity to recommend how their gifts are used; endowment funds for nonprofits, and scholarship funds.
Operating Programs: New and existing programs incubated by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, such as the Ohio Coordinating Center for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), the Assistance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) Center, and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). InterAct also offers nonprofit capacity building programs and operates a conference facility for nonprofit organizations.

“Today’s active givers want to do more than just write checks,” states Hoffman. “They have a passion to be more hands-on and involved in driving ideas and change.”

According to Friedman, “Every single client we work with is unique. Sometimes they look to us to guide, organize, and challenge them as a partner in their giving process. In other cases, we literally serve as their foundation staff, taking care of administrative, grant making, and financial details. The beauty of our model is that we listen first, then design and implement highly customized solutions for each client.”

InterAct will continue to use the intellectual capital and back-office resources of The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati to support its operations.

Other officers of InterAct are: Susan Ingmire, vice president, Strategic Giving; Dan Geeding, vice president and CFO; and Patricia O’Connor, vice president, Program. Lyn Martin is an associate of InterAct, serving as program officer. Geeding and O’Connor had been with the Health Foundation Fund since its inception. Ingmire most recently served as planned giving director at the Fine Arts Fund. Martin has been with BeneFactors for two years.

A community open house to introduce InterAct is scheduled for 5 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, at Rookwood Tower in Norwood, 3805 Edwards Road, Suite 500. Anyone is welcome to attend and RSVPs are not required.

InterAct for Change inspires, leads, and supports active giving and innovative philanthropic solutions. The Health Foundation Fund, a public charity, was founded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati in 2002. In 2007, BeneFactors, LLC joined with the Health Foundation Fund to become InterAct for Change. InterAct for Change is hosting several introductory events in May and June. For more information, visit www.interactforchange.org or call 513-458-6680.