Digital Commons Network^™

Sustainable Tourism And Hospitality Education In A Rapidly Transitioning Industry: The Future Of Tourism And Hospitality Education In The Gcc Region, Ali Abdallah, Ivan Ninov

Journal of Tourism Insights

Cooper and Shepherd (1999) assessed sustainable tourism and hospitality education decades ago highlighting the raft between the market needs and educational programmes. The tourism and hospitality industry witnessed several transitions, while educational practices remained at a stand-still mode. Even in well-developed tourism markets, educational programmes were not reconsidered to accommodate this change (Mínguez, Martínez-Hernandez, & Yubero, 2021). The tourism and hospitality industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council States (hereinafter mentioned as GCC) provides excellence in service delivery. Therefore, this study aims to assess the future of tourism and hospitality education in the GCC region. The research discusses the tourism and …

Innovation In The Economy: An Examination Of The Role Of Innovation On Economic Growth, Samuel Macchiarolo

Honors Projects

This paper will be examining factors that may have contributed to past economic recessions, particularly in the US, by looking at levels of both financial innovation and physical innovation, as well as research and development. The paper will take a deeper look into how previous economic recessions happened, how the changes in the level of innovation played a part in those recessions, why innovation levels change so much, and what can be done to eliminate the variation of innovation to help stabilize economic output.

How To Encourage Sustainable Change: A Reflection On How Philanthropy Can Partner With Grantees To Build Organizational Capacity, Allison Dymnicki, Alex Hooker, Rebecca Goldberg

The Foundation Review

In 2014, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation embarked on the National Character Initiative to support organizations seeking to advance character development among youth. The initiative sought to promote lasting change by focusing on building grantee capacity that was based largely on grantee priorities.

This article highlights key findings from an evaluation of the foundation’s approach to the initiative by elevating the perspectives of grantees, foundation staff, and field experts who served as consultants. It discusses supports the foundation provided to grantees and three key transformational elements in capacity building: proactive and responsive technical assistance, a culture of learning, and …

Is More Always Better? A Reflection On The Dynamic Nature Of Nationally And Regionally Focused Funder Collaboratives, Jo Carcedo, Merry Davis, Megan Folkerth, Lori Grubstein, Chris Kabel

The Foundation Review

Funding collaboratives allow foundations to align, increase effectiveness, and collectively address systemic issues. Such alliances are increasingly important in the quest for social change in the face of large-scale challenges like climate change, political polarization, and inequity, which require contributions from across sectors to create meaningful impact. An exploration of why such collaboratives form, how they evolve, and what impact they have offers insights for foundations interested in tackling such complex challenges.

The BUILD Health Challenge® is a funding collaborative that includes national and regionally focused funders working together to drive sustainable improvements in health. Through a reflective survey and …

Lessons From The Assessment For Learning Project: Strategies For Building An Authentic Learning Community, Heather Lewis-Charp, Daniela Berman, Sarah Lench, Tony Siddall

The Foundation Review

This article explores findings from an evaluation of the Assessment for Learning Project, a grantee engagement strategy led by the Center for Innovation in Education focused on creating a learning community founded in continuous reflection and safety for risk-taking. The article shares the project’s model and approach, grounded in the core design elements of a field-facing learning agenda, grantmaking that leads with learning, and collective leadership.

This article highlights the Assessment for Learning Project’s practices, such as a Request for Learning rather than traditional Request for Proposals; a requirement that grantees provide formative feedback to each other; and public demonstrations …

The Dynamic Developers Innovation Portfolio, Carrie Warner, Rosalie Gagnon, Brianna Newcomb, Hannah Samaan, Tyler Mckarge

Undergraduate Research

We appreciate your interest in the work of our team, The Dynamic Developers. We take great pride in the work we have done over the course of four months. Our research consisted of reading numerous scholarly articles, interviewing multiple stakeholders, and collecting feedback on our work through collaborator debriefs. From this portfolio, you will be able to see the Design Thinking Process we followed to develop a solution that will better student engagement at the Frederik Meijer Honors College. Our team consisted of five Honors College Students with diverse backgrounds and areas of study. Each team member brought different perspectives …

The Faculty Landing Page: Easy Access To Both Faculty Administrators Schedules, Ryan Vanoss, Sydney Sprau, Charity Foster, Rachel Mckay, Madelyn Conklin

Undergraduate Research

Despite the obvious successes that the Frederik Meijer Honors College has enjoyed in recent years, there are noticeable ways in which it can grow, the most visible of which, is the current agency that the students claim in the Honors College. Lack of student agency, or governance, is likely the manifestation of a deeper problem, however. We seek to solve the inability for the Honors College students and faculty/administration to develop rich and meaningful relationships, through which the students will be able to voice their concerns and thus help govern the Honors College. We believe that effective governance is built …

The Influence Of Philanthropy In The Economic Development Of Grand Rapids, Heather M. Rowan

SPNHA Review

Not to be confused with charity or humanitarian intervention, philanthropy used in economic development focuses on community economic initiatives to restore local business ownership and encourage the strategic use of local resources while empowering community pride for long-term sustainability. The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has flourished beneath the partnership of individual philanthropy and “place-rooted” foundations dedicated to improving the status and overall development of the city. Organizations like Grand Action and The Right Place, Inc. have leveraged the combined efforts of a number of local philanthropists to fund larger development projects within the city center to create a community …

Preparing Fmhc Students For Life After Graduation, Emily Ruth Driscoll, Emma Kolar, Hannah Rojas, Carly Sutkewicz, Sam Ventocilla, Nathan Wagner

Undergraduate Research

The pages you have before you are a complete chronicle of our journey through the design thinking process. We were asked a pressing question: “how can Honors students better prepare for life after graduation?” This question launched a four-month journey, for which we were given the map of the design thinking process. This map was unique in that it told us what terrain we would be navigating, but not how to get to the next destination. Not directly, anyway. Every section of terrain had many paths, and plenty of open space to forge our own.

From the rolling moors of …

Innovating To Help The Students Of Fmhc Transition Into The Real World, Bee Fink, Leo Brisita, Kate Hubbard, Alex Broek, Kelsey Bredeweg, Reilly Olson

Undergraduate Research

We appreciate your interest in our team, and all of the work we put into creating a solution for the future leaders of the Frederik Meijer Honors College. Over the span of four months, we conducted hours of research, interviews, team collaboration, thinking critically, prototyping, and designing. Through this portfolio, an overview will be provided of how we developed our final innovation to assist students of the Frederik Meijer Honors College to comfortably transition to life after Grand Valley.

Foundations Don’T Know What They’Re Risking, Maya Winkelstein, Shelley Whelpton

The Foundation Review

Critical gaps exist in philanthropy’s definitions of and approach to risk management. This article describes the scope of the problem and a framework for philanthropists to adopt risk-management practices that better equip the sector to address the challenges of our time.

In 2015, the Open Road Alliance surveyed hundreds of funders and grantees to explore questions about risk and contingency funding. The next year, Open Road partnered with Arabella Advisors for a qualitative analysis of existing foundation policies and procedures related to risk. The combined results suggest a need for contingency funding – and a lack among most funders and …

Building Bridges, Benjamin R. Cousino, Nathan P. Gillespie, Shelby Miller, Sue Pete, Elizabeth A. Shepherd, Philip M. Sheridan

Undergraduate Research

Throughout the winter 2017 semester our interdisciplinary team utilized the design thinking process to redefine the purpose of the Grand Valley Holland Meijer Campus. As a process for collaborative and creative problem solving on complex challenges, Design Thinking requires empathizing with community stakeholders, iterative integration of insights, ideation, prototyping and testing. Through this process we have identified creative possibilities designed to support and enhance both Grand Valley State University’s Holland campus as well as the community of Holland. Our final prototype optimizes engagement with the campus. While an incredibly large and challenging undertaking, this experience confirmed that the design thinking …

Evaluation At Sunset: Considerations When Evaluating A Program As It Concludes, Blair Beadnell, Holly Carmichael Djang, Jan Vanslyke, Barbara Andersen

The Foundation Review

While the benefits of beginning evaluation efforts at a program’s inception are well known, for a variety of reasons many organizations are unable to do so and instead begin these efforts closer to a program’s conclusion.

Previously reported findings from a sunset evaluation of the Orfalea Foundation’s School Food Initiative showed positive outcomes of the initiative’s activities and provided recommendations for organizations interested in engaging in similar efforts. Because the evaluation was begun as the foundation’s activities were winding down, it required creative design approaches.

This article uses the evaluation of the Orfalea Foundation’s initiative to provide a case example …

Community Innovation Network Framework: A Model For Reshaping Community Identity, William P. Moore, Adena M. Klem, Cheryl L. Holmes, June Holley, Carlie Houchen

The Foundation Review

The REACH Healthcare Foundation created its Rural Health Initiative to encourage the development of innovative strategies to improve access to health care and reduce health inequities in three rural counties in Missouri and Kansas. The intent was to develop a systematic, sustainable, and coordinated approach to community change that would increase the odds of breaking through the persistent barriers to health care access for the rural poor and medically underserved in these counties.

This article discusses the foundation’s original approach to the initiative and how it adjusted that approach in response to its rural partners’ experiences. It reflects on the …

Foundations Supporting Research And Innovation In Europe: Results And Lessons From The Eufori Study, Barbara Gouwenberg, Danique Ali, Barry Hoolwerf, Rene Bekkers, Theo Schuyt, Jan Smit

The Foundation Review

This article presents the most important results of the European Foundation for Research and Innovation Study, the first study to map the roles and collective contributions of Europe’s large, heterogeneous, and fragmented sector of research and innovation foundations.

The study, based on a review of about 1,000 foundations, estimates that they contribute at least $6.4 billion a year to research and innovation in Europe. While this estimate shows that the contribution is quite substantial, its economic weight is modest compared to that of government, the business sector, and other actors in the domain of research and innovation.

European foundations prefer …

Restore Innovation Portfolio Team Four, Tyler P. Alcantara, Luciano M. Delorenzo, Kayla R. Dora, Laura C. Sample, Hannah M. Swanson

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Activating The Power Of Place: A Case Study Of Market Creek, Elizabeth Castillo, Angela Titus

The Foundation Review

This article tells the story of a placed-based initiative to develop well-being and wealth in the historically underserved Diamond Neighborhood in San Diego, and discusses the place-based philosophy of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and the foundation’s motivation for place-based work.

Its theory of change is presented through examples, along with the entry points the foundation chose for engagement and how it developed community capacity to engage effectively in this change work.

The article also discusses plans to transition ownership to the Diamond Neighborhood community when the foundation sunsets in 2030.

Catalytic Funding, Partnership, Evaluation, And Advocacy: Innovation Strategies For Community Impact, Lora Warner

The Foundation Review

With long-term commitments to concentrated geographic regions, community foundations are in a unique position to highlight problems and stimulate other nonprofit organizations and funders to develop local solutions. Seizing an opportunity to address a growing community concern over cutbacks in youth arts education, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region undertook an initiative that utilized several innovation strategies in a way that would impact the community and its own work.

This article describes how the foundation combined catalytic funding, partnership with grantees, creative use of evaluation, and design of advocacy tools to promote and strengthen youth arts programming. The …

Transformative Possibilities: Liberal Education At Grand Valley State University, Judy D. Whipps

Other Faculty Publications

The readings in the book Reflect, Connect, Engage (2013) offer both an invitation and a challenge as they open the reader to possibilities of transformation. By engaging these voices you are welcomed into a community of learners that includes all of us at Grand Valley, students, faculty and staff, all of us learning from each other as well as from work of great thinkers and activists. GVSU is founded on the practice of liberal education -- an education that holds the possibility of permanently enriching our lives, assisting in the development of the capacities and skills necessary for our vocations, …

Evaluation For Models And Adaptive Initiatives, Heather Britt, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

· Although there has been a growing emphasis on use of experimental designs in evaluation, there is also increasing agreement that evaluation designs should be situation specific.

· The nature of the program is one of the key factors to consider in evaluation design.

· Two types of programs – models, which provide replicable or semi-standardized solutions, adaptive initiatives, which are flexible programming strategies used to address problems that require unique, context-based solutions – require different evaluation designs.

· Evaluation of models requires understanding the stage of development of the model program, with summative evaluation done only when the model …