From their web site:
About Us
In the fall of 2004 a small circle of people decided it was time to stop talking about Cleveland’s problems and start investing in solutions. They gathered together friends and neighbors to begin building a new giving circle and The Cleveland Colectivo was born. Inspired by the traditional practice of immigrant neighbors who invested in each other’s businesses in order to build community, the Cleveland Colectivo is a group of like-minded friends, neighbors, and colleagues who have joined together for the purpose of collective giving.
Our mission is to strengthen our community through collective investments that identify and nurture innovative projects. We pool our funds and share our energy to invest it back into projects that we see as worthwhile and exciting in Cleveland. Each member contributes to The Colectivo quarterly and together we choose projects to support. Every month we gather to discuss ideas, learn about area initiatives and organizations, network with a growing circle of members, and continue building The Colectivo.
Official Website: http://www.clevelandcolectivo.org
Added by sspivack on November 19, 2008
sspivack
I don't know if their description is the best way to help you understand their mission. You should go to their web site and review some of their recent grantees. Every one of them gave me a better appreciation of some of our society's ills and innovative things that can be done about them.
It sounds like a great way to help individuals get more impact from their charitable contributions and simultaneously help worthwhile smaller charities that might have trouble getting funding from larger more traditional charities.