Name of Foundation: The Cleveland Foundation
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact info: www.clevelandfoundation.org Phone: 216.861.3810
Coverage Area: Greater Cleveland Area
Subject Area: Education Reform, Neighborhood Revitalization, Economic Development, Arts and Culture, Youth Development, Early Childhood
Assets: 1.8 billion (2012)
Last Year Total Giving: 91.6 million (2012)
In a nutshell:
The Cleveland foundation was established a century ago in 1914 by Frederick H. Goff, who was a Cleveland lawyer, banker, civic leader and humanist. Mr. Goff was the first philanthropist to create a community foundation, an organization focused on a local community. Goff’s vision was to pool resources from community philanthropists to create a permanent endowment for the city. Future leaders would be able to distribute the interest that the trust accrues for continual betterment of Cleveland. Goff’s innovative ideas has spawned over 1,700 community foundations worldwide.
The foundation contributed to systemic changes during its early years, including the justice system and public education reform. Today, the foundation focuses on 6 major categories of funding: Education, Neighborhoods, Human Services, Arts and Culture, Economic Development, and the Greater University Circle area.
The foundation recognizes Youth Development programs as a critical part of the well-being of the greater Cleveland area. The foundation, In conjunction with local government and key community leaders, developed the MYCOM- My Commitment, My Community- initiative in 2006, which falls under their Human Services Program area. The MYCOM program is a network of people and organizations that aims to give youth positive opportunities in their local community. There are 5 components of the MYCOM program: Advocacy, Out-of-School Time, Neighborhood Capacity, Youth Engagement and Youth Employment.
There are more than 1,300 donor advised funds representing individuals, families, organizations, and corporations. The foundation invests these funds in perpetuity, so that the resources remain in trust forever. Additionally, the funds are flexible and can be used to address the greatest needs of the community as priorities evolve.
Major Programs:
Education
Neighborhoods
Human Services
Arts and Culture
Economic Development
Greater University Circle
How to Apply:
The foundation accepts grant applications on a rolling basis. They award grants monthly, and estimate an 8 week application process from the date of submission.
Interested grantees need to create an online profile with basic organizational information. After the profile is complete, grantees must submit an online grant inquiry, outlining basic information about the proposed project. Inquiries may be submitted at any time. The foundation recommends submitting one inquiry per proposed project. If it is determined that your project fits the foundation’s guidelines, you will be asked (within a few weeks) to submit a full application for review.
Recent News and Grantmaking:
4th Quarter 2013 Grants
The Cleveland Foundation Turns 100