Cleveland Foundation
The Cleveland Foundation, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world's first community foundation and one of the largest today, with assets of $2.5 billion and annual grants of more than $100 million. Established in 1914 by banker Frederick Harris Goff, the Cleveland Foundation partners with donors to improve the lives of residents in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, now and for generations to come.
The Cleveland Foundation is made up of more than 800 funds representing individuals, families, organizations and corporations. The current president and chief executive officer is Ronald "Ronn" Richard.[1]
The foundation was founded by Fredrick Harris Goff, a well-known banker at the Cleveland Trust Company, who sought to eliminate the "dead hand" of organized philanthropy. He created a dynamic, corporately structured foundation that could utilize community gifts in a responsive and need-appropriate manner. In 2019, 1,871 place-based foundations exist internationally, all adopting and adapting Goff's vision to harness the desire of people to help one another by sharing resources for the common good. [1]]
In its first decade, the foundation accomplished innovative projects to improve the quality of life for Greater Cleveland residents including conducting research surveys to promote public education reforms and understand the relationship between poverty and crime. In 1919, the Foundation's call for an expansion in public recreational opportunities led to launching Cleveland Metroparks.
In 1963, the Cleveland Foundation took over the stewardship of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the only literary prize in the country dedicated to honoring written works that make important contributions to our understanding of racism and appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture.
The foundation has taken a leadership role in fueling multiple revitalization projects including the resurgence of Downtown Cleveland in the 1950s, the rebirth of Playhouse Square in the 1970s and the Greater University Circle Initiative in the early 2000s.
Continuing to support equity in education, the foundation played an instrumental role in fundraising for Cleveland to become a chapter of Say Yes to Education, a goal that was achieved in 2019. Say Yes Cleveland will bring comprehensive resources - including scholarships, support services, mentoring and more - to help students across the city further their educational ambitions and achievement.
Mission
The mission of the Cleveland Foundation is "to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking and providing leadership on key community issues."[2]
Grantmaking
The Cleveland Foundation awards most of its grants to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Some grants are made to government agencies. Grants support Greater Cleveland projects and programs that benefit its citizens, meet community needs and test new ideas. The foundation generally does not make grants to individuals, for-profit organizations, small businesses, endowment campaigns, annual fundraising or membership drives.
The foundation proactively directs two-thirds of its discretionary grant dollars to these priority areas, with the goal of creating significant, widespread impact:
- Arts and Culture
- Economic and Workforce Development
- Education
- the Environment
- Leadership Development
- Neighborhood Revitalization and Engagement
- Youth Development
The other one-third is awarded in response to direct requests from the community. In total, the foundation's grantmaking awards approximately $100 million annually.
References
http://www.clevelandfoundation.org
- ^ hhttp://www.clevelandfoundation.org/about/staff/
- ^ Who We Are - The Cleveland Foundation. Accessed 2007-01-19. Archived November 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
External links
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