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The George Gund Foundation fellowship provides an opportunity for promising professionals to work inside the Foundation, a philanthropic organization that plays a vital role in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland and in various state and national policy deliberations that affect our community. The fellowship is a two-year, full-time commitment beginning in summer 2025, requiring residence in Greater Cleveland during the term of engagement.

The fellowship experience will be tailored to the Foundation’s needs and, to some extent, to the fellow’s interests. The fellow will engage in a wide range of substantive assignments across program areas, which include climate and environmental justice, creative culture and arts, public education, thriving families and social justice, and vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy. Across those program areas is an underlying commitment to addressing climate change and environmental degradation; entrenched and accelerating inequality, especially racial inequity; and weakened democracy.

The Foundation has engaged Cheryl C. Perez and her team to lead the search process. The position profile with relevant details can be found by clicking here. The George Gund Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and pursues equity in all of its work, including hiring. Please share this information with potential applicants and encourage their consideration of it.

After nearly 34 years in our present location, The George Gund Foundation will be moving our office to the Skylight Office Tower. Our new address as of February 15th will be:

For visitors, the offices are easily accessible via public transportation to Public Square. Metered street parking is also available, and we will have some visitor parking spaces in Tower City.

The George Gund Foundation is seeking a full-time Grants Administrator to join its team. The selected candidate will be responsible for the Foundation’s grantmaking system and processes, including analysis of and communications about the Foundation’s grantmaking.

The Foundation has engaged Cheryl C. Perez and her team to lead the search process. The position profile with relevant details can be found by clicking here. The George Gund Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and pursues equity in all of its work, including hiring. Please share this information with potential applicants and encourage their consideration of it.

The 2024 election cycle has reaffirmed The George Gund Foundation’s commitment to addressing climate change and environmental degradation, entrenched and accelerating inequality—especially racial inequity, and weakened democracy. With a focus on public policy and advocacy, as well as direct support to programs and operations, the Foundation’s grantmaking seeks to address fairness and justice in our local community and beyond.

Against this backdrop, The George Gund Foundation awarded $14.7 million at its last meeting of the year, led by significant investments in current and graduating students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), the Foundation’s primary focus of its public education program area. Our investments are more than matched by the citizens of Cleveland, who supported Issue 49, an operating levy increase and bond extension authorization with a resounding majority vote on November 5.

The Foundation awarded a $2.75 million grant for Cleveland State University’s previously-established Living Learning Community, which provides CMSD Say Yes scholarship recipients a residential experience that integrates intensive academic support, leadership training, mentorship, graduation coaching, comprehensive wraparound services, and experiential learning. Two $75,000 grants were awarded to College Now Greater Cleveland for higher education partnerships and student support services, including targeted outreach to CMSD high schools to increase higher education enrollment.

The Foundation awarded $350,000 over two years for the CMSD’s integrated health expansion through the Educational Services Center of Cuyahoga County. A total of six school health clinics are, or will be, open by the 2025–26 school year, including three elementary schools (Anton Grdina, Mound, and Clara Westropp) and three high schools (Glenville, John F. Kennedy, and John Marshall). Other investments in CMSD students include grant awards for robotics teams, chess programs, and arts and cultural experiences through numerous grantees that provide programming in our public schools.

In addition to these awards, the Foundation’s grants reflect priorities outlined in the Foundation’s What We Believe statement as well as priorities across program areas. Grants include the following:

• • $260,000 over two years to EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, which offers tuition-free workforce training in the culinary and hospitality industries for returning citizens, as well as a support network necessary for their long-term success. That support includes free or reduced-rate housing for nearly 80 students, alumni, and their families; and childcare for infants and young children six days per week.

• • $250,000 over two years to Enlightened Solutions, a research and advocacy organization dedicated to organizing and empowering Black women in Cleveland. Enlightened Solutions advances systems-change efforts including research, advocacy, organizational development, and community engagement that center the lived experiences of a diverse group of Black women in our region.

• • $400,000 over two years to Magnolia Clubhouse, an organization dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of persons diagnosed with a severe mental disorder(s). Magnolia Clubhouse is embarking on a $6 million expansion of its University Circle campus that will connect its two primary buildings, convert an existing carriage house into a medical clinic, expand its current programming and training space, and increase the number of persons served annually by 50 percent.

• • $140,000 over two years to Praxis Integrated Fiber Workshop, which builds the local and international community of fiber artists and makers through classes, workshops, residencies, and replicable social projects that teach the art form and demonstrate how fiber arts can be used to build healthy, resilient, and inclusive communities.

• • $250,000 over two years to Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit policy research institute working to create a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Ohio. Policy Matters’ work crosses such diverse topics as the state budget, tax and revenue, work and wages, health, safety and justice, sustainability and climate, and education and opportunity.

• • $100,000 to the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights Foundation, whose physician members seek to protect and defend the right to appropriate medical care and treatment in their obstetrics and gynecological medical practices across the state.

• • $200,000 over two years to Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio for its array of reproductive care services including comprehensive contraception options, STI identification and treatment, HIV testing, abortion care, breast and cervical cancer screenings, gender affirming care, and medically accurate sexual and reproductive health education.

• • $3.6 million over three years to the Cleveland Public Market Corporation for the West Side Market’s transformation project, which will include facilities improvements and enhancements, new public gathering spaces, and outreach efforts to attract a mix of visitors and vendors that more closely reflects the diversity that exists within the City of Cleveland and throughout Northeast Ohio.

Further details on the Foundation’s November 2024 grants can be found at gundfoundation.org.

In 1952, The George Gund Foundation was established by George Gund, former chair of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of climate and environmental justice, creative culture and arts, democracy building, public education, thriving families and social justice, and vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy. To date, Foundation commitments have totaled over $945 million.

The George Gund Foundation awarded $12.5 million at its June meeting, including numerous grants to nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations to advance a vigorous, inclusive, and functioning democracy, as well as grants to safeguard reproductive rights and access to reproductive health care.

Among the Foundation’s democracy building awards were grants to Cleveland VOTES, a nonpartisan democracy-building entity that works to strengthen the power of historically marginalized populations in Greater Cleveland through a wide array of nonpartisan civic engagement activities; Faith in Public Life, a national, nonpartisan multifaith and multiracial coalition of influential faith leaders promoting a healthy and equitable democracy via nonpartisan voter education, outreach, and mobilization actions; the Fair Election Center, a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform organization that uses litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to voting—particularly among underrepresented and marginalized communities; and the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, a nonpartisan statewide organization that empowers Ohio’s Black community through research, policy advocacy, and community engagement to drive equitable opportunities and systemic change.

Following the landmark passage of Ohio Issue 1 last November, which embedded reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution, the Foundation made several awards to support the full spectrum of reproductive choice, including grants to Adoption Network Cleveland, American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, Preterm, and Signature Health, among others. These entities and many others across the state are working together to ensure access to the full continuum of reproductive health care in Ohio.

In addition to these awards, the Foundation’s grants reflect priorities outlined in the Foundation’s What We Believe statement as well as priorities across program areas. Grants include the following:

• • $300,000 over two years for operating support to Citizens Utility Board of Ohio, a nonpartisan consumer watchdog that advocates for residential and small business utility customers. CUB-OH is working with Cleveland Public Power to help it meet its goals to provide more clean energy to its customers and reduce customers energy costs.

• • $200,000 over two years to the Economic and Community Development Institute for operating support for its Northern Ohio office. ECDI offers wrap-around business development services such as access to affordable capital, business/finance training, technical assistance, networking and mentor opportunities, and multiple incubator and accelerator programs throughout the state. ECDI’s target market includes those who face systemic barriers in business development, including people of color, women, people from low- and moderate-income households, rural communities, veterans, immigrants, and refugees.

• • $400,000 to College Now Greater Cleveland for college access advising services, scholarships, and retention services for Cleveland Metropolitan School District students, as well as student loan counseling and operating support. College Now is a major partner to the CMSD and to Say Yes Cleveland.

• • $150,000 over two years for the Cleveland Orchestra’s arts administration internship program, whose goal is to increase the diversity of the Orchestra’s administrative staff, create new and mutually beneficial relationships with area colleges and universities, and nurture opportunities through building a pipeline for talented arts administrative professionals of color as both community and industry arts leaders.

• • $400,000 over three years for operating support for Rid-All, an urban agriculture and environmental stewardship enterprise operating in Cleveland’s Lower Kinsman neighborhood since 2010. On its 18-acre site, Rid-All produces fresh fruits, vegetables, and compost soil; farm-raises tilapia fish; operates a healthy food restaurant; and trains youth and adults in urban agriculture. Rid-All’s mission is to educate urban residents on the benefits of healthy eating and environmental stewardship, and to inspire lifestyle changes that lead to improved health outcomes and vibrant communities.

• • $450,000 over three years to West Creek Conservancy for operating support. Over the past decade, WCC has done extensive work in the City of Cleveland, including taking a major role in the Irishtown Bend Park project adjacent to West 25^th Street in the Ohio City neighborhood.

Further details on the Foundation’s June 2024 grants can be found at gundfoundation.org.

In 1952, The George Gund Foundation was established by George Gund, former chair of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of climate and environmental justice, creative culture and arts, democracy building, public education, thriving families and social justice, and vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy. To date, Foundation commitments have totaled over $931 million.

Donovan Young, program associate for social impact and strategy at The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, will join The George Gund Foundation in June as a program officer. In this new role, Donovan will work with the program directors for Thriving Families and Social Justice and Public Education on all aspects of grant reviews, community engagement, and various projects and programs.

In his current role, Donovan works to ensure that the Fowler Family Foundation’s philanthropy supports grantee partners, engages community, and aligns with equitable social impact. Since joining the team in June 2020, Donovan has leveraged financial, intellectual, and social capital to help nonprofits better serve their respective communities and achieve their missions.

Donovan previously held internships at Case Western Reserve University’s office of corporate relations, Neighborhood Connections, and served as a research assistant for the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University magna cum laude with a Master of Science in Social Administration and a Master of Nonprofit Organizations. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and humanities from Azusa Pacific University in California, where he also graduated magna cum laude.

Donovan and his wife currently reside in Cleveland Heights.

Voting is a fundamental right and a vital part of our democratic process. On March 19, 2024, Ohio holds its presidential primary election. Polls open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm.

Early in-person voting is underway and continues through March 17 at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Vote-by-mail is also underway: ballots must be postmarked by March 19.

For more detailed information about voting and the election, visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website.

There is only one issue included on the Cuyahoga County-wide primary ballot: Issue 26, the Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services Levy. It is located at the end of the ballot. Issue 26 proposes to extend an existing 4.8 mill tax levy for eight years. It is not a tax increase. The 4.8 mill renewal levy generates $137 million per year and is a substantial component of Cuyahoga County’s social safety net.

Levy funding currently provides support for services to seniors, MetroHealth hospital, community-based health care, families in crisis, abused and neglected children, high-quality affordable preschool, and individuals dealing with mental health issues or substance abuse. The outcome of this levy will play a significant role in determining the level of support and resources available to Cuyahoga County’s most vulnerable populations.

The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) recently published a report, How Foundations are Responding to the U.S. Supreme Court Affirmative Action Rulings.

Tony Richardson, president of The George Gund Foundation, wrote a reaction to CEP’s findings and shared a few actionable items for funders to consider.

Tony’s response can be found here.

The George Gund Foundation awarded $5.56 million at its first board meeting of the year, including several grants that have a deep impact on the mental and behavioral health needs of both adults and young people in our community.

Magnolia Clubhouse received a $100,000 grant award to support the launch of a groundbreaking Care Response pilot program in select Cleveland neighborhoods: Cudell, Detroit-Shoreway, Slavic Village, and Union-Miles. Care Response brings a mental health response to people experiencing crises when a law enforcement intervention is not deemed necessary. This model has been shown to significantly mitigate harm, particularly for people of color and those living with serious mental illness who face an outsized risk of arrest, multiple bookings, or physical danger when law enforcement is called to the scene.

Say Yes Cleveland was awarded $200,000 to pursue a rating by the Title IV-E Prevention Clearinghouse as an evidence-based program. This rating would allow Say Yes to be incorporated into Ohio’s Family First Prevention Plan as an approved integrated health prevention service, thereby providing an opportunity to access Title IV-E funds for services delivered to Cleveland Metropolitan School District students who meet the Family First candidacy criteria.

The Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition was awarded $45,000 for the second phase of an important research study designed to identify and address racial and ethnic inequities in Ohio’s community behavioral health syst­em. According to the Coalition’s study, individuals from racial or ethnic minority groups face additional challenges in accessing quality and affordable behavioral health services, including stigma related to seeking assistance, lack of diversity and cultural competence among providers, language barriers, and distrust in the health care system.

In addition to these awards, the Foundation’s grants reflect priorities outlined in the Foundation’s What We Believe statement as well as priorities across program areas. Grants include the following:

• • $500,000 over two years to the Young Latino Network for capacity building and general operations. The Young Latino Network focuses on building the pipeline of next generation Latino leaders in Greater Cleveland, bridging cultural and socioeconomic divides within the community and building political power through civic education and voter mobilization efforts.

• • $30,000 to As You Sow, a national nonprofit rooted in the belief that corporations must be part of the solution to today’s climate crisis. As You Sow promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.

• • $600,000 over three years to the NAACP Cleveland Branch for capacity building and general operations. The Cleveland NAACP regards civic responsibility as the cornerstone of a thriving and equitable society, going beyond the important act of voting to also encompass active engagement in community affairs, advocating for social justice, and fostering a sense of unity among our city’s diverse populations.

• • $148,000 over two years to Sankofa Circle to further a post-COVID reinvigoration of the local Collaborative for Sexual Health Equity and Learning and implement its new three-year strategic plan.

• • $80,000 over two years to the Piano International Association of Northern Ohio (PIANO), which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. PIANO brings the world’s best emerging pianists to Cleveland. Its flagship event—the internationally respected Cleveland International Piano Competition—begins with contestants performing their first-round pieces in March and April and ends with live competition rounds in July and August.

• • $900,000 over three years to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland for general operations. The Urban League works to eliminate the racial, economic, and societal barriers that prevent Black Americans and other underserved communities of color from achieving their full potential.

Further details on the February 2024 grants can be found at gundfoundation.org.

In 1952, The George Gund Foundation was established by George Gund, former chair of the Cleveland Trust Company. The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements. Grants are made three times a year in the areas of climate and environmental justice, creative culture and arts, democracy building, public education, thriving families and social justice, and vibrant neighborhoods and inclusive economy. To date, Foundation commitments have totaled over $919 million.

The George Gund Foundation is seeking a full-time program officer to join its team. The selected candidate will play a key role in grant reviews and special projects for the program directors for Thriving Families and Social Justice (primary) and Public Education (secondary).

The Foundation has engaged Cheryl C. Perez and her team to lead the search process. The position profile with relevant details can be found by clicking here. The George Gund Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and pursues equity in all of its work, including hiring. Please share this information with potential applicants and encourage their consideration of it.