George Gund

The George Gund Foundation awarded $11.5 million at its November board meeting, led by significant investments in nonpartisan democracy building efforts across the state. Those investments totaled $2.5 million to nine organizations: Greater Cleveland Congregations, Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, Khnemu Foundation, Ohio Debate Commission, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund, Ohio Voice, Ohio Women’s Alliance, and the Tides Foundation. These investments reflect our belief that a multicultural, power-balanced community is essential to build and sustain a more representative democracy.

In addition to democracy building, the Foundation’s grants reflect priorities outlined in the Foundation’s What We Believe statement around climate change and environmental degradation, entrenched and accelerating inequality—especially racial inequity—as well as priorities across program areas. Grants include the following:

 

• • $150,000 over three years to City Fresh, founded to ameliorate the decline of grocery stores in most Cleveland neighborhoods of color. City Fresh continues to focus on these food desert neighborhoods with a network of 16 Fresh Stops in Cleveland that deliver to subscribers weekly organic produce grown by local farmers. In 2022, City Fresh sold more than 10,000 shares during the growing season, thirty percent of which were sold to low-income households, primarily households of color.

 

• • $500,000 over two years to Union Miles Development Corporation for capacity building support to help advance the City of Cleveland’s Southeast Side Strategy and bolster development in the Union-Miles, Mount Pleasant, and Lee-Harvard neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, which have suffered from historic disinvestment over the years through redlining and other discriminatory banking practices, stand to receive significant levels of investment in the coming years.

 

• • $200,000 over two years to The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive and thedigital repository for the Black experience. In recognition of Cleveland’s rich Black history, The HistoryMakers is developing the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio African American leaders collection, anchored by interviews with 33 local leaders to feature in The HistoryMakers archives.

 

• • $42,000 to support the FIRST Robotics Competition for six Cleveland Metropolitan School District high school teams and Cuyahoga Community College’s Youth Technology Academy team. CMSD students who compete in this national engineering and robotics competition get teamed up with engineers from businesses and universities to get hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which historically neglect Black and Hispanic students.

 

• • $200,000 over two years to Legal Aid, which provides help to families living in poverty when civil legal issues threaten their health, shelter, safety, education, and/or economic security. Legal Aid provides three services: direct legal assistance—advising and representing clients in court and administrative hearings, negotiations, and litigation; community education and outreach—preventative neighborhood-based work to provide people with the tools needed to avoid or resolve a legal problem; and advocacy—building community coalitions and partnerships to improve shelter, safety, and economic security for our community.

 

• • $300,000 over two years to Brite Energy Innovators, the only Department of Energy sponsored energy incubator in Ohio. Brite provides mentoring, connections to its network of partners, funding assistance, and advanced testing equipment free-of-charge to early-stage clean energy entrepreneurs in Ohio. Brite focuses primarily on start-up companies within the energy grid, energy storage, and transportation sectors.

 

• • $100,000 to Neighborhood Leadership Institute to support the development of grassroots leaders who support and lead community engagement efforts to strengthen neighborhoods. NLI’s focus on everyday residents—without consideration of their profession or status in the community—engages community members from all walks of life who possess a desire to make a difference in Cleveland.

 

• • $50,000 to the Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) for the Total Eclipse Festival 2024, celebrating the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. The event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Greater Cleveland due to the region’s location along the path of totality, which means several minutes of darkness when the moon completely blocks the sun. This three-day, outdoor, family-friendly event will create a broadly engaging experience that includes science and arts, with partners in music, dance, humanities, drama, and visual media. The grant will allow GLSC to underwrite small arts organizations and individual Cleveland artists.

 

• • $150,000 over three years for the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance, a key partner in the Foundation’s efforts to bring sustainably funded, high-quality integrated health care—both primary and behavioral—to all Cleveland Metropolitan School District scholars. The Alliance played an indispensable role in a major victory for school-based health this year, helping secure $15 million in state general revenue funds for direct support of local school-based clinics, the first ever state general fund investment in school-based health care.

 

• • $100,000 over two years to MidTown Cleveland for the AsiaTown Square Pop-up Park, providing new landscaping, updated furnishings, seating, shade areas, lighting, options for winter decorations, and other amenities for this public gathering space. The park will feature programing of all kinds and include multilingual and multi-generational dialogue on civic participation.

 

• • $100,000 to HFLA of Northeast Ohio to promote the self-sufficiency of Northeast Ohio residents by providing access to fair financial resources including interest-free loans to underserved individuals across Greater Cleveland. HFLA’s products include standard loans, which can be applied to almost any financial emergency that may arise; educational loans, which can be used for undergraduate, graduate, vocational, or technical education for students in Northeast Ohio; and small business loans, which can be used to help expand an existing business or start a new one.

 

• • $160,000 to the United Black Fund for continued support for ecosystem building activities related to the FutureLAND initiative. FutureLAND is a collaboration between the City of Cleveland, JumpStart, United Black Fund, and local entrepreneurs that seeks to support entrepreneurs who, because of race, ethnicity, and/or gender, face significant barriers in starting and growing businesses, including access to capital and social networks.

 

• • $60,000 for the Excellence in Teaching Award, a collaboration among the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland Teachers Union, and the George Gund and Cleveland foundations. The award recognizes and rewards CMSD teachers who demonstrate instructional expertise, creativity, and innovation in their classrooms; who make learning engaging, vibrant, and relevant for students; and whose work and accomplishments set a standard of excellence for all teachers. Following their recognition as award winners, teachers agree to share their practice with their peers in the district.

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 $914 million.

The Board of Trustees approved several grants that continue the Foundation’s deep commitment to restorative justice. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, Ohio Justice and Policy Center, Towards Employment, and the Juvenile Justice Coalition are among those grantee partners working toward long-term criminal legal system reform. These organizations are moving Cleveland and Ohio away from a system of cash bail; reducing barriers to successful community re-entry for persons previously incarcerated; advocating for an end to mandatory bindover of youth to the adult prison system; and catalyzing progress within our local institutions.

“Our grantee partners are embodying the difficult balance of daily and systematic work that moves our community toward a model of restorative justice,” said Tony Richardson, president of The George Gund Foundation. “Even more critically, their work is expressly informed and driven by the lived experience of those confronting injustices in the juvenile and adult carceral systems, both locally and statewide.”

For example, the ACLU of Ohio will serve as fiscal manager for a two-year $150,000 grant on behalf of a reform-focused partnership they have with Children’s Law Center-Ohio office and the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University. The primary goal of the partnership is to develop and implement the Cuyahoga County Youth Justice Action Plan. The plan will call for just policies and equitable culture change at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, alternatives to juvenile lock-up through community partnerships, and public communications strategies which dispel myths and stereotypes around juvenile crime.

Additional grants across program areas include:

 

• • $200,000 over two years to Enlightened Solutions to support its research-based solutions that center the lived experiences of a diverse group of Black women in Cleveland, such as the Project Noir survey.

 

• • $150,000 over two years to The Plexus Education Foundation for the development and implementation of a Workplace Inclusion Hub, providing tools, best practices, and assistance to small businesses on how to foster LGBTQ+ programs and policies.

 

• • $235,000 to National Disability Institute to co-design an investment strategy for people with disabilities in Northeast Ohio.

 

• • $75,000 to Linking Employment, Abilities & Potential (LEAP) to support efforts that provide access, eliminate barriers, and create opportunities for persons with disabilities.

 

• • $150,000 to Cleveland Print Room to advance the art and appreciation of the photographic image in all its forms by providing affordable access to a community darkroom and workspace, gallery exhibition, educational programs, and collaborative outreach.

 

• • $50,000 over two years to Dobama Theatre for the FOCUS Apprentice Program, a professional development program that provides an opportunity for emerging artists from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Deaf, Disabled, and other communities to receive close mentorship and professional credits in the areas of design, stage management, and technical direction.

 

• • $55,000 to The Musical Arts Association for the Arts Administration Internship Pilot, an immersive six-month program, providing hands-on experience in the world of performing arts management through rotating internships across The Cleveland Orchestra.

 

• • $600,000 over three years to Positive Education Program (PEP) for investments in staff training, coaching, and support as they continue to provide direct and consultative services for children who experience complex developmental trauma, mental health issues, and autism.

 

• • $1,500,000 over three years to support Say Yes to Education scholarship recipients through their postsecondary pursuits, including expanded and intensive coaching and wraparound services that help students enroll in, persist through, and graduate from college or postsecondary certificate programs.

 

• • $300,000 over two years to Rails to Trail Conservancy for continued leadership and technical assistance on trail development, access, and resources, including facilitation of the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition.

 

• • $150,000 over two years to Environmental Law & Policy Center of the Midwest, a public interest law firm that promotes development of clean-energy resources and implementation of energy-efficiency technologies, for work in its Ohio office.

A full list of July 2023 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 organizations that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to respond to its ever-changing nature. 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 economies. To date, Foundation commitments have totaled nearly $903 million.

On August 8, 2023, Ohio voters will have a crucial decision to make that will shape the future of our state.  Issue 1 will be on the ballot.

What is Issue 1? Issue 1 will be on the August 8th special election ballot. It will provide Ohioans with an opportunity to vote for either amending the state constitution or not. Currently, Ohio law requires simple majority vote to amend the Ohio Constitution. This 50 percent + 1 standard has been in place for more than a century. Issue 1 asks voters to amend the current standard so it is more difficult for citizens to affect change through direct democracy.

Why are we having a special election? The Ohio General Assembly initiated Issue 1, also known as Senate Joint Resolution 2.

What is the impact? Issue 1 would end citizen-driven ballot initiatives as they are currently governed. The citizen-driven ballot initiative is one of only two avenues for citizens to enact direct legal change, and the only way to enact laws not passed by the Ohio General Assembly.

A YES vote on Issue 1:

 

• • Changes the Ohio Constitution to require that citizen-driven ballot initiatives garner 60 percent of votes to pass, which means that 40 percent of voters can veto the will of the majority of citizens on any issue.

  
  

  • Makes it harder to place citizen-driven ballot initiatives before voters by requiring petitioners to collect signatures in all 88 Ohio counties and eliminating the current 10-day period of time in which disputed signatures can be corrected by petitioners.

  
  

  • Makes it harder for voters to propose and pass citizen-driven ballot initiatives.

A NO vote on Issue 1:

 

• • Keeps the citizen-driven ballot initiative process the way it is now—in the hands of the majority of voters.

  
  

  • Keeps the Ohio Constitution as it is now—future citizen-driven ballot initiatives would still need the support of 50 percent + 1 of voters in order to pass, the same as it works today.

  
  

  • Requires petitioners to collect signatures in 44 of 88 Ohio counties, as is currently required.

When is the special election?  Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Am I registered to vote?  You can quickly and easily check your voter registration with the Ohio Secretary of State or your local board of elections.

Did you know that Ohio has new photo ID requirements for voting? Ohioans must provide a valid photo ID when voting in-person. Acceptable forms of ID are: Ohio driver’s license; State of Ohio ID card; Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV; U.S. passport; U.S. passport card; U.S. military ID card; Ohio National Guard ID card; or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card. All photo IDs must have an expiration date that has not passed, a photograph of the voter, and the voter’s name.

Did you know there are THREE ways to vote?

 

• • In-person voting: On election day, your polling location will be open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm to cast your ballot in person. Find your designated polling location by checking the Ohio Secretary of State’s website or your local board of election.

  
  

  • Early voting: Ohio also provides the opportunity for early voting, allowing you to cast your vote in-person at your local board of election. Find the early voting hours by checking the Ohio Secretary of State’s website or your local board of election.

  
  

  • Absentee voting: If you are unable to vote in-person, you can request an absentee ballot from your board of election by August 1, 2023. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by August 7, 2023.

On August 8th or before, cast your vote.  Remember, every election shapes the lives of Ohioans. To learn more, please visit: https://ohiovoterguide.org/.

 

Treye Johnson, program manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Program on Economic Inclusion, will join The George Gund Foundation in October as program director for Vibrant Neighborhoods and Inclusive Economy. In this role, Johnson will lead the Foundation’s grantmaking in economic and community development and neighborhood revitalization. He will help to advance the Foundation’s grantmaking priorities, community initiatives, and public policy agenda, as well as shape the community and economic landscape of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

In his current role, Johnson is responsible for identifying partnership opportunities within and beyond the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland to advance economic inclusion. Previously, as a regional outreach manager on the community development team, he worked on current and emerging economic and community development issues. Johnson also completed a nine-month assignment with the Federal Reserve Bank’s Board of Governors.

Before joining the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Johnson served as a program officer at the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. His primary responsibilities were to facilitate grants to support entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education throughout Northeast Ohio. Additionally, he helped facilitate the execution of the Scalerator NEO program and served as a committee member on the Forward Cities national learning collaborative. Previously, Johnson served as a fellow with The George Gund Foundation from 2013–2015.

“Treye’s background in economic and community development—coupled with his previous experience working in organized philanthropy—makes him an excellent choice for this role,” said Gund president Tony Richardson. “His commitment to advancing racial justice and equity will help inform the Foundation’s strategic priorities as we continue to work with our partners to strengthen Cleveland neighborhoods and create a just economy.”

Johnson’s civic engagements include serving as a board member for the Center for Community Solutions and a community board member for the Fund for Our Economic Future. He also serves as an advisory committee member for Cleveland Black Futures Fund (at the Cleveland Foundation), and the Welsh Academy at St. Ignatius High School.

Johnson holds a BA in communications from John Carroll University and an MS in sport administration from the University of Louisville.

The Cleveland, Saint Luke’s, and George Gund foundations are working collectively to bolster equitable placemaking efforts in the City of Cleveland, recognizing 1) the need for diverse practitioners in this field who reflect the diversity of the neighborhoods; and 2) the need to support non-traditional “placemakers” – residents, organizers, and artists – who are engaging in this work already but could benefit from additional support. We do not profess to have the answers but hope to engage with smart minds to source solutions to the questions raised in this request for proposals. Interested parties should respond to this RFP by March 1 for full consideration. Interviews are anticipated by mid-March with the engagement starting in April 2022. Diverse perspective is important to this process, therefore the selection of a consultant/firm and the shaping of this work will be supported by a small committee of practitioners, residents, and the three funders.

Equal employment opportunity has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental principle at The George Gund Foundation, where employment is without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic established by applicable law. This policy of equal employment opportunity applies to all policies and procedures relating to recruitment and hiring, compensation, benefits, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. These fundamental principles apply to contract relationships as well.