George Gund

The George Gund Foundation continued its longtime commitment to revitalization of Cleveland’s neighborhoods and transformation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) with significant grants for both efforts at its first meeting of 2013.

Trustees approved a three-year $3,750,000 operating support grant to Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI) to help implement the organization’s new strategic vision that shifts from a tight focus on “bricks and mortar” to a more comprehensive community development approach to creating vibrant neighborhoods.

The Foundation also committed $879,500 to projects that support implementation of the CMSD Cleveland Plan, develop a financial model that shifts budget control to individual schools, create a Transformation Alliance to monitor Plan progress, help turn around failing schools and develop a new vision for the Cleveland School of the Arts.

The grants were among 59 totaling $10,353,385 that were approved at the Foundation’s February 28 meeting.

Eight grants also were awarded to organizations working on health care reform, including the Cuyahoga Health Access Partnership and Ohio Grantmakers Forum for their efforts on implementation of Medicaid expansion in Ohio.

Grants also were made in memory of George Gund III, a longtime Foundation trustee who passed away in January, to three organizations he served as a trustee and supporter: the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland International Film Festival and the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Cinematheque.

Other grants of interest included:

• Up to $250,000 to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance for operating support
• $180,000 over two years to the Cuyahoga Valley Conservancy for its work in preservation of local farmland and promotion of local food
• $150,000 over two years to The Nature Conservancy for support of its Ohio office
• $20,000 in start-up support for Ohio City Writers

The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman 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 education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts.  Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $616 million.

The George Gund Foundation made a $5 million grant at its November meeting to the Cleveland Museum of Art for its $350 million renovation and expansion project.

“The art museum is one of Cleveland’s great assets, and the Gund Foundation is very pleased to help it achieve a new level of excellence and ever increasing engagement with the lives of Clevelanders,” said David Abbott, the Foundation’s executive director.

The Foundation also provided support for ongoing efforts to use public spaces to link catalytic downtown development projects and made several grants related to implementation of the federal Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Land Studio received a two-year $500,000 grant, on behalf of the Group Plan Commission, to continue planning and design work for the redesign of Public Square, development of a link between downtown and the Lake Erie waterfront and redevelopment of public spaces on the downtown Malls.

Five ACA-related grants will strengthen Ohio-based advocates’ ability to influence the parameters of ACA implementation in Ohio, help individuals and organizations understand ACA provisions and assist providers serving vulnerable populations to adapt and adopt innovative new service delivery models.

ACA-related grants were made to the Families USA Foundation ($50,000), Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio ($75,000), Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati ($80,000 over two years), North Coast Health Ministry ($40,000) and Stella Maris ($50,000).

The Foundation also continued its commitment to research on inherited retinal degenerative diseases with a $2 million grant to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

These grants were among 75 totaling $11,350,300 approved at the Foundation’s last meeting of 2012.

Other grants of interest included:

• $350,000 to Teach America to support its operations in Cleveland
• $50,000 to support the Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland
• $60,000 to Policy Matters Ohio for operating support
• $23,000 to the Piano International Association of Northern Ohio to bring the interactive “Play Me, I’m Yours” public art project to Cleveland
• $60,000 to the Great Lakes Museum of Science, Environment and Technology for an executive director search
• $75,000 to Bike Cleveland for operating support
• $40,000 to Beyond Pesticides for the Ohio Safe Lawn, Landscape and Public Spaces Campaign
• $75,000 to Public Interest Projects for work in Ohio as part of the National Campaign to Reform State Juvenile Justice Systems

The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman 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 education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts.  Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $606 million.

The George Gund Foundation has committed more than $1.5 million for projects that continue to support the groundbreaking Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools.

Two grants, totaling $950,000, will be used to provide direct support for new and innovative schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), staff the CMSD Office of New and Innovative Schools and implement other aspects of the plan including efforts to improve low-performing schools and increase communication and community outreach.

“We are pleased that our investment in new and innovative schools in Cleveland helped lay the groundwork for the Cleveland Plan and the supporting state legislation which was signed into law earlier this month,” said David Abbott, Foundation executive director. “We will continue to work with the CMSD and partnering charter schools to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school, and that great educational choices for families exist in every neighborhood.“

Other grants to Cleveland Plan partners include:

• $325,000 to Breakthrough Charter Schools which works in partnership with the CMSD to provide high-quality education to Cleveland children.
• $75,000 to Berea Children’s Home (dba Guidestone) for start-up expenses of Stepstone Academy, a new school in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood that will integrate behavioral health support services for students.
• $170,000 over two years to the Positive Education Program to partner with the CMSD at Margaret Ireland School which will serve children with emotional and behavioral issues.

The grants were among 106 totaling $10,568,375 awarded at the Foundation’s second meeting of the year to a wide-range of human services, education, environment, arts and community and economic development organizations.

The Foundation also continued its commitment to the Fund for Our Economic Future, a philanthropic collaborative focused on strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness, with a three-year $4 million grant.

Grants made at the Foundation’s summer meeting also focused on a new strategy for funding preventive social services proven to be effective and reforms in the juvenile justice system.

New Profit, Inc. received a $100,000 grant on behalf of Third Sector Capital Partners and the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago received a $50,000 grant to help Cuyahoga County explore and pilot a Pay for Success model that works to shift government payment for specific processes and services to paying only for specific outcomes.

Grants to continue efforts to reform Ohio’s juvenile justice system and services for young offenders were awarded to the Northern Kentucky Children’s Law Center ($100,000), Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Innovative Practices ($50,000) and Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of Ohio ($40,000).

Other grants of interest included:

• $500,000 over two years to ideastream for news and public affairs programming.
• $150,000 over two years to Environmental Health Watch for operating support.
• $35,000 to Earthjustice for a study of Ohio’s rules and regulations related to fracking.
• $240,000 over two years to the Museum of Contemporary Art-Cleveland for operating expenses in its new building in University Circle.
• $50,000 to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy for the Thriving Communities Institute.

The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman 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 education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts. Foundation commitments to date have totaled almost $595 million.