Grantmaking

The George Gund Foundation approved $6,880,970 in grants at its March meeting to organizations working on everything from downtown development to providing access to health care for uninsured and underinsured Ohio residents.

Downtown Cleveland Alliance received a three-year $900,000 grant to continue its efforts to  attract residents and businesses to downtown and to provide support for similar efforts in the adjacent Flats and Campus District neighborhoods.

The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks received a two-year $180,000 grant for its advocacy and outreach work around Medicaid renewal, the Affordable Care Act and other safety net programs.

MobileMed1, Inc. received a $30,000 grant for MedWorks, the organization’s free, large-scale, one-day mobile health clinics. A $30,000 grant also was awarded to Philanthropy Ohio for its statewide policy work around health care access and promotion of investment in preventative health care.

Trustees approved 60 grants to organizations working in human services, education, arts, environment and economic and community development at the Foundation’s first meeting of 2015.

Other grants of interest included:

• $75,000 in operating support to The Cleveland Water Alliance, a network of public and private organizations working to spur  economic development, research, sound public policy and enhanced education around fresh water;

• $25,000 to Cuyahoga Community College for free outdoor concerts during the 2015 Tri-C JazzFest;

• $150,000 over two years to the West Creek Preservation Committee for operating support;

• $20,000 to the Piano International Association of Northern Ohio for its ArtsConnect partnership with the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association; and

• $75,000 over two years to Third Sector Capital Partners for the Cuyahoga Partnering for Family Success program.

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 $665 million.

The George Gund Foundation continued its commitment to ensuring a quality education for Cleveland children with major grants supporting Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools and Invest in Children’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK.)

A $1,333,700 grant will provide continued support for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) new and innovative schools, planning for additional new schools and development of systems to assist CMSD with its new student-based budgeting model and interventions in low-performing schools.

Invest in Children, based in Cuyahoga County’s Office of Early Childhood, received a two-year $500,000 grant to continue development and promotion of UPK, the “gold standard” preschool experience promoting school readiness for young children ages 3 to 5.

These grants were among 84 grants totaling $9,759,184 made by Foundation Trustees at the last meeting of 2014. Grantmaking for the year totaled $25,755,129.

The Foundation also made a $2 million grant to the Foundation Fighting Blindness for research on the causes, prevention and treatment of retinal degenerative eye diseases. Ideastream received a two-year $1 million grant for plans to significantly increase its radio, television and online news and public affairs programming.

Other grants of interest included:

• $400,000 to the Care Alliance for  construction of its new Central Neighborhood Clinic

• $100,000, over two years, to Beyond Pesticides for the Safe Lawn, Landscapes and Public Spaces Campaign

• $350,000 in operating and flexible project support to LAND studio

• $40,000 to Case Western Reserve University for the collaborative Violins of Hope project

• $100,000 to the Ohio Organizing Collaborative for work on fracking-related issues

• $25,000 to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to open a second ReStore

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 $657 million.

The George Gund Foundation approved grants at its summer meeting that will help create a multi-state network of trails along abandoned rail lines, continue reform of Ohio’s juvenile justice system and support Cleveland Metropolitan School District efforts to create and implement a comprehensive arts education plan.

Trustees approved 96 grants totaling $11,846,184 at the July 23 meeting for a variety of projects in the arts, human services, environment, education and economic and community development.

Rails to Trails Conservancy, which has converted abandoned rail corridors into more than 20,000 miles of trails nationally, is working on a regional network of trails spanning five states, including Ohio. The Foundation’s $100,000 grant will focus on the Cleveland-Pittsburgh corridor.

The Northern Kentucky Children’s Law Center has made significant progress through legal advocacy in reforming Ohio’s juvenile justice system, shifting funds from state institutions to community-based alternative programs and reducing youth recidivism rates. A $100,000 grant will be used to continue this work. The Foundation also made an up to $80,000 grant to the Juvenile Justice Coalition, a statewide network of lawyers, academics, court officials and advocates working on juvenile justice reform.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) received $225,000 over two years for staffing to develop policies and a plan to provide arts education opportunities for all children and to facilitate partnerships with arts and cultural organizations interested in working in CMSD schools.

The Foundation also made two grants for projects that will use data to help improve health outcomes for Cuyahoga County residents.

Case Western Reserve University’s Urban Health Initiative will use a $19,570 grant to develop a data portal for its Community Health Data Dashboard that will make dashboard information available to health officials, researchers, media and citizens.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health received a $50,000 grant over two years for the Health Improvement Plan-Cuyahoga that has involved both public agencies and county residents in developing strategies and programs to eliminate health disparities.

Other grants of interest included:

• $5 million to LAND studio, Inc. for renovation of Public Square into a park, plaza and multi-use gathering space

• $1 million to the Cleveland Botanical Garden for expenses related to its integration with Holden Arboretum

• $300,000 to SPACES gallery for its move to a new location

• $300,000 to Breakthrough Charter Schools to support its growth plan

• $100,000 over two years to the Ohio State University Foundation for the Cuyahoga County Food Coalition’s efforts to promote a healthy, equitable and sustainable food system

• $120,000 to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland for operating support and expanded community education programs

 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 $647 million.

The George Gund Foundation continued its commitment to implementation of the Cleveland Plan at its winter board meeting with grants totaling $649,000 to support the start-up of two new, innovative high schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).

Bard High School Early College Cleveland, a partnership between CMSD and New York’s Bard College, will open on Cleveland’s west side this fall with ninth and eleventh graders. The Digital Arts High School, a partnership between the CMSD and the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (formerly Young Audiences) will open this fall with ninth graders in a downtown location.

New school development has been the focus of the Foundation’s Portfolio of Excellent Schools strategy and is a major priority of the Cleveland Plan.

In other CMSD-related grantmaking, the Foundation awarded $125,000 to the MetroHealth System to open a mobile, school-based health clinic at Lincoln West High School on Cleveland’s near west side. It is hoped that this pilot program will launch a citywide partnership among CMSD, MetroHealth and other primary care providers that will eventually include all CMSD schools.

The grants were among 59 grants totaling $4,149,761 approved by Foundation Trustees at their first meeting of 2014.

Other grants of interest included:

• $150,000 to the Western Reserve Historical Society for restoration and installation of the Euclid Beach Carousel at its University Circle facility.

• $100,000 over two years to the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for the Ohio Text4baby initiative.

• $75,000 to Public Interest Projects for the National Campaign to Reform State Juvenile Justice Systems.

• $250,000 to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance for operating support.

• $100,000 to the Franklin County Historical Society for a new organization, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy.

• $250,000 over two years to Environmental Health Watch for operating support and the Clean Air Campaign.

• $300,000 over three years to the Brookings Institution for the Metropolitan Policy Program.

• $25,000 to The Musical Theater Project for new collaborations.

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 $635 million.

The George Gund Foundation made a $2 million grant at its November meeting to the Trust for Public Land for Connecting Cleveland, a coordinated effort to increase the number of trails and greenways in Cleveland’s Flats neighborhood and reconnect downtown and nearby neighborhoods with the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.

The $30 million Connecting Cleveland campaign, a public-private partnership involving more than a dozen organizations, includes projects such as the Lake Link Trail & Greenway, an extension of the Towpath Trail; the Wendy Park Bridge Connector and several trailhead parks and Cuyahoga River water taxi stations.

Trustees also made an $800,000 grant to the Gordon Square Arts District for construction of a new facility for Near West Theatre, scheduled to open in the fall of 2014, and for renovations to Cleveland Public Theatre that will make its facilities handicapped accessible, provide additional rehearsal space and upgrade facility infrastructure. This brings total Foundation grantmaking to $2.5 million for the arts-related development project which, in addition to increased arts activity, has resulted in significant residential and commercial development in the neighborhood.

The grants were among 64 totaling $8,712,060 approved at the Foundation’s November meeting. Total grantmaking for the year was 24,591,995.  The Foundation also continued its support for research on the causes, nature and prevention of inherited retinal degenerative diseases with a $2 million grant to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Other grants of interest included:

• $400,000 over two years to the YMCA of Cleveland to convert a portion of the Galleria shopping mall into a fitness facility.

• $175,000 to the Cleveland Development Foundation for the Cleveland Transformation Alliance, a public-private partnership responsible for ensuring accountability of all public schools in the city.

• $350,000 to LAND studio for operating and project support.

• $100,000 to the Berea Children’s Home for Stepstone Academy, a charter school in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood.

• $166,486 over two years to the Ohio State University to link local farmers and school lunch programs.

• $55,000 to Zygote Press for operating support and the opening of an annex in the Waterloo neighborhood.

• $75,000 to Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio for efforts related to implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Ohio.

• $20,000 to the St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation to launch Asian-style Night Markets.

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 $630 million.

Projects to develop a nonprofit community food processing center, support Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools and assist with health care reform implementation received grants at the George Gund Foundation’s summer Trustee meeting.

SAW Inc., the nonprofit arm of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities plans to open the 12,500 square foot center, which will employ its clients as well as provide services to everyone from local farmers to individual entrepreneurs, in 2014. The Foundation made a grant of up to $400,000 over two years for the purchase of food processing equipment to bottle, can, flash freeze and package products in the facility at West 117^th and Berea Road in Cleveland.

Foundation Trustees approved three grants totaling more than $1.6 million that will support efforts to provide excellent schools for all Cleveland children. The largest grant, $917,000, will fund redesign of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) central office to better support the Cleveland Plan, continued support for CMSD’s new and innovative schools and design and planning support for additional new schools.

Breakthrough Charter Schools, which operates Citizens’ Academy, The Intergenerational School and EPrep/Village Prep schools, received a $300,000 grant to support its operations and its plans to open additional schools in Cleveland. Teach For America (TFA) will use a $390,000 grant to expand its program in Greater Cleveland, including placement of 20 TFA teachers in CMSD schools.

The Foundation made grants to three organizations that are focused on the uninsured and underinsured and will provide assistance in understanding and implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and advocate for Medicaid expansion in Ohio. These grants included $200,000 over two years to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio for research, ACA implementation monitoring, health care trend analysis and communication with policymakers; $100,000 over two years to Community Catalyst, Inc. for technical assistance on ACA implementation; and $30,000 to Enterprise Community Partners to integrate primary health care into its Housing First model that works with the chronically homeless.

These grants were among 89 totaling $5,526,550 approved July 11 at the Foundation’s second meeting of 2013.

Other grants of interest included:

• $25,000 to United Way of Greater Cincinnati for the Ohio Partnership to Build Stronger Families which focuses on home visits to identify physical and development issues in young children and provide early intervention services

• $100,000 to University Circle Incorporated for 21^st Century University Circle, a planning process that will examine critical issues and opportunities facing University Circle

• $30,000 to the Eleanor B. Rainey Memorial Institute for the El Sistema@Rainey music program

• $350,000 to The Energy Foundation for its work in coordinating efforts in Ohio around energy and climate change policy

• $200,000 over two years to the Environmental Law & Policy Center of the Midwest for the Ohio Clean Energy Initiative

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 $622 million.

The George Gund Foundation’s 2012 online, interactive annual report, with its photo-essay highlighting a priority issue for the Foundation, is available on the Foundation’s website.

Photographer Jeff Whetstone perceptively follows the Cuyahoga River along both its rural and urban paths, highlighting the significance of this invaluable resource to our community.

In his annual letter, Foundation Executive Director David Abbott discusses the importance of water not only to our region but to the entire world as well as the need for  everyone to become better stewards of this valuable natural resource. Geoffrey Gund, Foundation president, offers a tribute to the late George Gund III who served as a Foundation Trustee for 32 years until his death in early 2013.

The report also includes guidelines and procedures for applying for grants, a financial statement and a list of grants made during 2012.

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.