The George Gund Foundation

03/13/2006 in Grantmaking

Gund Foundation Awards $3.2 Million in March

The George Gund Foundation made grants at its March board meeting to promote early childhood education, prevent teen pregnancy and maintain urban biodiversity and green space. 

The grants were among 60 totaling $3,185,289 to organizations and programs in education, human services, economic development and community revitalization, environment and arts approved at the first quarterly meeting of 2006.

The Foundation made a $235,700 grant, over 15-months, to the Center for Community Solutions which is coordinating the work of the Ohio Early Care and Education Campaign, a coordinated effort to promote public policies that will expand and improve education and other services for young children.

A two-year grant of up to $150,000 to Scenarios USA and a $40,000 grant to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) will be used for teen pregnancy prevention and sexuality education projects.

Scenarios USA helps teens examine their attitudes toward sexuality and responsibility through a project in which youth research, write and film “scenarios” that reflect real life situations. This grant will help expand the annual “What’s the Real Deal?” scriptwriting contest and accompanying community engagement efforts to include Cleveland.

The NCSL grant will support that organization’s efforts to provide resources and information on effective methods of teen pregnancy prevention to state policymakers through policy papers, briefings, workshops and a listserv.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden will use a two-year $43,334 grant for its efforts to improve the quality and quantity of intact ecosystems and maintain biodiversity in the urban core through projects such as planting wildlife-friendly pocket parks.

Other grants of interest included:

  • $100,000 to Neighborhood Progress, Inc. for the Vacant Property Reuse and Prevention Project.
  • $220,000 over two years to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy of Ohio, a new regional land trust created by the merger of eight local land trusts, for transition and operating expenses.
  • $35,000 to Ohio Grantmakers Forum for a statewide taskforce on education reform.
  • $40,000 to the Greater Cleveland Media Development Corporation for its continued efforts to promote film and other media production in Cleveland.
  • $100,000 to Cleveland Opera to facilitate its merger with Lyric Opera Cleveland and form a new company, Opera Cleveland.
  • $35,000 to the Ohio Parklands Foundation for the Ohio Greenways Project.

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 quarterly in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts. Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $455 million.

For Further Information Contact:
Deena M. Epstein (216)241.3114