The George Gund Foundation

12/29/2003 in Grantmaking

Recent Grants – December 2003

Cleveland, OH — George Gund Foundation trustees approved grants at their last quarterly meeting of 2003 to improve teacher training in Ohio, upgrade and expand parks in downtown Cleveland and help build a new community foodbank facility.

The grants were among 78 totaling $3,914,020 made at the Foundation’s December meeting. Total grantmaking for 2003 was $17,820,451.

The Foundation made a $50,000 grant for the Ohio Partnership for Accountability, a statewide consortium of Ohio’s 51 teacher preparation programs, that is working with the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents to examine the relationships between teacher training programs and teacher effectiveness and student achievement.

Parkworks, Inc. will use a $200,000 grant for its Downtown Greenspace Initiative to develop new parks and make improvements to existing outdoor spaces.
The Greater Cleveland Community Foodbank recently broke ground for a new 112,000 square foot facility in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood. A $200,000 grant will be used for construction expenses.

Other grants of interest included:

  • $400,000 to Shorebank Enterprise Group in continued operating support for its programs in Cleveland neighborhoods.
  • $44,750 to Case Western Reserve University to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for a new dormitory in the campus’s North Residential Village.
  • $50,000 to the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education for implementation of its strategic plan.
  • $150,000 to the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission for the International Children’s Games and Cultural Festival.
  • $50,000 to the Christian Community, Inc. for a comprehensive adolescent sexuality education initiative.
  • $35,000 to the Farm Labor Research Project for legal clinic staff expansion.
  • $25,000 to The Children First Campaign Education Fund for its efforts to raise the visibility of children and family issues in federal elections.
  • $17,000 to the Contemporary Youth Orchestra for the Tribute to Rock Artists Festival.
  • $210,000 to the Community Partnership for Arts and Cultural for operating support.
  • $75,000 to Karamu House for support of the theater program and the new artistic director.
  • Up to $40,000 to the Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Council to help corporations restore habitat and wildlife on their holdings in the Cuyahoga Valley.
  • $35,000 to the Ecological Design Innovation Center for the Northeast Ohio Foodshed Network.

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, arts and civic affairs. Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $409 million.

For Further Information Contact: Deena M. Epstein (216)241–3114