Economic Development Grants 

Recent economic development-related grants made by the Cleveland Foundation include:  

• $4 million to the Fund for Our Economic Future. The Fund is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations in Northeast Ohio working together to help transform the region's economy through grantmaking, research, and civic engagement. It has been instrumental in helping to build and bolster inclusive, economy-sustaining industries in the region, a major element of the Cleveland Foundation’s economic development strategy.
• $750,000 for Shorebank Enterprise Group Cleveland to create a network of employee-owned businesses in the neighborhoods surrounding Cleveland’s Greater University Circle. These businesses would create jobs, make profits and follow principles of sustainability. The first such enterprise proposed is the Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, which will fully integrate green technology and practices into its business model.
• $500,000 to the Civic Innovation Lab. Entering its fourth year of operation, the Lab seeks to revitalize Northeast Ohio by providing monetary assistance, mentorship, and other services to entrepreneurs (called champions) who have ideas for sparking economic development in Greater Cleveland. Since its inception, the Lab has given 23 entrepreneurial champions more than 1,000 combined hours of mentorship along with financial support totaling almost $600,000.
• $82,500 to continue the foundation’s support of the Emerging Entrepreneurs program for African-American entrepreneurs in Greater Cleveland. The program offers monthly educational programs in such areas as leadership, marketing, finance, and organization, as well as business networking events and in-depth discussions with local CEOs.