As we close out another year and look forward to what is to come in 2025, we wanted to take the time to reflect on some of the highlights of 2024. This past year has been a year of growth for the Cleveland Foundation.
The Launch of the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund
Over the last 10 years, the Cleveland Foundation has granted more than $5.5 million to LGBTQ+ causes. This year, we invested $3 million to endow the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund to advance queer justice and equity.
Through a partnership with Kent State University, Mt. Sinai Health Foundation, and The George Gund Foundation, a Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment was conducted including insights from more than 2,000 community members. The results of the study will be used to develop strategies for improving the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in Greater Cleveland.
Give to the LGBTQ+ Opportunity fund here.
2024 African American Philanthropy Summit Made a Lasting Impact
The African American Philanthropy Committee hosted its biennial summit exploring the powerful connection between philanthropy and the Black family and how to make lasting community impact.
This year’s summit brought in over 240 in-person attendees and over 900 virtual guests.
Attendees heard a keynote address from Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, as well as insights from panelists and moderators exploring the importance of strategy in philanthropy.
“It was very informative, and there were a lot of great people there to network with,” said attendee and playwright Jeanne Madison. “We learned a lot about the power of philanthropy.”
Watch sessions from the summit here.
Inspiring Authors Honored During the 89th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Weekend
The 89th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards honored four exceptional authors this past September at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on Case Western Reserve University’s campus. This year’s winners include Monica Youn’s From From, Teju Cole’s Tremor, Ned Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America, and Lifetime Achievement winner, Maxine Hong Kingston.
The awards weekend concluded with the first-ever Author Symposium, held at the City Club of Cleveland. The symposium featured the award-winning authors in conversation with jury members and literary critics.
Watch the Awards Ceremony here!
Ride Free and Vote Provided Equitable Transportation to the Polls
This year, we partnered with Cleveland VOTES and the Greater Cleveland RTA to cover all bus, rail and paratransit fares on Election Day to ensure equitable access to the polls. The Greater Cleveland RTA reports that ridership was up 19% on November 5 over the previous year, thanks in part to the free fares offered.
This is the second presidential election year in which Cleveland Foundation has provided a grant to the Greater Cleveland RTA to offer free rides to support voter engagement on Election Day.
25th Anniversary of our Summer Internship Program
This year marks the 25th anniversary of our Summer Internship Program. The Cleveland Foundation has conducted a summer internship program since 1999 that provides undergraduate students, recent college graduates, and first-year graduate students an opportunity to work within Cleveland-area nonprofit and public sector organizations. The internship program has over 400 alumni with nearly 70% of those actively employed in Cleveland.
Whether you’re a student who is interested in applying to become an intern, or you work for a nonprofit or public sector organization that is interested in hosting an intern, find more information and application instructions here.
The Launch of our Impact Cleveland Investment Pool
In October, we launched the Impact Cleveland Investment Pool. This $37 million pool combines our place-based giving and mission-related investments for donors looking to invest directly in Cleveland. This new pool allows donors to invest their philanthropic dollars with 20 public Cleveland-based companies and use the returns to benefit Cleveland organizations through grants made through the Cleveland Foundation.
Learn more about this new Investment Pool here.
Happy New Year from the Cleveland Foundation! We look forward to seeing what 2025 brings.
