We’re excited to announce that our board has approved $2.4 million in grants this month. These grants support a variety of organizations and initiatives. Here are some highlights:

• The Ready Readers Plus (RR+) program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland helps students in grades K-3 improve literacy and math skills through interactive activities and one-on-one work with trained RR+ staff. The program encourages parent involvement in their children’s progress and provides resources so they can continue their child’s learning at home. We’re awarding $25,000 this month to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland to support student access to the RR+ program.
• Since it was founded in 1995, Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) has served more than 1,200 local musicians ages 12-18. CYO has built a national reputation as a high-quality youth orchestra, presenting over 200 world premieres and performing at some of Cleveland’s most respected music venues with illustrious rock musicians including Pat Benatar, Styx and Ben Folds. In alignment with our commitment to mastery-based arts education, we’re granting $25,000 to CYO to help the orchestra sustain its successful work and broaden its reach to youth in Greater Cleveland.
• The Hispanic Business Center (HBC) has big plans for the Clark-Fulton neighborhood on Cleveland’s near west side, and we’re excited to support its vision. We’re granting $95,000 to HBC to support its role in La Villa Hispana Project (La Villa). La Villa plans to celebrate the artistic and cultural richness of the Clark-Fulton neighborhood by creating a vibrant retail, arts and cultural district.
• Opera Circle Cleveland brings high-quality opera to new audiences by presenting free and ticketed performances in neighborhood settings like local churches and community centers. We’re granting $20,000 to support Opera Circle’s productions and programming including the launch of Opera Direct, a series of free performances across Slavic Village and other Cleveland neighborhoods.

• We’re granting $35,000 to Union Miles Development Corporation to support the Union Miles Griot Project. The Griot Project is based on the West African tradition of oral history through artistic interpretation. The project will engage local artists and convene community residents to tell the story of Union Miles’ history. Plans for the project include a community mural, community markers and signage throughout the neighborhood to create a sense of place.

These are just a few of the programs and projects we’re supporting through our grantmaking this month. Follow our blog each week for more monthly grant recaps, news and event information.