Cleveland Black Futures Fund releases third RFP, application portal opens August 1

Virtual support available prior to deadline, including technical assistance workshops and grant-writing support

 Release Date: 7.11.2022

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Foundation released a request for proposals for the third round of grantmaking from the Cleveland Black Futures Fund today. Black-led nonprofit organizations with a budget less than $1 million in Cleveland can begin applying on Monday, Aug. 1 at noon. The Fund has amassed more than $4 million since its inception in late 2020 to support the capacity of Cleveland-based nonprofit organizations that are both Black-led and Black-serving.

The overarching goal of the Cleveland Black Futures Fund is to strengthen the ecosystem of Black leaders and Black-serving organizations in Greater Cleveland by providing intentional resources to help grow organizational infrastructure and capacity. Long-term, the foundation aims to deepen the field of leaders working to dismantle systemic racism and advance the community towards racial equity.

The timeline for the third round of grantmaking is as follows:

  • Aug. 1: The online application portal opens at noon. Please continue to check the Cleveland Black Futures Fund website for more information. 
  • Aug. 1-31: Three Technical Assistance Workshops are available for applicants, please use the drop-down box on the registration page to choose the date and time that works for you. Click here to register.
  • Aug. 1-31: Grant-writing Assistance Sessions are available. All applicants that attend a Technical Assistance Workshop are eligible to receive grant-writing assistance. Please click the link above to attend a Technical Assistance Workshop to sign up to receive grant-writing assistance.
  • Aug. 31: The 2022 application deadline is August 31, 2022. 
  • Sept. 2022: Applicants who are advancing to the second stage in the review process will receive notification. 
  • Mid-Oct. 2022: Applicants who are advancing to the final stage in the review process will receive notification. 
  • Dec. 2022: Notice and announcement of final funding decisions

Over the past two years, both the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic protests happening nationally and locally have prompted a bolder call to action to address systemic racism and its devastating effects in the Greater Cleveland community. In light of the crisis brought on by the spread of COVID-19, the advisory committee of the Fund asks applicants to reflect on the effects of the pandemic in the community. This framing is not intended to limit the applicant pool to strictly health, public health or social services work; we believe that work across sectors will be important to the health and resilience of the community during this pandemic, including environmental work, technology, arts, policy and advocacy, and much more.

Starting Monday, Aug. 1 at noon, applications can be submitted online by visiting the Cleveland Foundation grants application page.

For more information on eligibility, the application and scoring process, opportunities for applicant support, and other pertinent information – or to donate to the Cleveland Black Futures Fund – visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Futures.

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