Listening and Learning
Innovation rarely comes out of nowhere. It usually arises from new knowledge, new pressures, or both. At the Cleveland Foundation, we constantly seek valuable new knowledge to help us innovate and better serve our grantees.
For example, we engaged the Center for Effective Philanthropy in 2009 to survey our grantee partners for anonymous feedback on our strengths and weaknesses. The center compiled the agencies’ evaluations into a report card that showed how our grantees graded us and how we fared relative to hundreds of other foundations across the nation. In short, we did quite well.
Grantees rated us highly for our strong, positive impact on the community and, more specifically, on the fields in which they work. In addition to the financial resources we give, they like that we provide them tools for success, share our expertise, and help leverage resources from other funders. We were heartened by their many positive comments.
But we have room to improve. Smaller grantees say they need more time and guidance. Grantees also suggested that we be clearer about our priorities and streamline some procedures. (You can read the entire report at www.ClevelandFoundation.org/Report.)
As we continue this important dialogue, we hope to serve the community as effectively as possible. As the people’s foundation, we invite you to suggest ways we can further innovate to serve Greater Cleveland.
Robert E. Eckardt
Executive Vice President
- Grants for community needs and vital issues
- The foundation allocates money to local nonprofits in two ways. One way is through responsive grantmaking, which means nonprofits apply for funding and we distribute based on greatest need. The other way is through proactive grantmaking, which allows the foundation to make targeted, long-term grants for larger initiatives.
- Grants from Cleveland Foundation donors
- Each year, our donors set up funds at the foundation that allow them to support specific causes or organizations.
- Grants from supporting organizations
- Supporting organizations are funds affiliated with the Cleveland Foundation that have their own grantmaking strategies, investment objectives and boards of directors.
$79,000,000
Continue to 2009 Highlights