Cleveland Black Futures Fund

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Since its inception in 2020, the Cleveland Black Futures Fund has granted a total of $6.5 million to invest in and strengthen Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits.

updated sept. 3, 2024, 9 A.m. EST

About the Fund

In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, we bore witness to what is believed to be the largest civil rights movement in the history of the United States. As more people across our community and our country engage in a long overdue reckoning with the ugly reality of structural racism in America, many of us are thinking about our experiences and roles in this reality – individually and collectively.

In the field of philanthropy, we must be honest about our historic shortcomings in addressing the devastating racial disparities that so directly impact our work. The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) has reported on the significant inequities that exist within the national philanthropic field at a time when outcomes and disparities for Black children, families and neighborhoods in many areas have widened.

While structural racism is a problem affecting our entire country, the movement for Black lives has resonated in Greater Cleveland for deeply local reasons. According to 2018 research from The Center for Community Solutions, Black residents in Cleveland are more likely to experience higher rates of infant mortality and childhood poverty, be overrepresented in the criminal justice system, be disproportionately represented in lower wage occupations and have shorter life expectancies – all of which cross socioeconomic boundaries.

The Cleveland Foundation and our donors have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to improve education, housing, job opportunities and access to healthcare in our community. And while these investments have improved the quality of life for individuals and families in Greater Cleveland, they have not yet eliminated the disparities that exist along racial lines. More than 50 years after the Fair Housing Act, our city remains one of the most racially segregated in the nation – both geographically and in terms of educational, economic and health outcomes – among other measures.

The launch of the Cleveland Black Futures Fund, seeded with $2.5 million to invest in and strengthen Black-led and Black-serving social change organizations, is just one step in what must be a long-term community-wide effort to dismantle racist systems that have made communities of color vulnerable for generations. As the Greater Cleveland community’s foundation, it is incumbent upon us to respond to the place where the need is greatest, and there is no doubt that the need is great in Cleveland’s Black community. With the understanding that those who are closest to the problem are often closest to the solution, the fund will elevate specific interventions 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 toward racial equity.

The Cleveland Black Futures Fund builds on the ongoing work of the African American Philanthropy Committee of the Cleveland Foundation (AAPC), which has promoted awareness and education about the benefits of wealth and community preservation through philanthropy since 1993. Established in 2010, the African American Philanthropy Committee Legacy Fund supports a variety of organizations within the African American community of Greater Cleveland. The Cleveland Black Futures Fund will complement the impact of the AAPC and its Legacy Fund, offering an additional pool of resources to support the Black community in Greater Cleveland.

The Cleveland Foundation recognizes that racial inequity is not a simple Black-white divide. However, the needs of various racial and ethnic communities are too vast for one fund to address. The effects of systemic racism on non-Black communities of color must be addressed through interventions that are designed and tailored to the specific needs of each community. As we launch the Black Futures Fund, we are laying the groundwork for future population-specific strategies to address the needs of other ethnic and racial communities in Greater Cleveland.

The launch of the Cleveland Black Futures Fund represents a new and more intentionally anti-racist approach in the Cleveland Foundation’s work, a direction that is necessary if we wish to move our entire community forward. We do not yet have all the answers, but we will continue to listen, learn and act. We hope you will join us.

Cleveland Black Futures Fund announces $640,000 for 32 Black-led and -serving organizations

The Cleveland Foundation has announced that $640,000 in grants will be awarded to 32 Black-led and -serving non-profit organizations in the fifth round of grantmaking for the Cleveland Black Futures Fund.

Round 5 grantees include:

STR8POSITIVE
SOS Initiatives, Stewards of Strong Initiatives Inc.
The Centers for Counseling & Trauma Recovery
Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists
Nerve DJ Institute
The Tavern Coffeehouse
Special Deeds
Breadwinners Academy
ABC Read
Comics at the Corner
Elements of Internal Movement
Institution of Financial Unity
Fab-Hood Network
New City Cleveland
Organic Connects
Shiloh Baptist Church
The Ohio Black Caucus Foundation (OLBCF)
Mojuba Dance Collective
Shelter the People Cleveland
United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc.
Beat the Streets Cleveland
Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center
Black Child Development Institute Cleveland
The Thea Bowman Center
Leading Ladies, Inc.
The Phillis Wheatley Association
East Mount Zion Baptist Church
Delta Alpha Lambda Cleveland Chapter
Renounce Denounce Gang Prevention program
Project Lift
Pure Productions
Cleveland Print Room

Celebrating Cleveland Black Futures Fund Round 1 Grantees

Recipients of first-round funding from the Cleveland Foundation’s Cleveland Black Futures Fund share how their grants helped them make an impact in the community.

Cleveland Black Futures Fund grantee partners

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Round 4

10K Movement ($25,000)
Art of Me Productions ($25,000)
Black Child Development Institute – Cleveland ($25,000)
Black Diamonds Cheer and Dance Academy ($25,000)
The Cleveland Observer ($75,000)
CollectivExpress Inc. ($50,000)
Collinwood Cobras Inc. ($25,000)
David's Challenge Ohio Young Achievers ($25,000)
DNA Rising ($25,000)
Duffy Liturgical Dance Ensemble ($25,000)
Environmental Health Watch ($25,000)
50,000)
Foluké Cultural Arts Center, Inc. ($50,000)
Gilmore Girls Greetings Foundation ($75,000)
Greater Cleveland Congregations ($25,000)
Hands-On Health ($15,000)
I'm In Transition Ministries ($50,000)
Imagine Your Victory ($50,000)
Integrity Development and Rehabilitation Center ($25,000)
Jarvis Gibson Foundation ($15,000)
Jordan Community Resource Center ($100,000)
Larchmere Porchfest ($25,000)
Mended Inc. ($25,000)
The Missing Link, COPE Inc. ($50,000)
The New Community ($25,000)
Ohio Sister Circle ($50,000)
The Phe’be Foundation ($75,000)
Pipeline To God Communications, Inc. ($50,000)
PolicyBridge ($25,000)
Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center ($50,000)
Queen IAM ($75,000)
Removing The Stigma ($25,000)
The Tavern Coffee House ($25,000)
Tender Heart Crusades ($15,000)
We Think 4 a Change ($15,000)
Young Leaders Program ($25,000)
Young Men Growing ($50,000)

Round 3

99Treasures Arts & Culture ($25,000)
100 Black Men of Cleveland Incorporated ($25,000)
AfricaHouse International ($25,000)
Alea’s Helping Hand ($15,000)
Art of Me Productions ($15,000)
Bigman’s Family Center ($15,000)
Black Environmental Leaders Association ($15,000)
Building Hope In The City ($15,000)
Center for Intellectual Property, Technology & Telecommunications, Inc. ($15,000)
Delta Alpha Lambda Foundation, Inc. ($15,000)
Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland ($15,000)
Elements of Internal Movement Eternal Pull Inc. ($25,000)
Encore Employment Enterprise, Inc. ($25,000)
Freedom Youth Program ($15,000)
From Me 2 U, Inc. ($25,000)
Future Hope Foundation ($15,000)
Gem-N-Me ($25,000)
Golden Ciphers ($50,000)
Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association ($75,000)
Impact Youth Incorporated ($15,000)
iN Education Inc. ($15,000)
Jarvis Gibson Foundation ($25,000)

Khnemu Foundation ($25,000)
Links Not Chains, Inc. ($15,000)
Men and Women of Central ($15,000)
Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program of Cleveland, Inc. ($15,000)
The Missing Link, COPE Inc. ($15,000)
Mt. Olive Community Development Corporation ($25,000)
My Brother My Sister Global Inc. ($25,000)
National Association of Minority Contractors Northern Ohio Chapter ($15,000)
Neighborhood Solutions, Inc. ($25,000)
Oh Sew Powerful, Inc. ($15,000)
Olivet Housing & Community Development Corp. ($15,000)
Peel Dem Layers Back ($50,000)
Phillis Wheatley Association of Cleveland ($50,000)
Promise of Democracy Foundation ($50,000)
Sankofa Fine Art Plus ($50,000)
Special Deeds, Inc. ($15,000)
Steps to Wellness ($15,000)
Teaching Young Women in Society Truth ($15,000)
Women of Color Foundation ($20,000)
Writers in Residence ($25,000)

Round 2

1000 Ties ($25,000)
ABC Read ($25,000)
Ashbury Community Services Inc. ($25,000)
Beat the Streets Cleveland ($50,000)
Bessie's Angels Inc. ($25,000)
Best Community Resource Center ($25,000)
Black Environmental Leaders Association ($25,000)
Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation, Inc. ($50,000)
Broken Connections Inc. ($50,000)
Collaboration Station ($50,000)
Collinwood and Nottingham Village Development Corporation ($25,000)
Contractors Assistance Association ($25,000)
Daughters of Hadassah House ($25,000)
David's Challenge Incorporated Young Achievers Program ($50,000)
Enlightened Solutions ($50,000)
Feed the Soul ($25,000)
Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists ($25,000)
Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association ($25,000)
Greater Cleveland Urban Film Foundation ($50,000)
Inner City Baseball Academy of Greater Cleveland ($25,000)
Leading Ladies, Inc. ($25,000)

Learning for Life Youth Program ($25,000)
Life Exchange Center ($50,000)
Little Giants Youth Fitness Academy ($50,000)
Mojuba! Dance Collective ($25,000)
National Basketball Retired Players Association Cleveland Chapter ($25,000)
New Life Community Development Corporation ($25,000)
Organic Connects, Inc. ($25,000)
Out-of-School Time Collaborative ($100,000)
Project LIFT Behavioral Health Services ($75,000)
Raising Our Kids Inc. ($25,000)
Renounce Denounce Gang Intervention Program Corporation ($25,000)
Sevynteenth Foundation ($25,000)
SOS Initiatives, Stewards of Strong Initiatives Inc. ($50,000)
SOS Strengthening Our Students ($50,000)
Spirit of Excellence Inc. ($50,000)
Take Ch9rge ($25,000)
Teen Excellence Non Profit Organization ($25,000)
Thea Bowman Center ($50,000)
Victory Center For Youth ($25,000)
Village of Healing ($50,000)
Ward Wide Education ($50,000)
Youth Empowering Society ($25,000)

Round 2 also includes capacity-building fellowships focused on the following four areas: fund development, leadership development, long-term/strategic planning and marketing & communications. Each of the four areas includes approximately 15 organizations – some of whom also received a grant in the second round – and is designed to foster peer learning with like-minded nonprofits.

Round 1

99 Treasures Arts & Culture ($25,000)
American Association of Clergy and Employers ($25,000)
Birthing Beautiful Communities ($50,000)
Black Lives Matter Cleveland ($25,000)
Black Lives Matter Lake County ($25,000)
Black Space Productions ($25,000)
The Block Club Community Development Corporation ($25,000)
Brandnew Community Inc. ($25,000)
Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. ($50,000)
The Cleveland Observer ($25,000)
Cleveland VOTES ($50,000)
CollectivExpress Inc. ($25,000)
Community Suds Inc. ($25,000)
Cory Glenville Community Center ($25,000)
The Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland ($25,000)
East Mount Zion Baptist Church ($25,000)
Environmental Health Watch, Inc. ($100,000)
Fab Foundation ($50,000)
Food Depot to Health ($25,000)
Gardening in the District Nonprofit Organization ($25,000)
Hands-On Health ($25,000)
Jordan Community Resource Center ($75,000)
Journey On Yonder (JOY) ($25,000)
LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland ($100,000)
Little Africa Food Cooperative ($25,000)
Men and Women of Central ($25,000)
Metropolitan Cleveland Alliance of Black School Educators ($25,000)

Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program of Cleveland, Inc. ($25,000)
Motivated and Empowered Inc. ($50,000)
Museum of Creative Human Art ($25,000)
My Brother My Sister Global Inc. ($50,000)
NAACP Cleveland Branch ($50,000)
Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope (NOAH) ($50,000)
Peel Dem Layers Back ($25,000)
Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center ($50,000)
Promise of Democracy Foundation ($25,000)
Recess Cleveland ($50,000)
The Rid-All Foundation ($50,000)
RollinBuckeyez Foundation ($25,000)
See You At The Top (SYATT) ($50,000)
Shooting Without Bullets ($50,000)
Somali Bantu Community Cooperation of Cleveland ($50,000)
Time for A Change Community Diaper Bank ($25,000)
Union Miles Development Corporation ($25,000)
Urban City Codes ($40,000)
A Vision of Change, Inc. ($100,000)
We Think 4 A Change ($25,000)
William E. Sanders Family Life Center Inc. ($25,000)
Writers in Residence ($50,000

Latest News

Advisory Committee

The Cleveland Black Futures Fund advisory committee guides the application parameters and grantmaking process for the fund. The seven-person group is comprised of community leaders working alongside foundation representatives:

Carrie Carpenter, Board Member, Cleveland Foundation
The Rev. Dr. Robin Hedgeman, Board Member, Cleveland Foundation
Constance Hill-Johnson, Board Chairperson, Cleveland Foundation
Treye Johnson, Program Director for Vibrant Neighborhoods & Inclusive Economies, The George Gund Foundation
Shanelle Smith Whigham, Vice President, Sustainability & Social Impact, KeyBank
Timothy L. Tramble Sr., President & CEO, Saint Luke’s Foundation

Radio One town hall

The town hall broadcast live Feb. 11 on the Z107.9, 93.1 WZAK and Praise 94.5 Facebook pages and on YouTube and explored how the Cleveland Black Futures Fund will be supporting the capacity of Cleveland-based nonprofit organizations that are both Black-led and Black-serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Timeline for future grantmaking cycles

Will there be additional rounds of grantmaking?

To ensure the long-term impact of the Cleveland Black Futures Fund, the Cleveland Foundation plans to endow the fund with $3 million and begin grantmaking under an updated model in 2025. It will become one of three affinity funds at the Foundation – the others focusing support on the LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities in Cleveland.

Other Questions About the Cleveland Black Futures Fund

Why a specific fund?

The Cleveland Black Futures Fund was established to acknowledge that Black residents of Cleveland face a higher likelihood of negative life outcomes solely because of the color of their skin.

In the city of Cleveland’s historically redlined neighborhoods, where more than 90 percent of residents are Black, the life expectancy is nearly 24 years less than in suburbs a mere seven miles away, where more than 90 percent of residents are white. According to 2018 research from The Center for Community Solutions, Black residents in Cleveland are more likely to experience higher rates of infant mortality and childhood poverty, be overrepresented in the criminal justice system, and be disproportionately represented in lower-wage occupations. Data indicates that these disparities in life outcomes cross all socioeconomic barriers.

The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) has also reported that significant inequities exist within the national philanthropic field at a time when outcomes and disparities for Black children, families, and neighborhoods in many areas have widened.

We are guided by the principle that the people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. We know that there are many dynamic, trusted organizations already working within the community to eradicate these disparities and more. This fund is an intentional opportunity to incubate and accelerate the visions of active Black community leaders, especially those who have not previously secured much institutional philanthropic support.

Why were other people of color and marginalized populations not included in this funding list?

We believe in working with specificity and intention. Racial inequity is not a simple Black/white divide, and the strategies and tactics to address racial inequities must be specific and tailored to communities. Furthermore, the needs of all racial and ethnic communities are too vast for one fund to address; we felt it was critical to initially develop a strategy to address some of the funding inequities that have specifically affected the Black community.

At the same time, because solutions will not be one-size-fits-all, the Cleveland Foundation is working with partners to develop strategies that address the particular needs of other communities of color.

I want to help. Can I contribute to this fund?

The foundation encourages individual donors, philanthropic foundations, and companies to contribute to the fund. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are eligible for a charitable deduction. You can give here: ClevelandFoundation.org/FuturesFund.

If you are a Cleveland Foundation fund holder and would like to recommend a grant from your fund, please log in to the donor portal or contact your donor relations officer for instructions.