Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund partners announce latest round of grantmaking

Community raises more than $7.6 million, grants approach $2.8 million in support of frontline nonprofit organizations in Greater Cleveland

RElease date: 4.17.2020

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition announced today its fourth round of weekly grants to support the Greater Cleveland nonprofit community, which continues to face unprecedented challenges during the ongoing pandemic. In total, $492,713 was awarded to 12 organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, bringing the overall grantmaking amount to nearly $2.8 million in the month since the Fund’s creation.

Food & Shelter

  • Community Service Alliance ($15,000): To continue to provide safe and supportive housing, job assistance, and life skills training at four locations on Cleveland’s near west side for men transitioning to independence and self-sufficiency from poverty, homelessness and addiction.

Comprehensive Basic Needs

  • Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland ($91,240): To provide mental health services through new telemedicine and telemeeting models, while increasing food distribution and rent assistance to at-risk populations in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties.

Disabilities

  • Linking Employment, Abilities & Potential (LEAP) ($50,000): To facilitate individual telephonic and video peer support, and online programs such as recreation, youth transition and community education training for persons with disabilities in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties.
  • Koinonia Homes, Inc. ($50,000): To hire and train up to 100 additional direct support professionals to provide assistance with personal hygiene, bathing, dressing, preparing and consuming meals for clients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities across Northeast Ohio and to support its current direct support professionals.

Youth/Education

  • Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio ($20,000): To support the organization’s weekly grocery box delivery service, including “HopeWork” kits providing hands-on enrichment and literacy programming to fill the educational gaps for youth and families in Cuyahoga County.
  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) ($50,000): To support the 3,000 unsheltered students with hygiene kits and grocery store gift cards to help secure weekend meals and essential household items.

Other Vulnerable Populations

  • Birthing Beautiful Communities ($59,000): To provide housing assistance, food delivery, and birth kits for expectant mothers, as well as essential items such as strollers, diapers, wipes, and car seats, and telehealth services for low-income women in Cuyahoga County.
  • Jordan Community Resource Center ($20,000): To help women who are victims of human trafficking and substance use residing in its recovery houses stay safe from contracting the virus and stay connected to their children, support services and therapy via online options.
  • LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland ($45,023): To help provide food assistance, transportation, social-emotional support via tele/virtual community group meetings and programming, virtual wellness options, street outreach, and legal referrals and advocacy for the LGBTQ population in Greater Cleveland.
  • Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center ($29,700): To create a mobile food pantry for the organization’s HIV/AIDS clients in Cuyahoga County, and to continue to monitor, assess, and assist them with their medical, housing, and legal needs.
  • Ohio City Inc. ($40,000): To disinfect and sterilize 13 emergency bathroom and handwashing stations that were set up to serve unsheltered individuals in downtown Cleveland and on the near west side, while also providing shower availability for individuals.
  • Senior Citizen Resources, Inc. ($22,750): To provide meals, transportation and personal hygiene supplies for high-risk homebound seniors in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Overall contributions to the Rapid Response Fund now total more than $7.6 million from 61 different corporate, civic and philanthropic partners, including individuals and families across the region. New funding partners (since April 10) include First National Bank, George W. Codrington Foundation, Gries Financial Partners, PNC, William W. Rowley, Swagelok Foundation, The Treu-Mart Fund, U.S. Bank and William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals and organizations to contribute to the fund via ClevelandFoundation.org/Response, where you can also view a list of partners to date. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

The partners plan to continue to make grants once a week through June, with the potential to extend grant opportunities as needed and as additional funding resources become available through new partners joining the effort. Frontline nonprofits that have pressing needs related to the COVID-19 crisis response should email covid19response@clevefdn.org to receive more information about the streamlined funding process. The funding collaborative will continue to identify potential grantee partners, solicit guidance on proposed projects from community advisors and recommend final awards. Organizations that have already submitted funding requests will remain in consideration for future grant distributions until further notice.

Based upon the charitable structure of the Rapid Response Fund, grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations and other public entities. The partners are not able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) organizations.

For more information or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Response.

# # #