Cleveland Foundation accepting nominations for 2016 Encore Cleveland Prize
Award celebrates innovative next chapters for Greater Clevelanders 50+
RELEASE DATE: 5.23.2016
Cleveland – The Cleveland Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 2016 Encore Cleveland Prize, which will honor an individual age 50 and older for innovative work that combines personal meaning with social impact to enhance the lives of Greater Clevelanders. The award comes with a $25,000 prize, which the honoree can direct to the 501 (c) (3) organization of his or her choosing in Cuyahoga, Lake or Geauga county, the three-county footprint served by the Cleveland Foundation.
Last year, the foundation presented Encore Cleveland Prizes to Thomas Gaghan, founder and executive director of the Greater Cleveland Furniture Bank, and to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for its Act 2 program, which engages retired attorneys.
“We are thrilled to highlight great work being done by experienced Greater Clevelanders to address social issues through Encore careers,” said Robert E. Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “We hope these real life examples will inspire others to forge their own Encore paths by connecting with our grantee partners and becoming part of the Encore movement in our region.”
Applications for this year’s Encore Cleveland Prize are due by July 1, 2016. A panel of judges will review the application and recommend the recipient to the foundation’s board of directors for final review and approval. The award will be presented this fall.
The Encore movement is a national effort to leverage the energy and experience of Americans who seek to fill community needs upon retirement or near the end of their primary careers. Encore Cleveland, launched in 2013 by the Cleveland Foundation, helps to connect and fund a network of organizations to provide experienced Clevelanders age 50 and above with an array of meaningful opportunities in the community. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $3.5 million in grant dollars to support Encore Cleveland programs.
To learn more about the Encore Cleveland movement and to download the nomination form for the Encore Cleveland Prize, visit www.clevelandfoundation.org/encore.
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Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest today, with assets of $2.1 billion and 2015 grants of $95 million. Through the generosity of donors, the foundation improves the lives of residents of Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga Counties by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on vital issues. The foundation tackles the community’s priority areas – education and youth development, neighborhoods, health and human services, arts and culture, economic development and purposeful aging – and responds to the community’s needs.
For more information on the Cleveland Foundation, visit www.clevelandfoundation.org/purpose and follow us on Facebook.com/ClevelandFoundation, Twitter @CleveFoundation and Instagram @CleveFoundation