Cleveland Foundation invites houses of worship to apply for the Greater Cleveland Faith Based Collaborative
Submissions for latest cohort accepted through Feb. 5
Release Date: 1.16.18
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Foundation has opened the application process for Cohort II of the Greater Cleveland Faith Based Collaborative (GCFBC). Houses of worship in Cleveland, East Cleveland and Cleveland’s inner ring suburbs are encouraged to apply prior to the Feb. 5 deadline.
Launched by the Cleveland Foundation in 2015, GCFBC is a group of faith and community leaders that have come together to support each other in building and enhancing the lives of families and communities. GCFBC strives to bring houses of worship together across lines of race, faith tradition and geography to better serve the community.
Two representatives from each of six Cohort II houses of worship will participate in a 24-month series of capacity building trainings on topics including (but not limited to) community program development, program evaluation, fundraising and board effectiveness. Participants will also receive spiritual peer mentoring and have the opportunity to apply for Cleveland Foundation grant funds through a targeted GCFBC internal process.
“Houses of worship and faith-based organizations provide support to individuals and families throughout Greater Cleveland,” said Rev. Dr. Stephen Rowan, chairman, Cleveland Foundation board of directors. “We are pleased to have the Cleveland Foundation continue its work in building the capacity of these organizations to provide quality community-based services.”
The pilot program (2015-17) included six houses of worship throughout Greater Cleveland, approximately 36 additional faith-based community organizations and a community advisory council involved in trainings, public work sessions and a grantmaking stipend process – all focusing on the key role houses of worship play in our community beyond non-religious duties. New components for Cohort II include a spiritual leader mentorship program, community projects, and a focus on increasing diversity in faith traditions and geographies represented in the collaborative.
“Houses of worship are an integral part of the fabric of our Greater Cleveland community,” said Dale Anglin, Cleveland Foundation program director for youth and social services. “It is imperative that we create partnership opportunities for these organizations to enhance the mission-critical services they provide every day to our residents, and to strengthen the communities in which they serve.”
Additional houses of worship will also be invited to participate in an upcoming capacity building session. More information on those offerings will be made available in April.