More than Grants

(From Neighborhood Leader, Fall 2008 issue)

Dear Neighbor,

Everyone who reads this newsletter knows that the Cleveland Foundation makes grants—about $85 million annually. The Cleveland Foundation is the world's oldest community foundation and one of the largest.

NLI has been a major beneficiary of the Foundation's generosity. From a start-up grant in 2003 to a $140,000 grant this fall, the Cleveland Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of NLI's efforts to develop grassroots leadership and promote the involvement of ordinary citizens in civic life.

Many graduates of our leadership programs have received grants for their neighborhood improvement projects through Neighborhood Connections, the Cleveland Foundation's neighborhood grants program. In addition, several organizations led by NLC graduates have received support from Project Access, another Cleveland Foundation program designed to build the capacity of faith-based and community organizations.

But did you know that the Cleveland Foundation has also been a leader in providing and promoting scholarships?

The Foundation has its own scholarship program, led by NLC graduate Marvelous Baker (Class 13). The range of scholarships offered through the Cleveland Foundation is truly amazing.

There are scholarships for students with special needs and students from underrepresented populations. There are scholarships for students interested in specific careers like architecture, law, and engineering. There are scholarships for students from cities and from suburbs.

Through these various, specialized funds the Cleveland Foundation distributes more than $500,000. Combined with its donor-designated scholarships and the discretionary scholarship resources left to its board, the Foundation gives approximately $1.5 million in scholarship support annually.

As if that were not enough, the Cleveland Foundation has bolstered scholarship resources at Cleveland-area colleges and universities and has also been a major sponsor and supporter of other higher education access and scholarship programs. 

The largest of these is Cleveland Scholarship Programs, one of the programs highlighted in this issue of our newsletter. In fact, the Cleveland Foundation has contributed more than $19 million to Cleveland Scholarship Programs since 1976.

I'm glad that so many of our graduates have benefited from the Cleveland Foundation's grantmaking through programs like Neighborhood Connections and Project Access. Now I'd like to see our graduates take advantage of the Cleveland Foundation's scholarship programs (and other scholarship programs supported by the Foundation).

If you work with young people, if you have college-bound children of your own, or if you're looking to go back to school yourself, please take a look at the programs featured in this issue.

And if you need advice or guidance, call on dedicated NLC graduates like Marvelous Baker, Domingo Gomez, and Victor Ruiz.

Warmest regards,

Don