03/04/2014 in Grantmaking

George Gund Foundation Awards $4.1 Million at Winter Meeting

The George Gund Foundation continued its commitment to implementation of the Cleveland Plan at its winter board meeting with grants totaling $649,000 to support the start-up of two new, innovative high schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).

Bard High School Early College Cleveland, a partnership between CMSD and New York’s Bard College, will open on Cleveland’s west side this fall with ninth and eleventh graders. The Digital Arts High School, a partnership between the CMSD and the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (formerly Young Audiences) will open this fall with ninth graders in a downtown location. 

New school development has been the focus of the Foundation’s Portfolio of Excellent Schools strategy and is a major priority of the Cleveland Plan. 

In other CMSD-related grantmaking, the Foundation awarded $125,000 to the MetroHealth System to open a mobile, school-based health clinic at Lincoln West High School on Cleveland’s near west side. It is hoped that this pilot program will launch a citywide partnership among CMSD, MetroHealth and other primary care providers that will eventually include all CMSD schools. 

The grants were among 59 grants totaling $4,149,761 approved by Foundation Trustees at their first meeting of 2014. 

Other grants of interest included: 

  • $150,000 to the Western Reserve Historical Society for restoration and installation of the Euclid Beach Carousel at its University Circle facility. 

  • $100,000 over two years to the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for the Ohio Text4baby initiative. 

  • $75,000 to Public Interest Projects for the National Campaign to Reform State Juvenile Justice Systems. 

  • $250,000 to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance for operating support. 

  • $100,000 to the Franklin County Historical Society for a new organization, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy. 

  • $250,000 over two years to Environmental Health Watch for operating support and the Clean Air Campaign. 

  • $300,000 over three years to the Brookings Institution for the Metropolitan Policy Program. 

  • $25,000 to The Musical Theater Project for new collaborations.

The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 by George Gund, former chairman of the Cleveland Trust Company.  The Foundation funds programs that enhance our understanding of the physical and social environment in which we live and increase our ability to cope with its changing requirements.  Grants are made three times a year in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, environment and arts.  Foundation commitments to date have totaled more than $635 million.