The Callahan Foundation Announces Spring 2018 Grant Recipients

The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded $212,500 to 21 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Spring 2018 grant cycle. These organizations embody the Callahan Foundation’s mission, demonstrating superior leadership and creating value for those in need through programs in higher education, the arts and social services.

Beck Center for the Arts: Awarded $10,000 in support of their capital campaign, intended to attract more people to experience the arts, stimulate economic development, and transform the Center into a nationally recognized destination for arts education and performances.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland: Big Brothers Big Sisters helps children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships. The organization was awarded $5,000 for their core and special mentoring programs, which pair mentors who provide guidance and support with youths facing adversity in and outside of the classroom.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland: Awarded $5,000 for their after-school dance programming. BGCC’s dance program connects young people from Cleveland’s most vulnerable neighborhoods to experiences that are engaging and empowering, providing them with a much-needed physical and emotional outlet while nurturing positive character development.

Cleveland Orchestra: Awarded $25,000 for subsidization of tickets for high school students to attend their Friday Morning Concert Series during the Orchestra’s 2018-2019 season.

Cleveland School of the Arts: Awarded $10,000 for general operating support, allowing them to serve hundreds of disadvantaged students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) through arts advocacy, partnerships and resources.

Dress for Success Cleveland: A first-time Callahan Foundation grant recipient, Dress for Success Cleveland was awarded $2,500 to expand their Mobile Career Center program, which will help the organization break into new communities, receive more donations and further spread awareness.

Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA): ICA, the nation’s first nonprofit regional art conservation center providing professional, cost-effective art conservation services, was awarded $30,000 to support the position of Executive Director.

CWRU Inamori Ethics Prize Events: The Callahan Foundation supports the Inamori Ethics Prize events by awarding $20,000 and honoring this year’s recipient, space scientist and geologist Farouk El-Baz.

Junior Achievement: Awarded $5,000 for general operating support, allowing the organization to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy through career readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.

Karamu House: Awarded $10,000 to support the position of Arts Education Manager. The Karamu House delivers on its mission to produce professional theatre, provide arts education and present community programs for all people while honoring the African-American experience.

Kinnect: A first-time grant recipient, Kinnect was awarded $5,000 to support the position of Office Manager. Kinnect advocates for children and families in crisis by training and coaching professionals in the child welfare/protection field, as well as partnering with public and private agencies to bring innovative best practice programs to Ohio.

Lake Erie Ink: Awarded $7,500 for general operating support to aid their mission of providing high-quality, out-of-school creative writing workshops and in-school project-based programs to improve youth’s access to the arts, encourage self-expression, and increase literacy, writing fluency and critical thinking skills by exposing them to arts-based learning opportunities.

Legal Aid Society: Awarded $15,000 to assist low-income children through Legal Aid’s Access to Education program, which helps to resolve educational barriers, including issues that contribute to family instability, so children can have the best chance of academic success.

Nature Center of Shaker Lakes: A first-time grant recipient, the organization was awarded $7,500 for their Applied Science for Kids (ASK!) program, an educational initiative launched in partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to help connect children to nature while improving their academic performance. Throughout the course of the school year, the ASK! program will reach over 7,600 students from over 60 schools.

Near West Theatre: Near West Theater builds relationships and engages a diversity of people in strengthening character through theatre arts. The organization was awarded $5,000 for general operating support, which will allow them to provide theatre arts and technical training programs to economically and culturally diverse children and families on Cleveland’s near west side and surrounding communities.

Northeast Ohio Coalition for Homeless (NEOCH): First-time grant recipient NEOCH seeks to break the cycle of homelessness in Northeast Ohio by organizing and empowering homeless and at-risk men, women, and children through public education, advocacy, and the creation of nurturing environments. The organization was awarded $10,000 for their Housing 101 program.

Scranton Road Ministries: Awarded $7,500 for their Youth Jobs Partnership, which leverages partnerships and community assets to provide hundreds of Cleveland young adults with comprehensive and best-practice job training and placement services throughout the year.

Thea Bowman Center: Awarded $7,500 toward their Senior Connections Outreach project, enabling the center to hire personnel to work as a team to conduct individual assessment interviews with seniors who can then be connected with community resources to meet their needs.

UCI Transportation Study: The Moving Greater University Circle Initiative’s Transportation and Mobility Study was awarded $10,000 for their Smart Parking strategy, which will focus on determining and achieving balance between parking supply and demand through transformational opportunities.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited: Youth Opportunities Unlimited provides school- and community-based workforce programs to youth 14-24 in Northeast Ohio who live in families near, at or below poverty level. Y.O.U. was awarded $5,000 for their school-based workforce programs.