Press Releases

CLEVELAND, OH — January,  17, 2025 — The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce its Fall 2025 funding round, supporting nonprofit organizations and initiatives that serve Northeast Ohio communities across social services, education, health, and the arts. The Fall funding round totals $792,500 and contributes to a record $3.4 million awarded in grants in 2025, marking the largest annual distribution in the Foundation’s history. Highlights for this round include: A $50,000 grant to ideastream to help offset reduced federal support for public broadcasting A $30,000 grant to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to support hunger relief efforts Fall 2025 grant recipients include: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio enables all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The organization provides safe, structured environments for youth ages 6–18 through academic enrichment, meals, physical activity, STEM and arts programming, and college and career preparation. Funding will support general operating expenses to help sustain programming across more than 30 Clubs serving seven counties. The nonprofit was awarded $20,000. Case Western Reserve University: Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine provides medical and public health education while advancing research and improving community health. Its Master of Public Health program emphasizes health equity, social determinants of health, and partnerships with local health departments. Funding will support  the Scott Frank, MD, MS Scholarship Fund to expand access to graduate public health training. The nonprofit was awarded $50,000, expanding Callahan’s support. Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County: Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County (CFACC) works to make a difference for every child served through advocacy, education, and collaborative alliances, focusing on children and youth in the foster care system. The agency’s core program, the Court […]

Callahan Foundation Announces Spring 2025 Grant Recipients, Continuing Legacy of Support for Northeast Ohio with $1.8M in Funding CLEVELAND, OH (August 1, 2025) – The Callahan Foundation is proud to announce it has awarded more than $1.8 million to 35 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives as part of its Spring 2025 grant cycle. This round of funding continues the Foundation’s longstanding tradition of investing in organizations that exemplify excellence in higher education, the arts, and social services, exceeding last round’s total of $870,500 in funding. Highlights of this cycle include: $1,000,000 to The Cleveland Orchestra  $125,000 to the Cleveland Clinic South Pointe for the creation of a new community health worker position. $125,000 to University Circle Inc. to support renovations and upgrades to its community headquarters. Spring 2025 grant recipients include: The Cleveland Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra is dedicated to inspiring and enriching lives by creating extraordinary musical experiences at the highest level of artistic excellence. The organization reaches more than 400,000 people annually through concerts, education programs, and community initiatives. The nonprofit was awarded $1,000,000. 10K Movement: 10K Movement preserves, presents, and cultivates authentic Street Dance culture in Greater Cleveland through education, performance, events, and consulting. Funding will support the 5th annual “Lords of the Land” Festival, a flagship summer event showcasing diverse street dance styles and culminating in a community performance. The nonprofit was awarded $5,000. Aerozone Alliance: Aerozone Alliance drives economic growth in the Aerozone District, a 50-square-mile area surrounding NASA Glenn Research Center and Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Funding will support an employment pilot initiative to identify workforce needs and career barriers for airport workers. The nonprofit was awarded $10,000. Beck Center for the Arts: Beck Center inspires, enriches, and transforms lives through dynamic arts experiences. The Center serves more than 60,000 individuals annually through arts education […]

The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded $870,500 to 36 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Fall 2024 grant cycle, doubling last season’s total. Highlights include awarding: $250,000 to the Cleveland Orchestra for their annual find challenge match $125,000 to University Circle Inc. for renovations of  office on Magnolia Drive $50,000 to Case Western Reserve University for a scholarship fund for Masters of Public Health students $8,000 to the Cleveland Institute of Music for the renovation of Kulas Hall Total 2024 grants amounted to $2.9 million, marking the largest funding year in the foundation’s history. Each of the organizations were chosen for advancing the Callahan Foundation’s mission by creating value for those in need through programs in higher education, the arts, and social services, and demonstrating superior leadership. Fall 2024 grant recipients include: The Cleveland Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra’s mission is to inspire and enrich lives by creating extraordinary musical experiences at the highest level of artistic excellence. The Orchestra reaches over 560,000 people annually with concerts at the Severance and Blossom Music Centers, a residency in South Florida and international touring, PreK-12 education programs, holiday and family concerts, free community concerts, its digital streaming platform, Adella, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Funding will support the Orchestra’s operations and programming during its upcoming  season as it advances its legacy of superb artistry, outstanding education and community engagement programs, while successfully rebuilding audiences to pre-pandemic levels. The organization was awarded $250,000. The Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation: The Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation (BPACF) is committed to creating opportunities for African American professionals through scholarships, leadership, and career development. Serving students and professionals in Northeast Ohio, BPACF’s Emerging Professionals Programs provide essential support such as mentorship, internships, and academic assistance. The organization serves 150-200 students annually, empowering them […]

Callahan Announces Spring 2024 Grant Recipients, Its Largest Funding Round to Date The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded more than $1.28 million to 36 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Spring 2024 grant cycle, nearly tripling last season’s total. Highlights include awarding: $500,000 to support the endowed chair at the Cleveland Orchestra $250,000 to the Cleveland Institute of Music for the renovation of Kulas Hall $150,000 to the United States Naval Academy to sponsor senior capstone projects. This cycle marks the largest funding round in the foundation’s history. All the organizations exemplify 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. Spring 2024 grant recipients include: The Cleveland Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra’s mission is to inspire and enrich lives by creating extraordinary musical experiences at the highest level of artistic excellence. The Orchestra reaches over 560,000 people annually with concerts at the Severance and Blossom Music Centers, a residency in South Florida and international touring, PreK-12 education programs, holiday and family concerts, free community concerts, its digital streaming platform, Adella, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Funding will support the Orchestra’s operations and programming during its 107th season as it advances its legacy of superb artistry, outstanding education and community engagement programs, while successfully rebuilding audiences to pre-pandemic levels. The nonprofit was awarded $500,000. The Cleveland Institute of Music: The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a prestigious music conservatory dedicated to providing exceptional education and training to the next generation of musicians. Founded in 1920, CIM offers a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes both performance and academic excellence. The institute nurtures talent through personalized instruction, masterclasses with renowned artists, and numerous performance opportunities. CIM also engages with the community through concerts, outreach […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Callahan Foundation Pledges $2.5 Million to Case Western Reserve University for New Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building Cleveland, OH – January 31, 2024 – The Callahan Foundation, dedicated to helping nonprofits in the arts, higher education and social services, is excited to announce its pledge of $2.5 million to Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) to support the construction of its new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB). Expected to open in fall 2026, the ISEB represents a historic investment in the university’s research enterprise and is a significant step forward in advancing CWRU President Eric W. Kaler’s priorities: to elevate academic excellence, expand its research enterprise, and enhance community engagement. The 189,000-square-foot building, located on the Case Quad, will address the university’s need for additional research space and foster interdisciplinary collaborations focused on solving the world’s most pressing challenges. This gift from the Callahan Foundation for the construction of the ISEB also will support the university’s efforts to expand its research enterprise by: Enhancing administrative leadership, infrastructure and support; Improving the quality and amount of research space; and Fostering a talent pipeline for increasing enrollment of innovative students and faculty seeking research opportunities.   The Callahan family’s enduring partnership with Case Western Reserve University spans generations, from alumni to trustees, contributing to the University’s legacy. “The Callahan Foundation is honored to champion the University in this transformative project,” said Tim Callahan, President and Executive Director of the Callahan Foundation. “It’s more than a building – it’s a catalyst for advancing education, research, and innovation in Cleveland and beyond. If we can contribute in even a small way to shaping the future, we consider it a meaningful commitment to our community’s growth and success.” The grant comes at a pivotal time for CWRU, coinciding with the university’s bicentennial celebrations.  […]

The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded $330,701 to 32 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Fall 2023 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. Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio: The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) has a mission to inspire and enable young people who are most in need to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. While access to the arts for youth has been shown to improve education, health, and security outcomes, it is far less accessible to youth from low-income homes. BGCNEO bridges this opportunity gap by providing consistent after-school and summer experiences for thousands of low-income youths. Through the organization’s Opening Track program, BGCNEO youth can experience the performance and education offerings of local arts organizations, giving them the inspiration, knowledge, skills, healing, opportunities, and motivation that come through music. BGCNEO’s Opening Track program was awarded $7,500.  Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County (CFACC): A 501-c-3 registered nonprofit organization with the mission to make a difference for every child served through advocacy, education, and collaborative alliances. CFACC was founded in 2016 to serve local children and youth in the local foster care system who are ages birth to 19 and provide support to up to 150 Cleveland-area children living in some kind of supervised County custody or foster care, because it is not safe for them to live at home. The funds will be used to recruit, train and support up to 40 new and 80 existing CASA volunteers who dedicated their time to this important child advocacy work. The nonprofit was awarded $7,500. CHN Housing Partners (CHN): A Cleveland-based nonprofit with 40+ years of […]

The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded $390,000 to 24 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Spring 2022 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. Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio: The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) has a mission to inspire and enable young people who are most in need to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. While access to the arts for youth has been shown to improve education, health, and security outcomes, it is far less accessible to youth from low-income homes. BGCNEO bridges this opportunity gap by providing consistent after-school and summer experiences for thousands of low-income youths. Through the organization’s Opening Track program, BGCNEO youth are able to experience the performance and education offerings of local arts organizations, giving them the inspiration, knowledge, skills, healing, opportunities, and motivation that comes through music. BGCNEO’s Opening Track program was awarded $7,500.  Communities Assisting Residential Elders (CARE): Communities Assisting Residential Elders’ (CARE) mission is to help older adults age in place with dignity. The organization primarily serves low-income senior homeowners who are at 200% of poverty across Greater Cleveland cities. As senior homeowners are increasingly entering poverty—and the cost of living increases as their income remains the same—seniors are also increasingly becoming more vulnerable and disadvantaged. A first-time grant recipient, CARE was awarded $2,500 for its Project Completion Fund for Low Income Seniors, in which volunteers help senior homeowners with completing projects around their homes and properties. CWRU Inamori Ethics Prize Events: The Callahan Foundation supports the Inamori Ethics Prize events through an annual award honoring the year’s recipient. The Inamori Ethics Prize honors those […]

Each year, the Inamori Ethics Prize recognizes an exemplary international ethical leader whose actions and influence have improved the human condition. The award, presented by Case Western Reserve University’s Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, supports the Center’s mission to foster ethical leadership around the world. This year, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence has selected Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician and medical anthropologist who has dedicated his life to improving healthcare for the world’s most in need, with the 2022 Inamori Ethics Prize. Farmer, the Kolokotrones University Professor and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is chief strategist and co-founder of Partners In Health (PIH), which has developed into a worldwide health organization with a model for providing healthcare. Farmer, also a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has written extensively on health, human rights, and social inequality affecting health and healthcare globally. In 2020, he received the $1 million Berggruen Prize in recognition of his life’s work and, more specifically, contributions during the pandemic. He also received a MacArthur Fellowship in the early 1990s. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, which awarded him the 2018 Public Welfare Medal. Farmer has received many additional honors, including the Bronislaw Malinowski Award and the Margaret Mead Award from the Society for Applied Anthropology, the Outstanding International Physician (Nathan Davis) Award from the American Medical Association, and, with his PIH colleagues, the Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The Inamori Ethics Prize has been awarded annually since 2008 to honor an individual for significant and lasting contributions to ethical leadership on the global stage. The […]

The Callahan Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded $449,500 to 26 Northeast Ohio nonprofits and initiatives in its Spring 2021 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.  Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio: The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio’s (BGCNEO) mission is to help improve the lives of the youth who are most in need, targeting low-income youth in the most underserved areas throughout Northeast Ohio. Year-round youth development programming targets academic success, healthy lifestyles, and positive character & citizenship, as well as the arts. During the global pandemic, access to the arts to ease stress is especially important as many of the youth served have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. In 2021, BGCNEO was awarded $5,000 to provide greater access to Arts programming for the most underserved populations in Northeast Ohio, helping to improve the lives of youth through access and exposure to the Arts. CWRU Inamori Ethics Prize Events: The Callahan Foundation supports the Inamori Ethics Prize events by awarding $20,000 and honoring the year’s recipient. The Inamori Ethics Prize honors those who embody ethical leadership, and exemplify founder Dr. Kazuo Inamori’s philosophy: “people have no higher calling than to serve the greater good of humankind and society.” Due to COVID-19, funding in 2020 shifted from the delivery of an Inamori Ethics Prize to a virtual “Conversation on Justice” series held throughout the academic year. Prize events have returned in 2021, with the 2020/2021 Inamori Ethics Prize going to Judge Silvia Alejandra Fernández de Gurmendi, a leading figure in international justice, humanitarian law, and human rights, and the first woman to serve as president of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Learn […]

Each year, the Inamori Ethics Prize recognizes an exemplary international ethical leader whose actions and influence have improved the human condition. The award, presented by Case Western Reserve University’s Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, supports the Center’s mission to foster ethical leadership around the world. This year, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence has selected Silvia Alejandra Fernández de Gurmendi, a leading figure in international justice, humanitarian law and human rights, and the first woman to serve as president of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Judge Fernández is the first Latinx Inamori Ethics Prize recipient and the first from South America. She played a central role in the creation of the ICC and has worked tirelessly to see that those who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity are held accountable for their actions. Before joining the ICC, Judge Fernández was director-general for human rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina. She also represented Argentina before other human-rights bodies and advised on transitional-justice issues related to the prevention of genocide and other international crimes. The 2020/2021 Inamori Ethics Prize ceremony and symposium for Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi will be held on the campus of Case Western Reserve University on September 23 and 24, 2021. The prize carries with it a monetary award, which is intended to support the recipient’s ongoing work. The Inamori Ethics Prize has been awarded annually since 2008 to honor an individual for significant and lasting contributions to ethical leadership on the global stage. The Callahan Foundation is proud to be the title sponsor for the Inamori Ethics Prize ceremony, lecture and symposium. Learn more about the Inamori Ethics Prize and the 2020/2021 honoree, Silvia Alejandra Fernandez De Gurmendi.