Callahan Foundation Announces Fall 2023 Grant Recipients
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 experience as an affordable housing developer, housing stability service provider and residential lender. With a mission to leverage the power of affordable and stable housing to change lives and improve communities, CHN has served over 60,000 annually through its six lines of business. Its Lease Purchase Program will be funded, to further develop its model of housing development, affordable homeownership, long-term engagement, and counseling that culminates in the opportunity for homeownership when the home reaches 16 years under CHN management. By investing in affordable housing, CHN is investing in families, communities, and the economy, and the power of a permanent address. The nonprofit was awarded $5,000.
Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM): The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) works to empower the world’s most talented classical music students to fulfill their dreams and potential. Funds will support scholarships for CIM’s most deserving students. For these students, scholarships mean the ability to pursue world-class musical training and the opportunity to study with renowned CIM faculty members. The nonprofit was awarded $8,000.
Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF): A leader in helping the world discover the power of the film arts to educate, entertain, and celebrate an inclusive human experience. Drawing more than 100,000 film enthusiasts annually, CIFF is an Academy® qualifying festival, and one of seven Resident Companies of Playhouse Square. The funds will support the Roxanne T. Mueller (RTM) Audience Choice Award for Best Film, IFF’s most prestigious and internationally acclaimed honor recognizing impactful filmmakers. Funding allows CIFF to present the award as well as cover stipends for most of the filmmakers whose films will be eligible for the award. The nonprofit was awarded $30,000.
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). CMA creates transformative experiences through art, ‘for the benefit of all the people forever.’ Funding will support the direct expenses of the proposed exhibition, Printmaking at Karamu House, its accompanying publication, and community partnerships. Preliminary work on both the exhibition and publication will be carried out in the context of a Spring 2024 graduate seminar where students will build professional skills and gain institutional experience working to write exhibition didactics, collect oral histories and assist in the development of community partnerships, resulting in public programming related to Black printmakers in Cleveland. CMA’s commitment to the communities it serves is the driving force behind this collaboration. The nonprofit was awarded $15,000.
College Now: College Now’s mission is to increase postsecondary educational attainment in Greater Cleveland through college and career access advising, financial aid counseling, and scholarship and retention services. Last year, the organization served approximately 33,000 socio-economically diverse traditional-age students and adult learners in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake, Medina, Summit, and Richland counties (and adding Geauga in 2023-2024). The funding will support individuals from low-income backgrounds, most of whom are first-generation college students. Despite recent gains, college enrollment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and wide gaps exist among graduates of high schools primarily attended by students from low-income backgrounds. The nonprofit was awarded $7,500.
Community Partnership on Aging (CPA): A unique social services agency that serves those age 60+ in the Greater Cleveland area, guided by its mission to improve the lives of older adults through programs and services that support independence, community involvement and well-being. The funds will support one of the agency’s main services, the Safe at Home Program, which was started in 2013 in response to the growing epidemic that affects all older adults: falls. CPA will add staff and volunteers dedicated to fall prevention and will begin working with the Cleveland State University Occupational Therapy Department for Safe at Home client assessment, education and follow-up. The organization was granted $3,000.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL): Works to empower individuals and communities by providing opportunities for all to read, learn, create and connect. Funding will support the 2023-2024 Student Success Programs, helping to advance CCPL’s mission and provide innovative programs and services that meet the diverse educational needs of K-8th grade students in Cuyahoga County. Through the Student Success Programs, students in K-8th grade find afterschool support that meets their learning needs in a fun, engaging way. The organization was awarded $10,000.
Dress for Success Cleveland: Dress for Success empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since 2011, Dress for Success Cleveland has maintained a 52% or greater placement rate of women getting employed for the first time and/or re-entering the workforce. The funding will support the organization’s workforce development platform and strengthen the Boutique On Wheels (BOW) service model that offers professional and industry-specific attire, 1:1 job readiness services and holistic development workshops. Additionally, they plan to launch their on-demand Good Morning Gorgeous (GMG) series, a positive-energy morning connection to hear topics related to self-care, personal development, and awareness of different topics related to women. The organization was awarded $5,000.
Esperanza: A nonprofit organization that empowers Northeast Ohio Hispanic/Latinx communities to flourish by equipping learners for educational attainment and lifelong success. Esperanza has the distinction of serving the largest number of Spanish-speaking students in Ohio, balancing educational inequities that have disproportionately impacted the Hispanic community. The funds will help create a college-going culture among students who often feel that college isn’t an option for them and prepare them for academic and socioemotional success once they get there. The nonprofit was awarded $7,500.
FrontLine Services: FrontLine Service is the primary agency that reaches out to those throughout Cuyahoga County who are homeless, struggling with mental health crises or thoughts of suicide, or whose lives have been devastated by violence in their own home or community. The funds support their Safe Haven program for adults who experience long-term homelessness and severe mental illness. FrontLine can provide a nurturing home for individuals who would likely be living on the streets or in mental institutions without it. The Safe Havens ensure that those individuals have a safe place to land, grow, and thrive. The nonprofit was awarded $7,500.
Global Cleveland: An economic development non-profit organization whose mission is to grow Northeast Ohio’s economy by welcoming and connecting international people to opportunities and fostering a more inviting community for those seeking a place to call home. The organization’s goal is to ensure that Northeast Ohio is known globally as America’s most welcoming and supportive region for international people to live and contribute to a thriving economy. Funding will help grow Cleveland’s economy by integrating talented immigrants and refugees into our communities and workforce and specifically support its Welcoming Workforce Program to support the economic prosperity of our region and integrate international talent, including the recent wave of refugees, into the local workforce. The organization was awarded $5,000.
Great Lakes Science Center: Northeast Ohio destination whose mission is to make science, technology, engineering, and math come alive. Serving mostly children ages 2-12 and their families, they partner with local school districts and community organizations to provide engaging STEM educational programming. Funding will support of comprehensive STEM educational programming for Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students and help purchase workshop supplies for students during the 2023-2024 program year. The organization was awarded $10,000.
Ideastream Public Media: A trusted multimedia source for Northeast Ohioans that focuses on enriching the community through quality journalism, educational services, and innovative programming. The Callahan Foundation’s support in 2023 enabled Ideastream to excel in providing news coverage, education initiatives, and diverse arts and entertainment. Notable highlights include initiatives such as American Graduate: Jobs Explained, Sound of Ideas Community Tours, and Today from the Ohio Newsroom. Funding will allow Ideastream to continue engaging and informing the public by producing and sharing robust journalism, high-quality multiple media and essential public services to elevate and enrich Northeast Ohio communities. Ideastream was awarded $8,000.
ICA-Art Conservation (ICA): A nonprofit that preserves and conserves works of art and objects of cultural heritage that embody the stories of people, communities, and cultures, past and present, that inform our understanding and awareness of ourselves and others. Funding will support general operating support and the crucial roles of conservators who play a pivotal role by engaging in cross-training across conservation specialties, building relationships with professionals, and providing crucial consultations on textile care, highlighting the multifaceted nature of their work. The nonprofit was awarded 30,000.
Land Studio: A nonprofit whose mission is to create places and connect people through public art, sustainable building and design, collaborative planning, and dynamic programming. The organization convenes developers, community stakeholders, residents, and artists to complete transformative projects that foster a more competitive, equitable, and attractive city. LAND is dedicated to Cleveland, conducting projects in the city’s diverse neighborhoods. Funding will support LAND’s racial equity and inclusion (REI) efforts and integrate them into a strategic planning process beginning in 2024. The organization seeks to continue its engagement of Equius Group (Equius)—a Cleveland-based consulting firm that designs and facilitates REI-related training and leadership development. The nonprofit was awarded $7,500.
LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (the Center): An organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Cleveland’s diverse LGBTQ+ community through advocacy, support, education, and celebration. The Center is the only LGBTQ+-focused agency in the region with the capacity to sustain comprehensive programming for northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community. Funding will support at-risk LGBTQ+ students who greatly need safe and affirming educational environments. Additionally, it enables the expansion of life-affirming school-based programming for LGBTQ+ youth into two new Cleveland schools including a Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) high school. This programming will replicate the Center’s successful in-school wrap-around programming model currently running in the Lorain City Schools that offers onsite LGBTQ+-centered health, wellness, and nutritional assistance to support LGBTQ+ youth on their paths to socioemotional and academic wellbeing. This funding is critically needed to address the harsh realities marginalized LGBTQ+ youth currently face by increasing access to inclusive and affirming support and mitigating negative health outcomes. The Center was awarded $15,000.
LifeAct: A nonprofit whose mission is to prevent suicide by educating young people to recognize the warning signs of suicide and to seek professional help for themselves and others. Specially trained instructors travel to Northeast Ohio classrooms to deliver interactive, multi-media school programs that help students learn to identify the feelings or warning signs that can lead to depression and suicide. Funding will support the organization’s at-no-charge school programs for middle and high school students in the 2023-2024 school year, serving at least 228 Northeast Ohio students. The nonprofit was awarded $5,000.
Malachi House: For more than 35 years, Malachi House has been addressing the need for medically supportive housing for the dying poor. The home ministers to individuals who need an available caregiver, who have limited or no financial resources, and who need special home care in the final stages of life. Funding will support the organization’s ability to provide appropriate housing and access to end-of-life care to those who are poor and dying in their last six months of life. Malachi House was awarded $12,500.
Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa): moCa Cleveland is a contemporary non-collecting museum that celebrates the art and artists of our time. Each season moCa showcases an array of fresh voices within contemporary art that reflect the art and ideas of the moment and has the unique privilege of being Northeast Ohio’s most recognizable arts organization solely dedicated to contemporary art. Funding will help strengthen moCa’s long-term capacity and health, including a rigorous research and assessment process to create a sustainability plan and work to empower leadership and innovation. moCa Cleveland was awarded $10,000.
Providence House: A crisis nursery that provides emergency shelter for children whose families are experiencing crisis. Providence House brings multi-generational programs that embrace and support family preservation, hope, and healing. With a mission to keep kids safe and families together to enhance stability that strengthens communities, this year’s funding supports the direct care and Family Preservation services for children and families utilizing the Family Preservation Crisis Nursery. These families often face a range of compounded crises that create barriers to achieving and maintaining stability. Throughout its 42-year history, Providence House has cared and advocated for more than 14,000 children and families in crisis across Greater Cleveland. Providence House was awarded $10,000.
Recovery Resources (RR): A nonprofit that helps people triumph over mental health challenges, alcoholism, drug, and other addictions in Cuyahoga County. RR offers a variety of services to clients, including employment services, recovery housing, case management, individual and group behavioral counseling, MAT (medicated assisted treatment) and MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder) services, forensic services, prevention services, and gambling treatment services. RR serves adults ages 18+ and older, regardless of background, demographic information, or ability to pay for services. At least 65% of RR clients are considered “low-income”, and one of the largest barriers clients face when seeking treatment is transportation. Many clients don’t have personal methods of transportation and rely on rides from loved ones, public transportation, or walking/biking. Lack of reliable transportation decreases the likelihood of a client seeking treatment while also increasing the likelihood of clients relapsing. Funding will provide round-trip Lyft rides to clients seeking treatment. RR was awarded $5,000.
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeast Ohio, Inc.: For more than 40 years, Ronald McDonald House® has enhanced the healthcare experience for families and children through comfort, care and supportive services. Funding will support the expansion of its Family Meal Program to weekend meal service at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation. For families facing a medical emergency or ongoing medical treatment, the extraordinary cost can multiply quickly. RMHC NEO saves families on average $2,000 in lodging and food costs over a typical stay. The organization identified that many families were faced with minimal food options during the weekend, as the cafeteria was closed for meals, leaving families to eat from the vending machines or from fast food restaurants around the center. They immediately responded by committing to provide 40 boxed lunches for the weekends for a three month-trial period while we sought funding for the new program. The organization was awarded $10,000.
Seeds of Literacy: Seeds of Literacy (Seeds) is the only nationally accredited adult literacy program in Ohio with the mission to provide free, personalized education that empowers adults to thrive in our community. With the help of nearly 300 volunteers, students are provided one-to-one tutoring for students. Last fiscal year, Seeds educated 1,492 students (a 25% increase over the previous year). With funding, Seeds will continue to help meet the growing demand for postsecondary education and training. Seeds was awarded $7,500.
Stella Maris: The mission of Stella Maris is to provide transformational chemical dependency and mental health treatment services to anyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or ability to pay. It is now one of two stand-alone detox providers in Greater Cleveland; and is the only treatment facility where an individual can move through an entire continuum of services on one campus. Funding will contribute to its Supportive Housing Program to assist clients with ongoing recovery support to facilitate reentry into the community and to enhance each individual’s ability to be successful in life-long recovery. Supportive housing is an important step for individuals seeking sobriety and a key component of Stella Maris’ full continuum of treatment and helps individuals in the early stages of recovery build a strong foundation for success following treatment. The nonprofit was awarded $5,000.
The Sculpture Center: The Sculpture Center (TSC) is one of the only cultural institutions with a mission of building a nurturing and professional environment for the career advancement of emerging sculptors in which creativity and ideas can flourish, through programs and services offered free of charge. Funding will go toward general operating support so that the organization can continue to serve a niche in the art field and enrich Cleveland’s cultural community with impactful exhibitions and meaningful explorations of contemporary art. TSC was awarded $15,000.
Trust for Public Land (TPL): TPL creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy livable communities for generations to come. Its efforts are guided by the vision of bringing the benefits of the outdoors to everyone, in every community. In Ohio, TPL has operated for nearly 50 years with a focus on projects that conserve and enhance parks, natural areas, and green spaces. Funding will support TPL’s Community Schoolyard model to Caledonia Elementary School in East Cleveland, which will be the first location of these high-quality green spaces in the entire state. Dollars will assist with staff and community engagement costs for the development of a green Community Schoolyard that delivers the powerful benefits of nature to East Cleveland students and residents. TPL was awarded $12,500.
Vocational Guidance Services (VGS). A 133-year-old organization with the mission of creating pathways for individuals with disabilities to engage in the community, achieve greater independence and attain employment. VGS program participants represent a wide array of disabilities, including cognitive, intellectual, physical, and developmental. The majority of the people served live at or below the poverty level. Funding will support accessible transportation for VGS participants, specifically enough for 60 VGS members to safely go on community outings (stores, markets, restaurants, etc.) – to teach important social and financial skills and help them envision their place in the community. The nonprofit was awarded $5,000.
Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS): As Cleveland’s oldest cultural institution, WRHS’ mission is to inspire people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio. The organization leads the way as a premier place for research and education in the region, serving Pre-K to post-graduate students, educators, and residents of Northeast Ohio. Funding will continue to support educational programming, specifically in the following focus areas: Entrepreneurship and Region 3 Ohio History Day. WRHS was awarded $10,000.
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.): A Nonprofit helping teens and young adults succeed by providing educational and workforce opportunities, skills development, and access to career pathways. Y.O.U. has evolved to provide a range of school- and community-based workforce programs to young people ages 14- 24 in Northeast Ohio who live in economically distressed communities, while partnering with school districts, employers, nonprofits, and other entities. Funding will support the Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) Program, an in-school, classroom-based program serving youth in Cuyahoga County. Y.O.U. was awarded $5,000.
YWCA Greater Cleveland: A nonprofit working to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The organization improves the lives of young families/young adults who have experienced homeless or who are at-risk, women who are homeless, and women and girls of color. Funding will provide support services, programs and activities at Independence Place/Nurturing Independence and Aspirations (IP/NIA) program, supporting programs and activities for young adults who have or are currently experiencing homelessness and providing stability and support that young people in crisis need to build self-sufficiency and ultimately transition back into the community as thriving and engaged young adults YWCA was awarded $20,000.
About The Callahan Foundation
The Callahan Foundation is a family foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio, that provides support for Northeast Ohio nonprofits to add value to the entire region. Started in 1968 by Francis Joseph “Joe” Callahan and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Callahan, the Callahan Foundation is primarily focused on art and higher education grants, as well as the funding of numerous social service endeavors. Since its founding, the foundation has awarded more than $15 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the area that demonstrate superior entrepreneurial leadership and a track record of value creation.