Giving Forward
Dear Friends of the Cleveland Foundation,
It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Giving Forward—a re-imagined and revitalized version of our publication that celebrates the power of philanthropy to drive meaningful impact in our community.
We hope you are as energized and inspired by the following pages as we are. The Cleveland Foundation’s move has unlocked many new opportunities. Building a new headquarters gave us the chance to reflect and rethink our work. We’ve launched a new impact agenda and refined our grantmaking priorities to lean into some big bets that tackle some of our region’s gnarliest problems, while still supporting our community’s immediate needs.
And we’re taking a cue from our past to inform the foundation of
Lillian Kuri President and CEO
the future. There’s tremendous power in our founder Fred Goff’s original vision for the community’s trust—a collective savings account where even the smallest of gifts could pool, grow and make an impact that will last generations. We want to make it even easier to support the causes you care about. We’re sharing some of our biggest initiatives in this issue—from redevelopment in MidTown and Hough to cleaning up old industrial sites for new business opportunities. And you’ll see chances to support these causes— and more—throughout these pages.
No gift is too small to make a difference.
This season of giving, we’d like to invite you to be a part of this exciting work to create a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind.
Randell McShepard Board Chairperson
THE MIDTOWN COLLABORATION CENTER ISN’T JUST A BUILDING. IT’S A TESTAMENT TO WHAT’S POSSIBLE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER IN NEW WAYS.”
—
LILLIAN KURI, CLEVELAND FOUNDATION PRESIDENT AND CEO
CommunityCentered Collaboration
The
MidTown Collaboration Center creates space for connections and the exchange of ideas.
In May, the Cleveland Foundation welcomed more than 2,000 guests to the grand opening of the MidTown Collaboration Center (MCC). The moment marked a milestone—for the building’s tenants, the foundation and the Hough and MidTown community.
The Cleveland Foundation, owner and lead developer of the MCC, broke ground on the 98,000-square-foot mixed-use space in 2023 on the heels of its own move to MidTown. The relocation to the headquarters building on the corner of East 66th Street and Euclid Avenue gave the foundation more than just a new home—it gave the organization a chance to really become part of the neighborhood and find creative ways to fuel investments already underway—like spearheading the vision and construction of its newest neighbor.
“We jumped at the chance to be part of the work happening in this neighborhood, from expansions of the Dunham Tavern Museum campus next door to the resident-led reimagining of East 66th Street,” says Cleveland Foundation Vice President, Real Estate Vic Barbalato. “And once we got to the neighborhood, we wanted to help keep that momentum going.”
INVESTING IN PLACE, IGNITING POTENTIAL
Now open to the public, the MCC is home to 11 tenants and four subtenants.
The ground floor combines office space with community gathering space, and the whole MCC is designed to integrate multiple (and sometimes unexpected) companies and disciplines, fostering ideal conditions for creative, leadingedge partnerships.
These building projects are key to the foundation’s long-term impact priorities—leveraging neighborhood and regional-level investments to create truly transformative change in Northeast Ohio.
“As a grantmaker, we’re always going to provide support to nonprofits serving the community now,” says Chief Impact Officer Joyce Pan Huang. “But as we look to the foundation’s next hundred years, we need to think bigger and more long-term.”
These seismic-level investments are part of the foundation’s DNA— from spearheading the creation of the Cleveland Metroparks to saving Playhouse Square from demolition, applying the power of collective giving to transformative opportunities has resulted in some of the region’s biggest wins. Now, the foundation is looking to drive the same kind of momentum in MidTown and Hough by creating the right conditions for continued innovations.
To learn more about the MCC, visit MidTownCC.org
Meet the MCC Tenants
JUMPSTART
Nationally recognized entrepreneur support organization
“MidTown is a place of connection and possibility. A place where people from every corner of the city come together to spark ideas and shape the future.”
— Cindy Torres Essell, Board Chair
ASSEMBLY FOR THE ARTS
Regional arts council elevating Cleveland’s diverse arts and culture industries
“It’s great to be in the neighborhood working with neighborhood artists, working to bring others from across our city and region, to be part of lifting up the MidTown neighborhood.” — Jeremy Johnson, President and CEO
BLACK FROG BREWERY
Cleveland’s first Black-owned brewery
“This collaboration center, being communityfocused and with the brewery being a community central ground, it was a perfect fit for me to join on with this project.” — Chris Harris, Founder and Brewmaster
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
Institute of Population and Community Health
“One of the opportunities for us moving into the MidTown space is to think of what we can do to improve quality and length of life right here.” — Darcy Freeman, Ph.D., MPH, Director, Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health
CLEVELAND ARTS EDUCATION CONSORTIUM
Northeast Ohio’s largest professional arts education member network
CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The oldest and largest community college in Ohio
CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART
Interactive Media Lab – the first-of-its-kind facility in Ohio
“It’ll provide that critical bridge and nexus to experiment, to really up the ante about emerging technologies and bringing that into the classroom.”
— Kathryn Heidemann, President and CEO
CLEVELAND ARTS PRIZE
The nation’s only municipal arts award
TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF
CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART
ECDI - WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER AND LENDING SERVICES
Supporting entrepreneurs with resources, training and access to capital
“It’s more than just what goes on in the building, it’s what blooms from what goes on in the building.” — Steve Fireman, President and General Counsel
HYLAND
Providing classroom opportunities for STEM education and coding
“We’ve long wanted to be somewhere physically close to students that can’t usually get to Hyland.” — Caitlin Nowlin, Tech Outreach Program Manager
LISC CLEVELAND
The local branch of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which works to revitalize neighborhoods and promotes community development
NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
A health sciences university educating future physicians, pharmacists, dentists and health professionals
“Northeast Ohio Medical University’s (NEOMED) presence at the MidTown Collaboration Center strengthens our ability to partner with leading organizations on health care-focused innovation—work that is essential to advancing the health and well-being of the communities we serve.” — Dr. John Langell, President
THE
O.H.I.O. FUND
A private investment firm committed to investing in Ohio-based entrepreneurs and business leaders
PEARL’S KITCHEN
Inspired comfort food in MidTown
“I’m in the company of people who have that same mission to help others.” — Tiwanna Scott-Williams, Owner and Chef
THE SIXTY6 MUSIC LOUNGE & STUDIO
A one-of-a-kind music venue that offers live performances and access to recording facilities
“Music in this space is a way to build community, to create meaningful connections as we come together and discover shared joy in what unites us.” — Mike Hood, Cleveland Foundation Senior Manager for Real Estate and Community Development
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
Diabetes center providing crucial care to neighborhood residents
“This center is the culmination of our mission and long-standing commitment to help our community.” — Betul Hatipoglu, MD, Medical Director of the UH Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center
THE SIXTY6 MUSIC LOUNGE & STUDIO
PEARL’S KITCHEN
HYLAND
5,000 Acres of Opportunity
The Site Readiness Fund will transform Greater Cleveland by reclaiming and preparing our region’s brownfields for new development.
At the peak of its industrial power, Cleveland was home to hundreds of factories that employed tens of thousands of workers. And the same industrial sites that fueled Cleveland’s early 20th century rise might hold the key to its Rust Belt revival.
Cleveland has approximately 5,000 acres—an amount of property equivalent to the size of Shaker Heights—lying vacant, abandoned and unused.
In 2023, the City of Cleveland and City Council created a nonprofit organization called the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund to organize efforts to reclaim these sites and ready them for redevelopment. Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Lillian Kuri and Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund Board
Chair Fred Nance share how the foundation is partnering in the initiative by establishing an endowment for the fund and its potential to rev our region’s economic engine.
WHY IS THE SITE READINESS FUND SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR REGION?
Together, the City of Cleveland, Site Readiness Fund and the Cleveland Foundation have forged a dynamic partnership that enables us to tackle a systemic issue that will be game-changing for Cleveland, our neighborhoods and our people.
Greater Cleveland is still a hot spot for manufacturing. According to Destination Cleveland, we’re home to more than 270,000 manufacturing jobs with more than 10,000 manufacturers. Many things that made us an ideal location to produce at the turn of the century are still here—a strategic location on Lake Erie, access to rail transit, a ready workforce and an innovative mindset. We’re poised to capitalize on the current global manufacturing industry realignment.
HOW DOES THE SITE READINESS FUND FIT INTO THE FOUNDATION’S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES?
As the foundation moves into its next 100 years, we’re applying a long-term lens to our work. Transformational change is a long game and making big investments in longterm projects is where we want to be.
The Site Readiness Fund is a perfect example of that work—a big investment to tackle a big, gnarly issue that no one wants to touch. This fund will help secure and remediate these vacant properties—a gargantuan task—and get them ready for new industries, bringing new jobs and opportunities right into the heart of neighborhoods that have been experiencing disinvestment for decades. Every urban core faces the issue of ghost sites, and by partnering with the city and the fund we’re embracing this challenge because we can see the opportunity in it.
The Site Readiness Fund is not just cleaning up a few sites today—we’re building a long-term solution. By creating a permanently endowed fund, we’ll have resources every year to clean up more sites until the job is done. Because the money doesn’t need to be paid back, we can secure sites, attract full-scale development funding, and take the time to find the right industrial partners. When we look ahead 50 or 60 years, this city can look completely different.
HOW WILL THIS WORK IMPACT THE LOCAL ECONOMY?
If we can create job-ready sites that match these emerging market needs, we’ll be able to attract these new industries and all the opportunity and economic growth that comes with them. This aligns deeply with the foundation’s impact agenda and helps both grow the region and ensure Clevelanders are connected to this prosperity.
I’LL BE HONEST— THIS IS BIG WORK. IT’S HARD WORK. IT’S EXPENSIVE WORK. IT CAN COST SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO
REMEDIATE A BROWNFIELD SITE.”
— FRED NANCE, SITE READINESS FOR GOOD JOBS FUND BOARD CHAIR
WHAT ROLE CAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS PLAY IN REVITALIZING THESE SITES?
I’ll be honest—this is big work. It’s hard work. It’s expensive work. Have you ever driven past an abandoned factory and wondered ‘why isn’t anyone doing something about this?’ I can assure you; I’ve learned through this project, there are dozens of reasons no one else is doing this. Many of these parcels are controlled by absent owners—often legacy properties left behind after a business shuttered. And once the land is secured, the clean-up process is daunting. Every site is different, but it can cost several hundred thousand dollars to remediate a brownfield site.
But as we’ve seen repeatedly in Cleveland Foundation history—many hands make light work. It’s the strength of collective giving— the essence of what made our founder
Fred Goff’s vision of a community savings account so powerful.
An endowment housed at the Cleveland Foundation will provide lasting sustainability for the Site Readiness Fund. Together we want that endowment to grow to $100 million - we have already raised more than half. No one person, organization or company has the resources to do this alone. But together, this is a mountain we can move. A gift to this fund—of any size—has the potential to create impact our region will feel for generations to come. I invite you to be part of this work by making a contribution to the Site Readiness Endowment Fund, planting a seed that will help grow our region.
Want to play a part in transforming Greater Cleveland ? Scan the QR code to learn more or make a gift.
Why 2025 Might Be the Best Year to Give
For many donors, 2025 presents a unique opportunity to maximize both generosity and tax benefits. One powerful tool is the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), which allows individuals age 70½ and older to transfer funds directly from their tax-deferred retirement account to charity.
Looking ahead, federal tax law changes set to take effect in 2026 will limit the charitable deductions available to many taxpayers. If you’re considering making a larger gift, this may be your year.
Changes for 2026:
• There is a new “above-the-line” charitable deduction for nonitemizers. Beginning in the 2026 tax year, individuals who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 in cash donations (or up to $2,000 for married couples filing jointly).
QCDs can also be used to create specific funds – including designated funds and field of interest funds at the Cleveland Foundation – to provide long-term support for one’s favorite nonprofits.
In 2025, individuals can give up to $108,000 (or $216,000 per couple) through QCDs. These gifts are tax-free transfers — meaning they do not count as taxable income for federal or Ohio purposes — and they can also satisfy all or part of an individual’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). If you’re retired and have saved a lot in tax-deferred accounts, RMDs can increase your taxable income. The larger your savings, the higher your RMDs—which could push you into a higher tax bracket.
Timing is important for QCDs: donors must be at least 70½ years old on the date of the distribution for it to qualify.
• For higher-income donors who itemize, this law introduces a new “floor” that requires charitable contributions exceed 0.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI) to be deductible.
• The tax benefit of itemized charitable deductions will be capped at 35%, even for those in the 37% marginal tax bracket.
TIMELINE:
Where can it go?
“We recommend connecting with your financial advisor, as there could be significant benefits in making a larger gift in 2025, before the new tax laws kick in,” said Ginger Mlakar, SVP, Philanthropic Strategy and General Counsel, for the Cleveland Foundation. “We’re always happy to work with individuals and professional advisors to initiate these important conversations.”
Impact Cleveland Pool
THE ABILITY TO HAVE MISSION ALIGNMENT AND STRONG FINANCIAL OUTCOMES IS A POWERFUL COMBINATION.”
—
DR. KIRSTEN ELLENBOGEN, GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER PRESIDENT AND CEO
Do good and do well by investing in Cleveland’s top-performing companies.
The Cleveland Foundation’s newest addition to its suite of investment pools offers more ways for donors to align their giving with causes they care about. Launched in 2024, the Impact Cleveland Pool enables philanthropic investors to do good and do well by investing in stocks of the top 20 corporations in Greater Cleveland.
The public equity portion of the pool is invested exclusively in companies based in Northeast Ohio, including industry powerhouses like SherwinWilliams, Eaton and Progressive, which have been outpacing the S&P 500 for 15 years. The pool will also allocate capital to private equity and venture funds that are either headquartered in Cleveland or are committed to investing within the region.
“We’ve got some great companies in Northeast Ohio,” says Cerity Partners practice leader Bob Smith, who has been tracking Cleveland stocks for decades. “Many are at or near the tops of their fields.”
FROM MISSION TO MARKET: WHY ONE NONPROFIT MADE THE MOVE
Great Lakes Science Center moved its endowment to the foundation, and the place-based investment option was a key factor in that decision, according to President and CEO Dr. Kirsten Ellenbogen.
“Great Lakes Science Center is one of many attractions across the United States, and a large part of our focus in Northeast Ohio is being unique in our community,” she says. “That means we are highly aligned with regional priorities and supporting the region’s economic strengths. Great Lakes Science Center is already working
very closely with companies that are part of the pool, so it’s a way to broaden that partnership.”
A high-performing fund with place-based investment power was directly aligned with their mission, Dr. Ellenbogen says.
“The ability to have mission alignment and strong financial outcomes is a powerful combination,” she says. “It is also amazing that we are assigned a concierge advisor.”
Contact a member of our philanthropy team at 877.554.5054 to learn more.
The Great Lakes Science Center is one of many nonprofits partnering with the Cleveland Foundation to grow its endowment. Learn more on page 12 and scan the QR code to make a gift that strengthens their future.
Forever Funds
Endowments give nonprofits financial staying power so they can fulfill their missions in perpetuity.
Northeast Ohio’s nonprofits are a vital lifeline for communities and individuals, some delivering the most basic and desperately needed resources like food, clothing and shelter — and others providing special services, from maternal care to cultural enrichment.
They fill essential gaps, enhance lives, grow families and open doors to opportunity. They also need “life insurance” to sustain their missions and continue doing their good work.
The Cleveland Foundation is committed to securing nonprofits’ futures.
“Our vision is for a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind,” says Leta Obertacz, senior vice president of philanthropy, noting the foundation’s role in sustaining the region’s nonprofit network through endowment-building and organizational funds.
These “forever funds” offer stability — staying power through partnership.
The Cleveland Foundation itself is a thriving example of how endowed funds reach wide and beyond the capacity of a campaign or one-time gift. A strong endowment has given the world’s first community foundation the ability to show how long-term thinking secures the future.
“The model works,” says Ginger Mlakar, senior vice president of philanthropic strategy and general counsel for the Cleveland Foundation.
“Greater Cleveland is one of the most philanthropic communities in the country, and it’s critical that we have endowments that are forward-thinking, and we continue to grow them. We are fortunate to partner with nonprofits and help steward dollars so they can continue in perpetuity.”
DESIGNED FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Nonprofits run lean, rely on volunteers and leverage resources. They’re thrifty, passionate and often operating on
the bare minimum to give back the most possible. Annual campaigns and fundraisers raise dollars to support projects, infrastructure, staff, supplies and more.
But what about funds for the future?
Opening an organizational fund at the Cleveland Foundation is one way nonprofits can build an endowment, according to Obertacz.
Organizational funds allow nonprofits to create an investment account that can support their long-term needs and fill gaps in other funding. “Many times, we have conversations with nonprofits who say they need help, they don’t have large development teams and are focused on
getting annual support,” Mlakar says.
“They are looking for a partner to strengthen them from an investment strategy standpoint, someone to guide them through the process and to offer support, resources, education and networking to expand their reach to donors.”
The Cleveland Foundation manages more than 350 organizational funds for over 250 nonprofits. Financial stewardship includes access to in-house investment pools, such as the Cleveland Foundation’s flagship longest-term pool, and the innovative Impact Cleveland Pool of Cleveland-based companies that are outperforming the
GREATER CLEVELAND IS ONE OF THE MOST PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY AND IT’S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE ENDOWMENTS THAT ARE FORWARDTHINKING, AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW THEM.”
— GINGER MLAKAR,
CLEVELAND
FOUNDATION SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PHILANTHROPIC STRATEGY AND GENERAL COUNSEL
S&P index. (Read more about the Impact Cleveland Pool on page 11).
“It’s a mission-based, place-based, trust-based pool that gives donors an opportunity to commit to the long-term impact of our community,” Obertacz says.
Nonprofit partners with organizational funds stewarded by the Cleveland Foundation benefit from this and other high-performing investments that weather economic ups and downs.
“Our nonprofit partners are setting aside funds for the future, so they have committed to and are invested in longterm sustainability, independence and growth,” Obertacz says.
ENDOWMENTS
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has an enduring partnership with the Cleveland Foundation through the organizational fund it established in 2006. Donors can invest in the unrestricted endowment, which gives the food bank resources to fund operations, programming and strategic initiatives.
“A gift to the endowment is a gift that keeps on giving,” says President and CEO Kristin Warzocha, relating that original gifts remain in the fund for perpetuity. “This fund helps us plan for the future and provides dollars we can anticipate every year, and we really appreciate the stability.”
An endowment with the Cleveland Foundation gives donors options for giving, she adds. “Some donors prefer to make gifts that will have an impact immediately on our mission of providing food and making sure no one goes hungry,” she relates. “Other donors want to make a gift for the long-term. Donors have different wishes and it’s wonderful to be able to give our donors choices for how they might support the food bank.”
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
The Cleveland Foundation is more than an investment manager. It acts as a strategic partner, offering wraparound support that includes philanthropic advising, fundraising coaching and access to the foundation’s full team of fundraising, finance, investment and marketing professionals.
“We’re not just holding the money, we’re helping nonprofits grow it,
leverage it and use it wisely,” Obertacz says.
“No matter where nonprofits are in their growth and journey as an organization, they are assigned a philanthropic advisor — a fundraising thought partner — and they gain access to our whole team,” she relates.
Networking opportunities unlock valuable donor matches. And partnership with the Cleveland Foundation boosts donor confidence. “These funds show nonprofits are invested in the health and wealth of their organizations,” Obertacz says.
Birthing Beautiful Communities
(BBC) became an organizational fund partner two years ago—a commitment that is advancing the organization’s fundraising bandwidth supporting its work in Black maternal health.
BBC serves about 700 families annually across Cuyahoga and Summit counties and maintains a 91% fullterm birth rate. Its pilot program in Hough, supported by the Cleveland Foundation, changed the trajectory of the neighborhood’s infant mortality rates, which are nearly four times the national average.
Their organizational fund at the Cleveland Foundation gives BBC flexibility to address operational needs such as recruitment, doula training and infrastructure demands. The Cleveland Foundation’s support is helping BBC grow from grassroots to a scalable organization that can provide wider, deeper care to moms and babies in the community.
“By having an organizational fund with the foundation, we are educating individuals about our organization we otherwise might not reach so they can learn about our goal to fund maternal health services,” says BBC President and CEO Jazmin Long. “The foundation is helping us have these conversations, and this is impactful for an organization like ours.”
Nonprofits of any size can benefit from an organizational fund partnership, Mlakar says.
“We offer a comprehensive toolkit and continually expand the resources we can provide to our nonprofit partners,” she says. “Conversations often start with the question, ‘What can an organizational fund look like?’”
“We help nonprofits open doors,” she says simply. “Strengthening our nonprofits strengthens our whole community.”
Obertacz adds, “We’re really proud when an organization approaches us and says, ‘I’m interested in starting an endowment.’ We want to help them to thrive, grow and continue offering the services that are vital to our community.”
Contact our philanthropy team at 877.554.5054 to learn more about organizational funds at the Cleveland Foundation.
To learn more about Birthing Beautiful Communities and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank scan the QR code
Kathy and Jim Pender
PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR SPOTLIGHT
Connecting the Dots
How professional advisors can assist clients with managing complex assets and planned giving
In May, the 98,000-square-foot MidTown Collaboration Center (MCC) opened its doors to provide a collaborative space for community events, workshops and various tenants meant to encourage dining, socializing and co-mingling of businesses.
Senior Relationship Strategist Lawrence Hatch of wealth-management firm Glenmede worked with the Cleveland Foundation to assist his clients, Jim and Kathy Pender, to secure naming rights using life insurance for the Pender Family Grand Staircase in the MCC.
“Philanthropy was something I thought was going to be a part of my life and really it always has been,” Kathy explains.
The desire to give back was only magnified when the Penders’ youngest son, Michael, was injured in a boating accident at the age of 8. Although he suffered from complications and passed away when he was 19, his aspirations of helping and working with disabled children furthered the Penders’ community-outreach goals.
“A lot of people think philanthropy is for people who have a lot of money,” Kathy notes. “But it’s really about finding people who focus on the same interests in the community.”
Kathy says she supported the MCC project because it fostered the idea of bringing the community together.
“It’s a center for all people and for the community,” she points out. “Instead of just being a place or a building, this is a collaboration and that’s what the Cleveland Foundation is always trying to do.”
The Penders were introduced to the project via Hatch, who works with clients to pinpoint how to delegate funds to care for their family, support the charities they believe in and determine their own financial needs for the duration of their lives.
“It is a complex job to look at your assets and the issues that each family has, but when you add in the external factors that clients can’t control, I think it’s overwhelming for a lot of people,” Hatch says. “So, first we try to deal with the facts of each situation and look at their particular issues, and then we try
to show the potential outcomes under a variety of circumstances to get to the point where they can make decisions that they feel comfortable with.”
Having worked with the Penders and the Cleveland Foundation over the years, Hatch suggested this was the best use of the couple’s policies to help name the project and the Cleveland Foundation as a charitable beneficiary.
“The Penders always want the best for Northeast Ohio and they’re always looking for charities to work together with and collaborate and they want the Cleveland Foundation to be a driver of those things,” he explains. “They honestly don’t want the attention on themselves.”
Learn more about how the Cleveland Foundation works with professional advisors to help connect their clients to philanthropic opportunities at ClevelandFoundation.org/Advisors
Are you a professional advisor? Download our toolkit to guide your clients’ charitable giving.
Lawrence Hatch Senior Relationship Strategist and Managing Director, Glenmede Wealth Management
Cleveland Foundation Board of Directors
RANDELL MCSHEPARD, CHAIRPERSON
Why I serve: I serve because the Cleveland Foundation is centered on many important issues and opportunities that drive the quality of life for all Clevelanders. Being in a position to contribute ideas and perspectives that matter for the health and vitality of my hometown and its citizens is very rewarding and important to me.
RICHARD P. STOVSKY, VICE CHAIR
Why I serve: I hope to continue to achieve our vision, which is a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind. The other board members and I view ourselves as stewards of the Cleveland Foundation, which was founded in 1914 as the first community foundation in the world, working to make the lives of Greater Clevelanders better, now and for generations to come. To do this, our priorities are focused on growing the region, investing in vibrant neighborhoods, connecting people to prosperity, as well as providing support for basic and emergency needs.
JUDGE RONALD B. ADRINE
Why I serve: The Cleveland Foundation is dedicated to advancing the potential and prospects of everyone who lives in the area, striving to help all residents live their best lives. Additionally, the foundation is committed to making sure no Clevelander is left behind. Through my service, I actively support these goals and work to further the foundation’s inclusive vision for the future.
FRED BIDWELL
KATHLEEN FERRY
Why I serve: I believe that positive social change happens first and fastest at the local level. The Cleveland Foundation can have a profound impact on the quality of life and success of Clevelanders as a catalyst for innovation and a model for change. I am happy to serve on the board as an advocate with my fellow board members for bold initiatives and courageous leadership that produces measurable change in our communities.
Why I serve: I embrace the foundation’s mission to build a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind. The foundation is uniquely positioned to accomplish this by investing for long-term impact, advancing the region’s economic competitiveness and growing good jobs in Cleveland. I support inclusive strategies that drive prosperity, neighborhood vibrancy, community health and ensure lasting opportunity for every member of our community.
EMILY GARR PACETTI
Why I serve: I am honored to be a small part of the foundation’s legacy of bringing people together to tackle hard issues, bridge divisions and make tangible impact on current and future generations of Greater Cleveland residents. I have roots in this region and care deeply about creating opportunities for its lowest-income residents. It’s my hope that my experience in philanthropy, research, community and economic development sectors, brings a helpful perspective about what’s possible, and how we can invest in immediate community needs, while helping the community advance a long-term vision for what Cleveland can be.
REV. DR. ROBIN E. HEDGEMAN
Why I serve: Serving on the Cleveland Foundation board allows me to be a part of strengthening and lifting our community. The foundation helps me to be a part of building a community where hope is on the horizon and people have an opportunity to succeed. Philanthropy changes lives, opens doors and reminds us that giving back is needed and necessary.
J. DAVID HELLER
Why I serve: I’m passionate about serving on the Cleveland Foundation board because it turns generosity into lasting, local impact. From growing jobs and vibrant neighborhoods to expanding opportunity across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, by convening partners and investing for generations. I’m honored to help steward this community’s trust, accelerate inclusive growth and ensure every Clevelander can thrive.
CONSTANCE HILL-JOHNSON
Why I serve: I serve on this board because philanthropy still means “love of humankind.” I want to uplift underserved communities, amplify voices often unheard and help direct resources where they can make the greatest impact. It’s a way to live my values and contribute to meaningful, lasting change in the city I care deeply about.
MARGOT JAMES COPELAND
Why I serve: Serving on the board of the Cleveland Foundation is a signal honor. For generations, TCF has been at the forefront of transformative and impactful positive change in Greater Cleveland. It is my sincere hope to be a part of that change and improvement agenda that positions a vibrant and thriving future for the next generation and beyond.
CAREY F. JAROS
Why I serve: Northeast Ohio isn’t just where I’m from, it’s where I choose to live, work and raise my family. I believe we can only reach our potential as a community when every one of us has the opportunity to live a healthy, happy life. The Cleveland Foundation plays a vital role in moving us toward this aspiration, and I deeply support its important work.
STEWART KOHL
Why I serve: For over 100 years, the Cleveland Foundation has provided innovative, cutting-edge thought and financial leadership addressing some of the biggest issues facing our region. It is internationally recognized and copied. I’m privileged to participate and learn from it. And for over 10 years, I’ve been an avid and growing user of its philanthropic services.
RONALD A. RATNER
Why I serve: Serving on the Cleveland Foundation Board is deeply personal for me. Cleveland has always been home, and my family taught me that strong communities are built through careful partnership and planning. I’m honored to help carry our city’s legacy forward and invest in a future where every Clevelander has an opportunity to thrive.
MARIA L. SPANGLER
Why I serve: Philanthropy has the power to convene, influence, collaborate, innovate and affect profound positive change in our neighborhoods, community and region. Being a part of this extraordinary board in support of this incredible organization allows me the privilege to lend my voice and perspective on our path toward a thriving Greater Cleveland.
GRAHAM
VEYSEY
Why I serve: My family sees the impact of the Cleveland Foundation firsthand as we raise two children in the City of Cleveland. The wide variety of organizations and efforts the foundation supports is helping to move this region forward in education, economic development, access to arts and culture and protecting and enhancing our natural surroundings.
Why I Give
Renowned psychologist Lisa Damour helps teens and their families thrive.
It’s difficult to say where some people might be without psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour’s work. The New York Times best-selling author of “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood” has spent her career tending to the mental health of teenagers and their caregivers and providing the support needed to raise productive and thriving adults. But there is no doubt where Damour, a Shaker Heights resident, would be.
“It’s an incredible thing to get to do for a living,” she says.
Nearly 30 years into her career, her goal is to provide as much information as possible about mental health to assist families in need, and she’s partnered with the Cleveland Foundation to help expand her reach through philanthropy.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE CLEVELAND FOUNDATION AS A CHARITABLE PARTNER?
I was writing a monthly column for The New York Times, and then the pandemic hit. So, the focus of my column turned from being about teenagers to getting teenagers through the pandemic. It quickly became clear to me that one column a month was far less support than families needed, so I launched a podcast called “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting” with my dear colleague, Reena Ninan, a career journalist. Every week, we answered questions about how to help parents get their kids through the pandemic. It quickly grew and became a very popular podcast, and when the pandemic ended, we pivoted, and it became a podcast about raising tweens and teens.
Lisa Damour, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist and Author
Last year, I received a grant from Pivotal Ventures, which is Melinda Gates’ philanthropy, to help support the podcast. That grant put me in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation. So, I have ended up in an incredibly supportive and meaningful partnership with Pivotal Ventures and the Cleveland Foundation on behalf of making free mental health services available through the “Ask Lisa” podcast.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES TEENS AND THEIR FAMILIES FACE.
The American Psychological Association has done some very good surveys on the cause of anxiety in adolescents, and it’s a mix of things. Many worry about the future, where the country is headed, where the climate is headed, where the economy is headed. A lot of it is also around achievement pressures — kids feeling like they have to be extraordinary all through high school in order to have prospects. That is not limited to any one socioeconomic group. We’re actually seeing that across socioeconomic groups, another source of anxiety is that kids aren’t sleeping nearly as much as they need and deserve to. Teenagers are supposed to be getting nine hours of sleep a night if they get what they biologically require. Most kids are nowhere near that, and sleep and mental health are best friends, so when kids aren’t getting the sleep they need and deserve, you’re going to see an impact on their mental health.
WHAT LED YOU TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR CAREGIVERS IN
YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PHILANTHROPIC LIVES?
I am at a point in my career where my goal is to see how much of my knowledge base I can share because I want to reach as many families as possible. I don’t just want to reach families who can afford to buy my books or afford a subscription to The New York Times. And because it’s deeply necessary; it was a coincidence that the one thing I’ve worked on for my whole career turned into a crisis when the pandemic hit. And for me to be in a position to help as many people as possible is an extraordinary gift. I became a psychologist to make myself useful. This is the most gratifying career I could possibly hope to have.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHERS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GIVE BACK?
When being philanthropic, you can give time, you can give treasure or you can give talent. All of those are needed. Anything a person can do to support adolescents, whether they have a teenager themselves or not, is a worthy thing, and there’s so many versions of this. Some of it involves giving to organizations that support teenagers, whether they are community service organizations or researchers who are working in this area. More and more researchers struggle to get funding or lose funding they already have. The more that people can help to backfill those costs so that the research can continue, the better.
I strongly believe that teenagers belong to everyone, and when teenagers start to make strong ties outside the family, those are often some very powerful, if not life-changing, relationships. So go out of your way to make a supportive relationship with a teenager and be invested and interested in them. A lot of adults can point to somebody who changed their life when they were a teenager, and it wasn’t necessarily a family member. I think every one of us should try to be that adult for a teenager.
To hear more from Dr. Damour, scan the QR code
Making Impact in MidTown
To Margaret W. Wong, philanthropy is simple.
“Philanthropy is just about trying to help,” she said.
Now one of the country’s most sought-after immigration attorneys, Wong has dedicated her professional life to helping people navigate the U.S. immigration system. It’s a journey she knows well—Wong herself came to the U.S. from Hong Kong in the late ‘60s on a student visa. She built her own thriving practice, Margaret W. Wong & Associates LLC, which now serves thousands of clients annually.
In the courtroom, Wong is a tireless advocate for her clients. And outside of her firm, Wong is equally dedicated to helping as many people as she can to build happier, more successful lives.
DRIVEN TO GIVE
Wong has partnered with the Cleveland Foundation on her
philanthropic vision for nearly 20 years. She values the relationships she has built and trusts that her investments are well-stewarded toward causes she feels passionate about.
“They know what I care about, and it’s nice to work with someone like-minded whom you trust,” she said.
Much of her philanthropy has centered around education and scholarships, with recent giving helping to bolster the neighborhood in which she has built her practice.
She was one of the earliest advocates to commit dollars to the Site Readiness Endowment Fund at the Cleveland Foundation and support its work to transform old industrial sites in preparation for new business. (Read more about the Site Readiness Endowment Fund on Page 8.) In honor of her support of this work and efforts to reinvest in MidTown, the foundation has named
the MidTown Collaboration Center lobby in honor of Wong and her firm—a welcoming space dedicated to a community leader who has spent her career welcoming others.
“My business has been part of this neighborhood for decades,” Wong says. “It’s exciting to be part of the momentum.”
And for Wong, philanthropy extends beyond her financial generosity—she believes in giving back as a part of her everyday life. Small acts of kindness, like buying a stranger a bottle of water in a crowded airport, can make a big impact on people in the present moment, she said.
“It’s just a small thing, but it can encourage more kindness down the line,” she said.
Visit www.ClevelandFoundation. org/GiveForward to learn more about how the Cleveland Foundation can help you support causes you care about.
Margaret W. Wong AwardWinning, Immigration Lawyer
Celebrating 90 Years of Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Opening and Challenging Minds Since 1935.
Five inspiring authors have joined the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards canon — the nation’s only endowed juried prize honoring literature that deepens our understanding of race and diversity. The awards were founded in 1935 by Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf and are stewarded by the Cleveland Foundation today.
This year, AWBA announced an increase in its cash prize from $10,000 to $30,000 in each of its four literary categories. This investment provides recipients with a meaningful contribution to sustain and expand
their work and underscores a commitment to the transformative power of literature to shape culture and advance conversations about race and equity. Above all, it stewards the wishes of Edith Anisfield Wolf: to invest in artists, writing and the most important stories of our time.
“Edith Anisfield Wolf understood, nearly a century ago, that literature could be a powerful force for justice,” said Kortney Morrow, program director, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. “Her creation of AWBA was an act of profound
The 2025 Winners Are:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Yusef Komunyakaa
FICTION
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
NONFICTION
The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots: A True Story of Slavery; A Rediscovered Narrative, with a Full Biography by John Swanson Jacobs, edited by Jonathan D. S. Schroeder
MEMOIR
Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls
POETRY
Yard Show by Janice N. Harrington
foresight—one that continues to deepen our understanding and spark conversations around race and identity today.”
Learn more about the enduring legacy of Edith Anisfield Wolf and watch highlights from this year’s 90th anniversary celebration weekend at www.Anisfield-Wolf.org.
Scan the QR code to make your gift to the AnisfieldWolf Book Awards or sign up for exclusive content
Tale of Two Taínos
I STARTED DOCUMENTING THE AREA AROUND ME [CLARK-FULTON] BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I KNEW.”
— GABRIEL GONZÁLEZ, PHOTOGRAPHER
The latest exhibition at the Cleveland Foundation headquarters celebrates the Clark-Fulton community with photography and poetry of local artists.
“A BEAUTIFUL DANCE.”
That’s how Cleveland-based poet Marisol Ramos describes the pairing of her poems and the photography of Gabriel González in the latest art exhibition at the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Exhibition Space in the Cleveland Foundation’s headquarters.
“The Tale of Two Taínos: A Journey Through Culture, Home and History” illuminates both artists’ shared experiences growing up in the vibrant Clark-Fulton neighborhood. While the two had never met before collaborating on the exhibit, they’ve been in each other’s orbits both as students at Cleveland School of the Arts and as Clark-Fulton residents.
“Two Taínos” offers a glimpse into the lives, relationships and cultural love that define their artistic journeys.
THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S LENS
The images selected for the gallery represent a 29-year body of González’ work—intimate black-and-white portraits of family and neighbors, both in ClarkFulton and Puerto Rico. “I started documenting the area around me because that’s what I knew,” he says of his earliest work.
THE POET’S VOICE
Ramos’ poems explore the human experience in all its chaos and beauty.
“Writing is like a safe space for me, a best friend,” she says. Her words— including several new poems written specifically for the exhibit—appear woven throughout González’ photos
on the gallery walls, inviting viewers to reflect on the power of culture and community in shaping identity.
“Emotionally and spiritually, pieces of me that reflect my community, Clark-Fulton, are there so that others can take a peek in through that window and hopefully see a piece of themselves,” Ramos says.
Learn more about “Two Taínos,” the artists and the Bidwell Exhibition Space at ClevelandFoundation. org/ArtExhibit.
Scan the QR code to discover the story behind the art.
FRED AND LAURA RUTH BIDWELL EXHIBITION SPACE
PRIDE IN THE CLE
The Cleveland Foundation team joined the 10th annual Pride in the CLE —Northeast Ohio’s premier celebration of LGBTQ+ identity, community and resilience—as a sponsor of the event. Staff marched in the downtown parade and at the Speak Out Stage, Community Giving Officer Otto Tyson shared updates on the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund, which supports local organizations advancing queer justice and equity.
BLACK PHILANTHROPY MONTH
The Cleveland Foundation celebrated a historic milestone in Black philanthropy by establishing philanthropic partnerships with every local chapter of the Divine Nine—the nation’s Black fraternities and sororities. The event, held during Black Philanthropy Month, brought together all nine chapters and dozens of Black-led organizations to honor a shared commitment to building generational wealth, opportunity and impact in Greater Cleveland.
Community Events
2025 was full of impactful events, thought-provoking meetings, joyful celebrations and more!
PARTNER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
The Cleveland Foundation welcomed 70 professional advisor partners to its annual partner appreciation luncheon at the Union Club of Cleveland. The event celebrated the enduring collaboration between the foundation and its advisor community. Pictured is Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Strategy and General Counsel Ginger Mlakar sharing the foundation’s evolving philanthropic strategy and vision for the future.
CLEVELAND ASIAN FESTIVAL Chief Impact
Officer Joyce Pan Huang represented the Cleveland Foundation at the Cleveland Asian Festival in AsiaTown, a vibrant celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage. The foundation sponsored the event, which featured cultural performances, local vendors and community engagement activities that honored the diversity and resilience of Greater Cleveland’s Asian American community.
DONOR CONVERSATIONS
Nearly 60 guests joined the Cleveland Foundation for a donor conversation at our headquarters to hear insights into the foundation’s evolving impact priorities. The discussion centered on our vision for a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind, and how we’re investing in meaningful change—now and for generations to come.
