CLEVELAND, OH – December 8th the Board of Trustees of the Saint Luke’s Foundation approved grants to 20 organizations in grants totaling $1,871,154.00. These investments advance the Foundation’s mission to achieve health equity by addressing social determinants of health including educational attainment, financial stability, healthy eating and active living, safe and affordable housing, social connections, and the strengthening of the neighborhoods surrounding the former Saint Luke’s hospital.
“This year, we awarded over 50% more grants than we have in previous years. Additionally, in our efforts to operationalize equity, the proportion of our grant awards to BIPOC organizations has grown to over 60% of our grant budget,” said Timothy Tramble Sr., Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland. “Despite the colossal challenges they experienced this year, we are extraordinarily proud of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, staff, and strategy partners’ commitment to addressing the social determinants of health in our communities.”
Highlights of the Fourth Quarter Grants Awarded to Close the Health Equity Gap:
Policy/Advocacy
- American Journalism Project (Signal Cleveland) – (1 year, $100,000) for general operating support of this independent, community-led, nonprofit newsroom to uphold the civic function of local news media. Signal Cleveland will engage residents through community listening gatherings and conversations throughout the year in Cleveland neighborhoods from which special resident-led projects will emerge. These projects will receive support in the form of access to the newsroom, professionalized research training; a team of beat reporters; and multimedia production and distribution practices.
- Case Western Reserve University – (1 year, $95,392) for the Youth Justice Learning Journey. The Social Justice Law Center (SJLC) will engage community stakeholders to increase understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to youth justice in Cleveland. SJLC will leverage its research to produce policy briefs incorporating best practices, model programs, funding sources, and projected outcomes through this collaboration.
- Children’s Defense Fund – Ohio – (1 year, $35,000) to advocate for policies that improve access to healthcare for children. CDF-Ohio intends to co-lead a healthcare advocacy workgroup to develop best practices and recommendations for smoothing out the benefits cliff, expanding Medicaid coverage for Doula care services, and increasing the availability of evidence-based home visiting services to reach Black and Brown communities.
- Philanthropy Ohio – (2 years, $60,000) for general operating support to continue leading and equipping the philanthropic sector in Ohio to be effective partners in our communities. Philanthropy Ohio will curate programs, events, publications, and resources leading toward impactful, equitable, and community-centered philanthropy. Additionally, they will build and strengthen relationships with the governor’s office, relevant state agencies and community stakeholders to support policies that bolster the charitable sector and improve Ohio’s communities.
- The City Club of Cleveland – (1 year, $60,000) for the 2023 Health Equity in Action series to inform community leaders and decision-makers about health equity. The City Club will continue exploring health equity through public conversations with both local and national speakers. Working closely with foundation leadership and key community partners, the City Club will plan and convene up to six forums and a neighborhood tour. They also plan to encourage community champions and local schools including AJ Rickoff, Harvey Rice Elementary Schools, and John Adams High School to participate in City Club of Cleveland forums.
Neighborhood of Choice – Social–Emotional Wellbeing and Commercial Corridors
- A Cultural Exchange – (1 year, $100,000) for general operating support to continue the Read, Baby, Read! Book Club program at John Adams College & Career School, Sunbeam School, and Harvey Rice Wraparound School. Students will gather with a trained “Reader Leader” to read aloud and discuss award-winning multicultural books that they get to add to their home libraries. A Cultural Exchange will also deploy its Busy Bookmobile which is the only children’s bookstore in the city of Cleveland.
- City Year – (1 year, $35,000) to continue City Year’s seven-year partnership with Harvey Rice elementary school, Whole School, Whole Child program. City Year will provide behavioral and academic support for more than 20 elementary students with English Language Arts and Math.
- Cleveland Neighborhood Progress – (1 year, $125,000) for the creation of a marketing and communications strategy to promote the Shaker Square Plaza among tenants, neighbors, stakeholders, and the broader public.
Housing Safety & Stability
- Enterprise Community Partners – (1 year, $140,000) for general operating support to continue their role as convenor and coordinator of key local initiatives, like the Leadsafe Initiative and Earned Income Tax Coalition that increases the availability of safe and affordable housing, and support residents’ financial stability. Enterprise also supports community organizations to advocate for equitable policies through nonpartisan efforts.
- Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority – (1 year, $150,000) for the Buckeye-Woodhill Choice Neighborhood Plan. Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority will create a Community Based Construction Training Program, targeting residents within the Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, specifically residents living at Woodhill Homes. Additionally, CMHA will support residents in securing and maintaining their new housing.
- Home Repair Resource Center – (1 year, $30,000) to continue efforts to improve housing safety and stability for Buckeye-Woodland Hills’ residents, by equipping residents to manage homeownership through a mixture of grants, education, and supportive resources that help promote healthy neighborhoods. The Buckeye Area Senior Incentive Grant’s financial assistance program supports aging-in-place modifications and repairs to seniors’ homes, and their Repair Education Workshops and onsite inspections and repair assessments help residents learn to do repairs themselves or hire others with confidence.
- The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland – (1 year, $150,000) for general operating support for the continuation of Legal Aid’s individual casework, community education, and broad-based advocacy. Legal Aid increases housing stability by preventing evictions and foreclosures and securing rental subsidies. They also increase financial stability by securing debt reductions, fighting wage theft, and securing receipt of public benefits when inappropriately denied. Legal Aid’s unique expertise gives them a platform to advance more equitable policies and practices at the local, state, and federal levels.
Financial Stability
- The Fund for Our Economic Future – (3 years, $150,000) for general operating support to advance several bodies of work towards strengthening our local economy and providing opportunities for community residents: food tech hub growth plan, share data gleaned from the (FEFF) region-wide, “Where Are the Workers” analysis” to help evolve work and workplaces, and provide technical support to companies and others to implement mobility innovations.
- Towards Employment – (1 year, $65,000) for general operating support to continue to prepare and place individuals into above minimum wage jobs. The projected outcomes will include: 700 individuals completing career readiness. Towards Employment will also support employment retention and advancement, with 200 individuals entering technical training, continuing education, or paid work experience: and 165 working graduates experiencing a wage gain. Additional outcomes will include implementing their new leadership development program for Towards Employment alumni to build graduate voice and social capital.
- Passages Connecting Fathers and Sons, Inc. – (1 year, $70,000) for the Family Resiliency Academy program. The program will increase financial stability and strengthen social connections by serving low-income, low-skilled, high-barrier fathers and mothers through our Family Resiliency Academy consisting of comprehensive client case management for 40 individuals, parenthood enrichment/life skill development supporting 90 individuals, and workforce development.
Social Connections
- Birthing Beautiful Communities – (1 year, $100,000) for general operating support to expand their community-based Perinatal Support Specialist programming that addresses social determinants of health putting the lives and well-being of African American women and babies at risk. They train and hire women from the communities most at risk to provide support and safe spaces to buffer against the impact that racism and other stressors have on pregnant women and infants.
- Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority – (1 year, $110,000) for the Police Assisted Referral (PAR), a collaboration among Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department; Beech Brook; FrontLine Services; Case Western Reserve University Begun Center; and Partnership for a Safer Cleveland. PAR serves as a conduit for police officers to connect individuals, families, and youths to an array of clinical and non-clinical family-based interventions to ameliorate the effects of violence and trauma.
- Neighborhood Leadership Institute – (1 year, $85,762) for the Civic Education and Leadership Development program. The program will provide at least 30 Greater Cleveland residents with the knowledge, skills, and relationships to work within the community more effectively. NLI will also collaborate with the Saint Luke’s Foundation to build relationships with NLC alumni and facilitate co-learning opportunities between Saint Luke’s staff and the surrounding community.
- Neighbor Up in Greater Buckeye (Suite 1300 Services, Inc. dba Neighborhood Connections) – (1 year, $85,000) for ongoing community building work in Mt. Pleasant, Woodland Hills, Buckeye, Shaker Square, and Larchmere. Neighbor Up brings together community residents to build and bridge relationships leading to personal growth, mutual support, and community action for change.
- Village of Healing – (1 year, $125,000) for general operating support to serve more African American women with culturally relevant services to address health disparities. They will also increase brand awareness and complete; a comprehensive evaluation of Village of Healing Center’s first year of operation to better understand patient outcomes, experiences, feedback, and areas of strength and opportunity.
About the Saint Luke’s Foundation
Now in its 25th year of grant-making, The Saint Luke’s Foundation is dedicated to achieving health equity by addressing social determinants of health for people in neighborhoods surrounding Saint Luke’s and throughout Cuyahoga County. Saint Luke’s is committed to demonstrating grantmaking that is responsive to the community and believes that people thrive as a result of living free of racism and poverty and experiencing equitable economic opportunities and conditions that enable them to lead healthier lives. Since it was established with the charitable assets of the Saint Luke’s Medical Center in 1997, the Foundation has awarded over $165 million in grants. Information on the work of Saint Luke’s Foundation is available on the Foundation’s website: www.saintlukesfoundation.org.