The Cleveland Foundation

What The Cleveland Foundation does

The Cleveland Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 1914 in Cleveland, Ohio, recognized as the world's first community foundation and among the largest today. It operates a community philanthropy model that channels donor contributions and endowment investment returns into grantmaking, organizational endowment management, and professional advisory services across Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties in Northeast Ohio. In 2025, the foundation granted over $195 million to more than 120 nonprofit organizations per quarter, supporting initiatives spanning food insecurity, maternal and child health, education, housing, workforce development, and the arts.

The foundation's core offerings include donor advised funds, affinity funds (Black Philanthropy Fund, LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund with $3 million endowment, Latino Impacto Fund with $3 million endowment, Lake Geauga Fund), organizational endowment services for nonprofits, scholarship administration through College Now Greater Cleveland, and the Impact Cleveland Investment Pool — a $37 million vehicle allowing donors to invest in 20+ Cleveland-based companies while directing returns to local nonprofits. Leadership development programs include the 12-month paid Public Service Fellowship ($48,000 salary, 117 fellows since 2016), an 11-week paid Summer Internship Program ($18/hour, 388 interns since 1999), and Encore Cleveland for retirees.

Revenue derives from donor contributions, endowment investment returns, and philanthropic co-investment partnerships such as the Rockefeller Foundation's Big Bets for America convening (June 2026), which produced over $350 million in commitments at the Cleveland event including a $13 million Cleveland Foundation commitment to the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Endowment Fund. The foundation distributes resources through a grants gateway, donor portal, owned physical infrastructure (the Warren E. Anderson MidTown Collaboration Center housing nonprofits, businesses, and a NEOMED healthcare innovation hub), and direct engagement with professional advisors. The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, administered since 1935, provide national brand visibility through the nation's only endowed juried literary prize addressing race and cultural diversity.

Name

The Cleveland Foundation

Legal name

The Cleveland Foundation

Website

https://clevelandfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Cleveland Foundation, founded in 1914, is the world's first community foundation and a 501(c)(3) public charity managing over $195 million in annual grantmaking to nonprofits across Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties in Northeast Ohio, serving individual donors, professional advisors, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Community foundation
• Grantmaking services
• Donor advised funds
• Endowment management
• Nonprofit philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Endowments: The foundation receives charitable contributions and manages endowed funds for donors who wish to support community causes. Donors establish funds that provide ongoing support for charitable purposes.
2. Investment Returns: The foundation invests its endowment portfolio and uses investment returns to fund grantmaking and operations. They offer vehicles like the Impact Cleveland Investment Pool allowing donors to invest in Cleveland companies.
3. Philanthropic Partnerships: The foundation co-invests with other philanthropies and public sector partners on major initiatives, such as the $13 million Site Readiness for Good Jobs Endowment Fund commitment.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cleveland Foundation is a community foundation that administers charitable funds for individual donors and deploys competitive grants and community leadership programs to nonprofits serving Northeast Ohio. Its core activities include donor-advised fund management, scholarship administration, place-based equity funds (Black Philanthropy, LGBTQ+ Opportunity, Latino Impacto, Lake Geauga), workforce and economic development initiatives, and fellowships that develop civic leadership in the Cleveland region.

Product overview

The Cleveland Foundation is the world's first community foundation, offering a portfolio of philanthropy and giving programs centered around grantmaking, leadership development, and affinity funds. Its core programs include the Public Service Fellowship (12-month paid placement), Summer Internship Program (11-week paid internships), and Encore Cleveland (retiree volunteer program), alongside 60+ scholarship opportunities. The foundation administers specialized affinity funds including the Black Philanthropy Fund, LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund ($3M endowment), and Latino Impacto Fund ($3M endowment). Its economic development initiatives include the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund ($13M commitment) and the Impact Cleveland Investment Pool ($37M+). The foundation also owns and operates the MidTown Collaboration Center, a mixed-use community hub. The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, the nation's only endowed juried literary prize on race and diversity, is administered by the foundation. Organizational Funds provide nonprofit partners with endowment and administrative support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards: The nation's only endowed juried prize dedicated to literature that contributes to our understanding of race and appreciation of cultural diversity, established in 1935 by Edith Anisfield Wolf and administered by the Cleveland Foundation.
• African American Philanthropy Committee (AAPC)
• Black Philanthropy Fund
• LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund
• Latino Impacto Fund
• Public Service Fellowship
• Summer Internship Program
• Encore Cleveland

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Personalized charitable giving vehicles that allow individual donors and families to contribute assets, receive an immediate tax benefit, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time. For individual donors, families, and their professional advisors across the United States, with a regional focus on Northeast Ohio.
• Competitive Grants Program Structured, application-based grantmaking program that awards funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving Northeast Ohio across multiple priority areas including education, health, economic development, arts, and neighborhoods.
• Scholarships Scholarship funds administered by the foundation for students pursuing higher education, established by donor contributions and awarded based on defined criteria.
• Public Service Fellowship Fellowship program placing emerging leaders in public service roles within Cleveland-area institutions to develop civic leadership capacity.
• Summer Internship Program Paid summer internship program providing college students with experiential learning opportunities at Cleveland-area nonprofits and civic organizations.
• Encore Cleveland Program engaging adults in the encore stage of their careers to apply professional expertise as volunteers with Cleveland-area nonprofits.
• Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Annual literary prize administered by The Cleveland Foundation recognizing books that address racism and diversity; among the oldest U.S. literary awards.
• Black Philanthropy Fund Place-based fund pooling contributions from donors to support Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits in Greater Cleveland.
• LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund Place-based fund supporting LGBTQ+ organizations and initiatives across Northeast Ohio through pooled donor contributions.
• Latino Impacto Fund Place-based fund channeling donor contributions to support Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits in Greater Cleveland.
• Lake Geauga Fund Regional fund focused on supporting nonprofits and community initiatives in Lake and Geauga counties in Northeast Ohio.
• Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund Economic development fund supporting site preparation and infrastructure investments to enable quality job creation in Greater Cleveland.
• MidTown Collaboration Center Physical co-working and collaboration hub operated by the foundation in MidTown Cleveland, providing grantees and community partners with workspace and capacity-building resources.
• Impact Cleveland Investment Pool Pooled impact investing vehicle enabling nonprofits and donors to deploy capital for measurable social and environmental returns alongside financial returns.
• Organizational Funds Endowment-building service for nonprofit organizations that allows nonprofits to establish long-term invested funds under the foundation's stewardship to support their institutional sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $195 million in grants awarded in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Rockefeller FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnership for Big Bets for America convenings. Rockefeller Foundation has committed over $450 million across three convenings, with over $350 million at the Cleveland event including a $13 million commitment to the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Endowment Fund from The Cleveland Foundation.
• JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026JobsOhio Experiential Learning Initiative - a $300 million workforce development program announced at the Cleveland Big Bets for America convening.
• NEOMED (Northeast Ohio Medical University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2026NEOMED is opening a healthcare innovation hub at the MidTown Collaboration Center with $1.58 million allocated for renovation. Partnership includes AI in healthcare work with University Hospitals.
• University HospitalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NEOMED for AI in healthcare and maternal and child health programs at the MidTown Collaboration Center.
• Kent State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment including insights from over 2,000 community members.
• Cleveland VOTESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free RTA transportation on Election Day to ensure equitable voter access. Ridership increased 19% on November 5.
• Greater Cleveland RTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cleveland VOTES and foundation funding to cover bus, rail, and paratransit fares on Election Day.
• College Now Greater ClevelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for administration of 60+ Cleveland Foundation scholarships for higher education and vocational training.
• Divine Nine (HBCU Fraternities and Sororities)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric partnerships with all nine local chapters of the Divine Nine for Black philanthropy initiatives. First U.S. community foundation to establish such partnerships.
• Cleveland GuardiansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 2026 community games at Progressive Field celebrating Greater Cleveland communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The New York Community Trust: Major community foundation serving the NYC metro area with permanent endowment funds, competitive grantmaking cycles, and a wide range of affinity funds. Highly comparable operating model and donor service offerings.
• The Chicago Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S., serving the Chicago region with a comparable mix of donor-advised funds, affinity funds, and place-based grantmaking. Closest functional analog in scale and program breadth.
• The Boston Foundation: Major community foundation serving Greater Boston with permanent funds, donor services, and a focus on racial equity and economic mobility. Strong program overlap including leadership development pipelines.
• The George Gund Foundation: Cleveland-based private foundation with a parallel mission to The Cleveland Foundation and overlapping geographic focus. Co-funds community needs assessments and shares donor ecosystem in Northeast Ohio.
• The Pittsburgh Foundation: Rust Belt community foundation serving the Pittsburgh region with donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and community leadership programs. Closely comparable geography, history, and operating model.
• Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation: Cleveland-based private health foundation with overlapping geographic focus and shared partnership history (LGBTQ+ community needs assessment). Smaller and more specialized but operates in the same donor and grantee ecosystem.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Mid-size community foundation with a strong regional grantmaking focus and donor-advised fund platform. Comparable to Cleveland in structure and target donor segments.

Regional players

• The Columbus Foundation: Largest community foundation in Ohio, headquartered in Columbus. Operates the same state regulatory environment and competes for Ohio-based donors, with overlapping affinity fund structures.

Broad incumbents

• The California Endowment: Large health-focused private foundation with place-based grantmaking and mission-related investments. Comparable on MRI strategy and health equity programming, though state rather than city-focused.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Largest community foundation in the U.S. by assets, with national and international DAF reach. Competes directly with Cleveland Foundation for high-net-worth donors but operates at a vastly larger scale and broader geographic mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CleveFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/clevelandfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/clevelandfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleveland-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/clevefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors4 records

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M&A

Investments42 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cleveland Foundation