Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

What Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland does

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is a community-based, 501(c)(3) private foundation founded in 1996 from the proceeds of the St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, making it the first health care conversion foundation and the first foundation formed by a congregation of Catholic sisters in the United States. It is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System and operates with a five-person board of directors and a small staff led by President Michael Goar (who also serves as President & CEO of the parent Sisters of Charity Health System). The foundation's mission is to address the social drivers of health for the poor and underserved in Cleveland's Central neighborhood, with priority areas spanning health and access to care (including addiction medicine and behavioral health), education, food security, family engagement and stability, economic mobility, and systemic barriers to health equity. Over its 30-year history it has deployed approximately $75 million in direct support to more than 750 grantees and has catalyzed over $150 million in additional leveraged community investment, operating historically on a Cuyahoga County-wide basis before narrowing focus exclusively to the Central neighborhood in its January 2026 relaunch.

The foundation's core operational technology is a Foundant GrantInterface-powered online grantmaking portal that runs a four-step intake flow (eligibility check, restrictions check, Letter of Inquiry, full application), accepting LOIs on a rolling basis and gating grants to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental entities serving Cleveland's Central neighborhood. Layered on top of the core grantmaking program are specialized tracks including the Hines Trust Nursing Grants (continuing-education pathway up to $5,000 plus a high-school cohort grant up to $10,000/year renewable for four years starting Fall 2027), the Good Samaritan Program for basic-needs responsive grants, the Saint Ann Legacy Grants Program, and the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood collective-impact initiative (which itself houses the Family Partners program and the SPARK home-visiting partnership with Family Connections of Northeast Ohio).

The foundation's business model is endowment-funded grantmaking rather than commercial revenue generation. The endowment, currently reported at approximately $100 million, was seeded from the 1996 health care conversion and is governed by a forward spending policy of roughly 4.5% of assets per year, translating to approximately $4.5 million in annual deployable grant capital on the current base. After a strategic pause that began at the end of 2024 during overlapping leadership transitions at the foundation and the parent health system, SOCF Cleveland officially resumed grantmaking operations on January 26, 2026, positioning itself as a backbone funder, convener, and capacity-builder rather than a direct service provider.

Name

Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

Legal name

Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

Website

https://socfcleveland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) private foundation, founded in 1996 and backed by a ~$100M endowment, that provides endowment-funded grants, convening, and capacity-building support to nonprofits serving Cleveland's Central neighborhood to address social drivers of health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAE

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYFSAAANAI

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

SECONDARYHLAJALAF

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Funding, Grants & Program Administration

SECONDARYBPAGAKAN

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Community grantmaking
• Philanthropic foundation
• Nonprofit grant programs
• Social drivers of health
• Place-based philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment-funded grantmaking: The foundation is funded by an investment endowment of approximately $100 million (as of 2023). Rather than generating revenue, it deploys roughly 4.5% of assets annually as grants to nonprofits and community initiatives, meaning its core operating model is spending policy driven by endowment investment returns. Approximately $75 million in direct support has been provided to 750+ grantees, plus $150+ million in leveraged investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is a community-based philanthropic foundation that awards discretionary grants to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental entities serving Cleveland's Central neighborhood, focused on the social drivers of health in health, education, and social services. Grants are awarded through a rolling four-step online application process (eligibility, restrictions, Letter of Inquiry, full application) using the Foundant GrantInterface portal, and are supplemented by named sub-programs such as the Hines Trust Nursing Grants, the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood collective-impact initiative, the Good Samaritan Program, and the Saint Ann Legacy Grants Program.

Product overview

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is a community-based philanthropic foundation — not a software platform — whose portfolio is organized around a single core offering (the Foundation Grantmaking Program, with an Online Grantmaking Portal for LOI/application intake) plus a set of named sub-programs and initiatives. The core grantmaking program is delivered through the Foundation's four-step online grantmaking workflow (eligibility, restrictions, Letter of Inquiry via the Online Grantmaking Portal, and full application) and is supplemented by specialized grant tracks including the Good Samaritan Program and the Saint Ann Legacy Grants Program. Layered on top of the core grantmaking are mission-driven sub-programs such as the Hines Trust Nursing Grants (with continuing-education and high-school cohort pathways), the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood initiative (which itself contains the Family Partners program and the SPARK Program delivered with partner Family Connections), and funded partner initiatives including the Cuyahoga TAY Supportive Housing Development, the Women Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC), and the St. Vincent Charity Health & Healing Hub. Together these offerings form an integrated portfolio addressing health, education, social services, homelessness, and economic mobility in Cleveland's Central neighborhood, with the foundation acting as funder, convener, and backbone organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood: An initiative within the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland working to improve outcomes for children, families and the community in Cleveland's Central neighborhood through a collective impact framework.

Products and services

• Sisters of Charity Foundation Grantmaking Program The Foundation's central philanthropic program, distributing more than $75 million to over 750 grantees since 1996 and leveraging more than $150 million in additional community investment. Awards grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental entities serving Cleveland's Central neighborhood in areas of health, education, and social services that address the social drivers of health.
• Hines Trust Nursing Grants A nursing-pathway grant program operated in partnership with the Sisters of Charity Health System and funded by the Hines Trust. Comprises two pathways: the Continuing Education in Nursing rolling grant (up to $5,000 per applicant for STNA/RN training, certificate programs, and credential completion) and the Hines Trust Nursing Cohort Grant for High School Students (up to $10,000/year per student, renewable for four years, with a Fall 2027 cohort of up to 15 students). Open to Cleveland's Central Neighborhood residents, Cuyahoga County residents, and Sisters of Charity Health System employees.
• Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood A community-wide collective-impact initiative housed within the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. Works with residents, nonprofits, schools, and funders in Cleveland's Central neighborhood across five initiative areas: Quality Early Learning, Family Partners, Successful Student Transitions, Nurturing Community Leaders, and Neighborhood Safety & Stability. Focuses on advancing family health, education, social capital, stability, and economics.
• Family Partners A whole-family initiative that develops support relationships with families who have preschool-aged children in Cleveland's Central neighborhood. Integrates the SPARK home visiting model, mental health coaching, access to family supports and resources, and group activities through a collaboration among Starting Point, Family Connections-SPARK Ohio, OhioGuidestone, and Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood.
• SPARK Program (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) Kindergarten-readiness home-visiting program delivered by Family Connections of Northeast Ohio as the initial access point for the Family Partners initiative. Uses an asset- or strengths-based approach, serving up to 30 families at a time in the Central neighborhood, with sustained gains in children's pre-literacy, pre-numeracy skills and social-emotional competencies.
• Good Samaritan Program A grant track within the Foundation's overall grantmaking that responds to residents' basic-needs challenges. Funded partners include 1,000 Ties (youth hygiene kits), Adoption Network Cleveland (Family Resilience Fund), Family Promise of Greater Cleveland (emergency financial assistance), Fostering Hope (journey bags), Garfield Human Development Corporation (community food pantry), Kidney Foundation of Ohio (emergency assistance), MedWish (medical and hygiene supplies), and St. Paul's Community Outreach (basic needs support).
• Saint Ann Legacy Grants Program A grantmaking program referenced on the Foundation's resources page that provides downloadable application templates (Budget Form, Funding Status Form, and Budget Narrative Form) for grant applicants preparing submissions to the Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~$75 million in direct support to 750+ grantees over 30 years
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Foundation: Ohio's largest community foundation and the dominant local peer; competes for grantees and convening role across Greater Cleveland, including on social-drivers-of-health and racial-equity work where SOCF Cleveland previously placed staff (e.g., Joseph Black).
• Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton: Sister foundation under the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, sharing staff (Marisa R. Rohn was previously its president) and operating model; highly comparable as a regional health-conversion-affiliated grantmaker.
• Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation: Cleveland-based healthcare-conversion foundation focused on health equity and biomedical research; directly comparable as a sister health-conversion grantmaker in the same metro.
• The George Gund Foundation: Major Cleveland-area private foundation funding education, economic opportunity, and human services; a direct local peer for grantees and collaborative funding partnerships.
• Saint Luke's Foundation of Cleveland: Cleveland-based health-conversion foundation focused on health equity in neighborhoods including Central; closely comparable in mission, geography, and healthcare-conversion origin.

Others

• Funders Together to End Homelessness: National funder collaborative of which SOCF Cleveland is a member; comparable as an ecosystem intermediary in the homelessness funding space where SOCF operates.

Broad incumbents

• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: Large national Catholic-affiliated foundation and documented prior co-funder of SOCF Cleveland ($750K in 2018); comparable as a Catholic-mission-aligned funder at greater scale.
• Colorado Health Foundation: Large healthcare-conversion foundation operating in Colorado with a comparable social-drivers-of-health mandate; useful peer for benchmarking scale and program portfolio beyond Ohio.

Regional players

• Healthy Communities Foundation: Chicago-area health-conversion foundation supporting place-based health equity work; structurally analogous (healthcare-conversion origin, place-based grantmaking) though geographically separate.

Emerging players

• Enterprise Community Partners: National affordable-housing and community-development funder; a partner on Cuyahoga TAY Supportive Housing Development and comparable as a co-funder in SOCF's homelessness and place-based initiatives.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SOCFcleveland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5PTiXIBuEvS6I6DN-BMegw
• Facebookfacebook.com/socfcleveland
• Instagraminstagram.com/socfcleveland/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland