Community West Foundation awards $2.6M in grants, announces new grant cycle for 2022

The Community West Foundation board of directors approved $584,300 in fourth quarter grants bringing the grand total to $2.6 million awarded in 2021 to 81 non-profit agencies located in Cleveland, western Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties. The recipient organizations for fourth quarter grants include:

  • Connecting for Kids, $12,300: Funding for the Ask Us 1:1 program which addresses the needs of local families who have children struggling to cope with the after-effects of the pandemic
  • Galilean Theological Institute, $5,000: Capacity Building grant supporting the En Conjunto Community of Hispanic Houses of Worship Collaborative
  • Good Knights Inc., $5,000: General operating support to build and provide beds and bedding to children in Lorain County       
  • LifeAct, $20,000: Program support for suicide prevention programs for Grades 6-12
  • Love INC., $10,000: Program support for housing vulnerable Clevelanders
  • Rocky River Meals on Wheels, $10,000: General operating support to provide low-cost, nutritious meals to Rocky River, Fairview Park and Lakewood residents
  • Lakewood Community Services Center, $40,000: General operating support for emergency food programming
  • Church of the Open Door/Generations House, $20,000:Funding transitional housing for homeless families in Lorain County
  • Lorain County Safe Harbor, $25,000: General operating support for shelter and support to men, women and children of all ages who are victims of domestic violence
  • Seeds of Literacy, $35,000: Continuing support of basic education programs
  • Village Project, $40,000: General operating support to provide nourishing meals and extended care and services to people experiencing cancer
  • West Side Catholic Center, $42,000: Program support for the Resource Center and Moriah House
  • Blossom Hill, $25,000: Support for  programs to meet the basic needs of disabled adults in their group homes
  • Malachi House, $45,000: General operating support to provide palliative and hospice care to those who are poor
  • Stella Maris, $50,000: General operating support for the full continuum of care for chemical dependency treatment and mental health services
  • Youth Challenge, $35,000: Continuing support to connect young people with physical disabilities and teen volunteers through adapted sports, recreation, and social growth activities
  • The Road to Hope, $30,000: General operating support for sober residential housing in Lorain County
  • YWCA / A Place for Me, $40,000: General operating support to expand services for young people seeking stable housing and other forms of support
  • Let's Get Real, $10,000: Program support for peer recovery support services to people struggling with a substance use disorder
  • Women's Recovery Center, $20,000: General operating support to address the needs of women affected by substance use disorder and trauma 
  • Joshua and Caleb Leadership Center, $15,000: Program support for the Mother Lead Program to provide in-depth support to refugee and immigrant mothers located on the near west side of Cleveland   
  • Refugee Services Collaborative (Catholic Charities), $50,000: General operating support for the collaborative’s 12 partner agencies as they prepare for a large Afghan resettlement in our community in 2022 

In addition, these agencies received a portion of Community West’s Community Impact Fund allocation which amounted to $122,300 for the final quarter of the year. This fund was formed because a local philanthropist decided to fund alongside Community West and encouraged others to trust the thorough vetting process of the Foundation. The Community Impact Fund contributions are distributed directly to grantee nonprofits quarterly. These unexpected dollars help bolster the important work being done to provide for basic needs in the community.   

Community West Foundation announced they are reorganizing their grant cycle process for 2022 requesting that non-profit agencies within a specific area of their mission apply in a specific timeframe. This change is intended to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the grants review committee because it will provide them with a global view of all the agencies being funded in a specific area i.e. food security, homelessness, etc. For more information on the grant cycle as well as deadlines to apply, visit www.communitywestfoundation.org/ApplyforaGrant.     

Maria Estes

Community West Foundation, Marketing & Communications Director

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Volume 14, Issue 1, Posted 10:00 AM, 01.04.2022