News Summary
The Cleveland Foundation has unveiled a new Impact Agenda under President Lillian Kuri’s leadership, aiming to tackle childhood poverty, economic inequality, affordable housing, and healthcare barriers. By prioritizing both short-term and long-term initiatives, the foundation seeks to revitalize Greater Cleveland and address deep-rooted community challenges. A partnership with the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund will provide $50 million for land preparation and job creation, while strategic investments in neighborhoods like Hough and MidTown reflect a focus on economic growth and community well-being.
Cleveland, Ohio – The Cleveland Foundation has announced an ambitious new Impact Agenda aimed at addressing pressing issues facing Greater Cleveland under the leadership of President and CEO Lillian Kuri. Appointed in 2023, Kuri intends to transform the foundation’s approach to tackling longstanding community challenges, focusing on improving the lives of Cleveland residents both now and for future generations.
The new Impact Agenda prioritizes initiatives addressing key issues such as childhood poverty, economic inequality, affordable housing, and healthcare barriers. These issues have deep roots in historical policy decisions and have created persistent disparities within the community. As part of the plan, Kuri has articulated a clear strategy that includes both short-term initiatives targeting urgent needs over a one-to-four-year horizon and long-term initiatives aimed at generational changes.
Joyce Pan Huang, the foundation’s chief impact officer, highlighted the importance of making significant strides in enhancing community well-being. To develop this new agenda, the foundation engaged in extensive consultations with stakeholders both internally and externally, ensuring that the strategies developed reflect the community’s most pressing needs.
A notable aspect of the Impact Agenda is the foundation’s partnership with the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, which works to convert contaminated industrial land, or brownfields, into productive economic assets. With the backing of Mayor Bibb and the city of Cleveland, approximately $50 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will be allocated for land preparation, enabling new employment opportunities in the region. Additionally, the Cleveland Foundation has pledged $10 million to assist in cleaning up distressed parcels, furthering efforts to revitalize the local economy.
In October 2024, the Cleveland Foundation introduced the Impact Cleveland Investment Pool, which initially received a $30 million investment, allowing contributions directly into regional businesses. This initiative reflects the foundation’s focus on strategic investments in neighborhoods such as Hough and MidTown, where considerable development and economic growth opportunities exist. Specifically, $22 million has already been invested from the foundation’s endowment toward the construction of its new headquarters in Hough, along with the development of the $32 million MidTown Collaboration Center. This center will serve as a nexus for economic development and innovation, offering support services including software training and entrepreneurship assistance.
Under Kuri’s guidance, the Cleveland Foundation is also concentrating its efforts on dismantling deep racial and economic disparities in the community. A significant focus will be placed on enhancing connections between neighborhoods and local waterways, further fostering a sense of community and accessibility. Kuri plans to further the foundation’s collaborative approach to philanthropy, emphasizing community engagement as a core component of the foundation’s work.
Partnerships with donors will be a primary focus, ensuring that philanthropic strategies align with the needs of the community. With future changes anticipated in charitable giving laws, the Cleveland Foundation aims to provide strategic advice that accommodates the evolving landscape of gift timing and tax deductions for donors.
Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is recognized as the world’s first community foundation, making its new Impact Agenda a significant step forward in realizing its mission of promoting the overall welfare of Cleveland’s residents. Through these dynamic initiatives and committed leadership, the foundation seeks to implement meaningful solutions that support the community both in the short term and beyond.
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Additional Resources
- Crain’s Cleveland: Cleveland Foundation Shapes Immediate and Long-Term Impact in Northeast Ohio
- Wikipedia: Cleveland
- Cleveland Scene: Leaders Announce new Coalition Against Poverty
- Google Search: Impact Agenda Cleveland
- Cleveland Jewish News: Cleveland Foundation Names Stovsky Board Vice Chair
- Google Scholar: Cleveland Foundation
- CSR Wire: KeyBank Heritage Center Opens
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Philanthropy
- Cleveland.com: Architect Lillian Kuri Named President and CEO
- Google News: Cleveland Foundation
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