Grants – Fall 2023

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Neighbor Up Action Grants fuel the power of neighbors to make the change they want to see in their communities.

Grants range from $500 to $5,000, and are meant to spur small, grassroots community projects throughout Cleveland and East Cleveland.

Grants may be used for a wide variety of projects, and groups are encouraged to think in new ways about what will work in their communities and with whom they might partner.

Applications are reviewed and decisions are made by a committee of Cleveland and East Cleveland residents.

Grant applications for this round are due by Monday, February 13, 2023 at 11:59 pm.

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Neighbor Up Action Grants Announced

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Neighborhood Connections staff and volunteer grant review committee members from the Neighbor Up Network have announced grant awards for Round 38, Fall 2022 grant applications.

Ninety-one associations and organizations were funded up to $5,000 for a total of  $322,453 awarded.

Round 38 Grant Summaries – Fall 2022

Announcing Neighbor Up Action Grants Request for Proposals!

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The Neighbor Up Grant Making Committee is offering grants up to $5000 this coming fall. Grants need to be in Cleveland or East Cleveland (unless they are COVID-19 focused, then they can also be in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga Counties). Grants are intended to support grassroots groups in implementing initiatives that are important to you and  your neighbors. The grant deadline is Monday, August 15 at 11:59 p.m.

We strongly encourage all thinking about applying for a Neighbor Up Action Grant to attend a Grantseeker Workshop. For information on the Grantseeker Workshops, and to apply, please click here. (PLEASE NOTE: The revised Grant Application will be live by June 15).

Announcing more than $323,000 in funding for 126 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland neighborhoods

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Our grantmaking committee has approved $323,930 in grants to support 126 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund 20 of these resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections.

Highlights of the grants include:

  • Creative Healing Foundation received $3,000 to expand their “City Scenes” artist photo walk program throughout Cleveland. These programs allow participants to render their own interpretations of the landscapes and introduce people to new areas of the city and culminate with a printed photo gallery show.
  • Furaha Forever Productions received $2,000 to provide Family Creative Kits to families in need, and those negatively impacted by COVID-19 in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood. Kits will be accompanied by virtual and in-person programming with artists and guest speakers.
  • Barrioboy Community Garden received $2,250 to help develop a fence around their community garden in the Clark Fulton neighborhood. The fence will help protect the garden and programming for children from the busy street, and will be a canvas for a community created mural. If you are looking for landscaping and gardening services, you can discover this info here and make the gardens of your dreams.
  • Black Men Who Excel received $2,250 to provide free piano lessons to children in the Fairfax neighborhood, in partnership with Ambitious Artists.

“We received more proposals from Greater Clevelanders this round than ever before,” said Tom O’Brien, program director of Neighborhood Connections. “People are resilient and working to create extraordinary communities right where they live despite many obstacles, including the pandemic. The funded projects show what can happen when we invest in residents working together to make the change they want to see.”

Since 2003, Neighborhood Connections has invested more than $10 million in more than 3,500 resident-led projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland.

“Now more than ever, we need creative experiences that are safe, welcoming, and close to home,” said Jill M. Paulsen, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. “By investing in Neighbor Up grants, we are recognizing the power and expertise that people have to use arts and culture to make their neighborhoods stronger.”

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture invested $60,000 in Neighborhood Connections in 2021 to support community-based arts and culture activities organized by and for Cuyahoga County residents.  CAC defines arts and culture broadly to include nature, science, cultural heritage, and history in addition to other art forms. Through this partnership with Neighborhood Connections, CAC has co-funded more than 400 resident-led arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland since 2013.

Click here for a complete list of the grants awarded.

Neighbor Up grants are offered several times each year to groups of residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland and, for projects related to the pandemic, to residents in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, to do projects that improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Groups are encouraged to work with partners and to propose creative solutions to challenges in their community. Check out our grants page for more information.

Projects Co-Funded in December 2021

Our grantmaking committee has approved $323,000 in grants to support 126 projects in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund 20 resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections. The following details each co-funded project, the grant amount, and the neighborhood where the project will take place.

 

Organization Neighborhood Amount Project Description
ArtHub Downtown $2,250.00 ArtHub received funding to create a regular networking showcase event of talent and creativity. Activities will include a DJ, local performers, open mic, sip and paint, local vendors market, and an interactive fashion show showing all sort of popular brands like this body shapewear.
Barrioboy Community Garden Clark Fulton $2,250.00 Safety & Art is a project to build a fence around the Barrioboy Community Garden, protecting the garden and childrens’ programming from the busy street. The fence will also be utilized as an art canvas to allow the youth to express themselves.
Cerenyte Fried Pies Mt. Pleasant $2,500.00 The Veggie Tails Storytime Literacy Program will provide youth with books, educational toys, learning, arts and crafts supplies, as well as a positive outlet during the summer months their out of school for vacation. Participants will receive hands on traning in gardening and urban agriculture, arts and crafts, and will have their own personal end of the season project in urban farming.
Creative Healing Foundation Cleveland $3,000.00 City Scenes is an artistic photo walk through various neighborhoods and locations around Greater Cleveland. City Scenes is a location specific guided art walk that allows artists to render their own interpretations of the landscape and to introduce people to areas of the city they have yet to explore.  Upon completion of the program each participant will submit a work of art to be printed canvas style then be presented in a gallery showing at the end of the program.
Diamond Makerzs Downtown $2,000.00 Who Asked You? Conversations with Youths about Pandemic & Post Pandemic Life is a 12 week program that will provide workshops, journaling activities, dance therapy, art therapy, and behavioral therapy exercises for children to voice their feelings. The program will have in person and virtual options, and will help re-acclimate student tso being in a structured environment after the pandemic shut-down.
East 89th Street Club Fairfax $500.00 East 89th Karamu Cultural Initiative will work with Karamu House to secure discounted tickets to distribute to residents on the street in order to partake in the spring performance season at Karamu House.
Eileen Dorsey Studio and Garrett Weider Studio Old Brooklyn $1,090.00 Old Brooklyn Blooms will be a series of three exterior floral murals to beautify the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, based on the community’s slogan “A Great Place to Grow!”
Elements Of Internal Movement Union Miles $2,500.00 Reflect. Connect. Protect. is a project designed to help children learn healthy ways to cope and express themselves. In summer 2021 the organization distributed 100 art kits to children in the neighborhood and the  plan is to expand the art kits to include a guided journal and be available to all ages, and use social media to connect with participants.
Food Depot to Health Glenville $3,000.00 The HomesteaderVermicompost Project is about diverting waste from municipal streams and recycling food scraps and use various kinds of containers to create vermicompost, which becomes “black gold” natural fertilizer.  Aside from using the compost for our Urban Farms, Community Gardens, and personal home gardening, the organization plans to collect food scraps at farmers markets in Glenville and St. Clair Superior to produce Vermi-compost for sale at each of those markets.
Footpath Foundation Westlake $2,500.00 Discover Your Path is a program designed to get youth outside where they can learn science and SEL content in engaging ways while amplifying their voices with ELA skill reinforcement. Spring DYP is a program for 6th graders (or 5th graders when appropriate).
Furaha Forever Productions Old Brooklyn $2,000.00 Our Family Creative Kits will be shared with families in need and those negatively impacted by COVID-19. Each box will contain a different fun activity with donated art supplies. The organization will also host educational virtual and in-person events with artists and guest speakers.
Gordon Square Classical Concerts Detroit Shoreway $2,000.00 The Quarantine Poems is a cross-medium collaborative project:  a gallery exhibition in Collinwood of 13 paintings by artist Christopher L. Richards, and two concerts and artist talks corresponding to the gallery exhibit. The concert will present 13 pieces composed by Cleveland composer, Ryan Charles Ramer.  Both pieces are inspired by 13 poems. Funding from the Action Grant will also provide audiences with free CD’s of the music and exhibition catalogues of the artwork.  Informative talks from the artist and composers, as well as a Q&A with the audience will provide educational content and direct community engagement.
Hasani Management Inc. Bellaire Puritas $2,250.00 Hasani Garden Camps will run from spring through autumn in person and virtually. The camp is designated to educate and entertain the participants with and fun and engaging curriculum around climate action, sustainability, organic gardening, theater, storyteling through art therpay and expression, environmental health, and healthy eating. Within our programs guidelines, we provide social inclusion for special needs children, who are mainstreamed into our activities.
Honey Hive Hough $3,600.00 P.O.E.T Speak will engage neighbors (youth and adults) in settings that give voice to writing, while highlighting and celebrating the community. Neighbors will be encouraged to see themselves as POETS, as they look at the landscape of the community and write about it. The project will conduct two written Poetry Contests, and showcase a printed publication at a community wide celebration of Poetry.
LAST SUNDAY MAKERS MARKET Old Brooklyn $1,000.00 Last Sunday Makers Market is an event that brings local entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, and makers together to showcase their businesses and products. The market has evolved into more than just that. It has become a place for the community to come together and enjoy getting outside to listen to music, eat great food and check out local art. The market feels like a block party for everyone.
Oh Sew Powerful, Inc. Lee Harvard $3,000.00 Creativity Rocks is a project to gather glass washed up on the shores of Lake Erie,  rocks and stones from recyclers, scrapyards and landscape inventories, and transform materials into jewelry or art objects. This multigenerational program will be free to all participants, have both virtual and in-person activities with the final output being a creative product – jewelry or a painted rock, for the participant’s own use.
Old Brooklyn Historical Society Old Brooklyn $2,500.00 The Old Brooklyn Historical Society intends to digitize information from the Old Brooklyn News the 1978 to 2008. They will scan these documents into their computer so people will be able to see more about the history of Old Brooklyn.
Poetic Movement East Cleveland $2,000.00 The Literary Leaders Program is a 4-week lesson plan to equip the youth of East Cleveland with literary skill for the future that will help them express themselves so that they can become future leaders and use the power of their voice through the written word to change East Cleveland and even the world.
Rhythmic Artistry East Cleveland $3,000.00 The U and I of Euclid Avenue is a community mural series that envisions beautiful murals depicting colorful scenery, African American heritage, and historical themes relating to the City of East Cleveland. Fifteen moveable murals will be painted by more than 25 Cleveland and East Cleveland artists, and installed on city walls along Euclid Avenue.
Sudanese Cultural Center Cleveland $2,500.00 Sudanese Sunday School aims to expose the Sudanese Community to the history and Culture of Cleveland in order to promote healthy integration in their wider civil community as well as promoting cultural exchange within the community itself. Field trips will include the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Karamu House, and others.

 

Available now! Circular Cleveland Community Grants

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The Circular Cleveland Community Grants provide financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations and small non-profit organizations (with an operating budget of less than $250,000) to support their community work related to the circular economy.

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

A circular economy diverts waste from the landfill and reduces pollution, keeps products and materials in use and restores and renews the natural system.  

For more information about the circular economy and Circular Cleveland, visit these Sustainable Cleveland blogs:

Watch this video explaining the circular economy and providing some national and local examples.

https://youtu.be/Oy1t9h1SBn8

 

APPLYING FOR A GRANT

Before you begin your grant application, please make sure that this is the right application for your project by considering how this project contributes to transitioning Cleveland to a circular economy. If your project idea is not a good fit for this grant, please check out our other Neighbor Up Action Grants here.

Please answer the following questions to determine if your project idea is a good fit for the Circular Economy grant:

  • Is material being diverted from the landfill?

Some examples of how materials might be diverted are:

  • reuse 
  • repurpose
  • share
  • repair 
  • redistribution
  • redesign
  • repackage
  • restore
  • refurbish
  • remanufacture
  • recycle
  • upcycle
  • recover
  • refuse
  • rethink
  • reduce
  • other

If materials ARE being diverted, what are those materials? 

  • textiles and clothing including body shapewear
  • food
  • metals
  • electronics
  • plastic
  • construction materials
  • other
  • Or, is energy from fossil fuels being saved?
  • Or, is a natural system being restored or renewed?

If you can answer yes to some of the above questions, your project DOES contribute to the circular economy. Please read the Grant Guidelines below. 

GRANT GUIDELINES

  • Team members must all live, work or worship in Cleveland.
  • Applicants must demonstrate their connectedness to their community.
  • Proposals must be from grassroots neighborhood groups of at least three persons, faith-based organizations or small non-profit organizations (with an operating budget of less than $250,000).
  • Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to make change in their community.
  • Applicants must show the need in their community.
  • Projects must build off the assets in the community (wisdom, skills, talents, and networks of individuals in the community, civic groups, institutions, physical space, local economy, and/or community culture).
  • Only one proposal can be submitted by a group or organization at a time.
  • Groups and organizations with or without 501(c)(3) designation are eligible for funding and encouraged to apply. Groups and organizations without 501(c)(3) designation will need to find a fiscal sponsor. If you need assistance finding a fiscal sponsor, please contact us.
  • These grants do not fund individuals, large non-profit or large faith-based organizations, religious organizations for religious purposes, political campaigns, endowment funds, fundraising campaigns, for-profit entities, single businesses, or government entities.
  • Grant applicants will be notified of funding decision via email by early June. If approved for funding, you will receive an email letting you know, and you will be required to fill out some simple paperwork to receive your funding. If your proposal is declined funding, we are available to talk through the reasons why.
  • Funds are GENERALLY dispersed within two weeks from when approved grantees complete their paperwork. 
  • Grants will cover a 6 month period and will range between $250 and $3,000.

READY TO APPLY?

1. Watch this “How to Apply” video for more information about these grants.

2. Start the application process by clicking the ‘Apply’ button below.

QUESTIONS

If you or someone you know does not have access to a computer and/or to the Internet but wants to apply or if you have questions about the application, please contact one of the people below:

GRANTMAKING COMMITTEE

APPLY NOW FOR A CIRCULAR CLEVELAND GRANT

 

Projects funded through the Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants

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Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are providing financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood civic groups as well as small non-profit and faith-based organizations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties for efforts related to the provision of needs during COVID-19. Find a list of projects funded here.

This list is updated monthly and projects marked with an asterisk* are co-funded by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Community Garden and Farmers Market Grants

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Neighbor Up is offering one time grants for community gardens, farmers markets, and for garden art in the cities of Cleveland and East Cleveland. Grants will be reviewed on a rolling basis each week starting May 1st through June 15th. Groups and organizations may only be funded once during this time period. If your group or organization does not have a 501 c 3, you must find a registered 501 c 3 organization in good standing with the IRS to serve as your fiscal sponsor.

If you would like to protect your home from the sun, Alumawood pergolas by Royal Covers are a great choice for this purpose, you will be able to enjoy the light without being expose directly. 


Here is more information on the grants:

  • Garden and group must be in Cleveland or East Cleveland;
  • Grant request must be between $250 and $1500;
  • Grant must be used this spring/summer (by September 1, 2021);
  • Funds may be used for soil, compost, tools, plants, seeds, water, benches, raised beds, artwork, and/or using as a community gathering space.
  • If awarded funding, you must attend a Celebratory Gathering on Thursday, October 7th from 6pm to 8pm to discuss your initiative.

Questions?

Contact Morgan Taggart.

Click here to apply

 

Get Outside Grants

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Last summer we had informative conversations around public space, digital connection, and how we are getting around during the COVID-19 pandemic. We heard from residents about how it has become more important for people to access public space — a space where they can feel safe welcomed and connected. Not only from protecting ourselves from the enemies by thinking to buy guns & ammo from Palmetto Armory but also be safe from the infections of the COVID-19 as it is spreading so fast.

Despite the need for such space, many residents noted the continued existence of barriers that prevent them and others from fully utilizing these spaces. Discrimination against people of color and feeling unwanted in public space stood out as prominent roadblocks that discourage many from spending time outdoors.

#OurSpacesAllFaces

Since those conversations, we’ve seen Clevelanders find creative ways to overcome these barriers and encourage people from all backgrounds to get outside, like Syatt‘s activities aimed at increasing access to nature for Black youth.

We’ve also seen people sharing their favorite spaces around Cleveland using #OurSpacesAllFaces. The hashtag is the product of a social media campaign brainstormed by a group of residents over the summer to demonstrate that public spaces are meant for everyone, and it’s given us a glimpse into the places around our city where people like to get outside with friends, family and neighbors.

Now, as the days get colder and the pandemic continues to prevent us from safely gathering indoors, getting outside this winter has become essential to our mental and physical health!

Get Outside Grants

That’s why we launched the Get Outside Grants, to support Clevelanders and grassroots groups as they find new ways to use outdoor spaces on chilly days and share the benefits of getting safely outside with their community!

Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000. They were intended for grassroots groups interested in getting members of their communities outside safely this winter.

Grants were reviewed on a weekly basis through February 24th.

Find a list of funded projects here.

 

Announcing nearly $60,000 in funding for 20 arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland neighborhoods

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Our Grantmaking Committees approved $59,587 in grants to support 20 arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund these resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections.

Highlights of the grants include:

  • Glengar Community Association in Bellaire Puritas received $761 to host a Power of Pollinators workshop, to educate how important pollinators are for our food supply.
  • The Buck Out Foundation in St. Clair Superior received $1,000 to support the development of collegiate and professional dancers in the city of Cleveland.
  • Dee’s Blue Diamond in Central received $5,000 to teach people the steps and the tools needed to grow and maintain a healthy garden consisting of fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits and plants that can aid in health issues such as aloe vera plant. 
  • The Salam Day Committee in Detroit Shoreway received $2,500 to host a series of educational conversations and display artwork from the Sudanese refugee community.

“During these trying times, people are continuing to work in their communities to make positive change,” said Tom O’Brien, program director of Neighborhood Connections. “Residents across Northeast Ohio are making their ideas a reality with a small bit of grant funding. They’re building stronger communities right where they live.”

This year we have funded more than 200 grassroots resident-led projects through Neighbor Up Action Grants and Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants. There have been 191 projects in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties funded for a total of $631,127 through the Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants. About 30 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland have been funded through Neighbor Action Grants for a total of $150,000. Since 2003, we have invested more than $8.1 million in more than 3,000 resident-led projects.

“People working in the arts and culture sector are some of the hardest hit as a result of the current pandemic,” said Jill M. Paulsen, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. “By investing in these grants, we are making it a little bit easier for neighbors to safely learn, connect, get creative, and feel inspired. We think that is so important, especially during these challenging times.”

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture invested $75,000 in Neighborhood Connections in 2020 to support additional community-based arts and culture activities organized by and for Cuyahoga County residents.  CAC defines arts and culture broadly to include nature, science, cultural heritage, and history in addition to other art forms. Through this partnership with Neighborhood Connections, CAC has co-funded 360 resident-led arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland since 2013.

For a complete list of grants awarded, visit our blog.

The COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are offered on a rolling deadline to groups of residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland and Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties to do projects that improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Groups are encouraged to work with partners and to propose creative solutions to challenges in their community.

Projects Co-Funded in November 2020

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Our Grantmaking Committees have approved $59,587 in grants to support 20 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund these resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections. Click here for details each project, the grant amount, and the neighborhood where the project will take place.

Update on Neighbor Up Action Grants

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We are postponing the next deadline for Neighbor Up Action Grants originally set for Friday, August 14th. We are postponing the deadline until further notice for two reasons:

1) The Neighbor Up Action Grant Committee is still reviewing grant applications from the February deadline, which have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Final decisions for these grants will be made in August;

2) We have a number of other offerings for funds at this time.

Here are the other funding options:

1. Neighbor Up IOBY Match: For every dollar you  raise up to $3,000 with IOBY, In Our Back Yard, the crowdsourcing platform, we will match it dollar for dollar. This platform is a great way to organize your initiative and get buy-in from the community.

2. Common Ground Funding: Grant funds are available up to $2,500 for those interested in doing Common Ground-related work. More information on these grants will be coming soon.

3. Neighbor Up COVID-19 Grants: These grants, up to $5,000, are still available for grassroots initiatives doing work to address the effects of COVID-19. Over $450,000 has been distributed to 152 groups over the last two months.

Click here for a list of other funding options available for grassroots groups.

Thank you for your understanding. Please join us for an online Neighbor Up gathering soon.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants for weeks 7 & 8

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Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are providing financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood civic groups as well as small non-profit and faith-based organizations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties for efforts related to the provision of needs during COVID-19.

Groups recently funded include:

  • AHI: Arts & Culture in Hough will be knocking on doors, providing emergency health and safety kits where needed, and inviting families to participate in drum workshops on Sundays and Tuesdays along with a schedule of art activities for individuals and small groups. All work will follow physical distancing requirements.
  • Parma Charitable Fund will assist the most needy of the Parma community with accessible nourishment. They will also provide gift cards to a local grocery store to those who apply and meet the criteria. One of their goals is to work with one of their local grocers to provide a discounts if gift cards are purchase exclusively from them, so as to stretch the grant funding further.
  • LAWRS Foundation will assist those in Cuyahoga and Lake counties representing themselves in court without the assistance of an attorney with access to: legal documents and filing; research & analysis; assistance with court filing fees and other fees for civil claims; and housing deposits if applicable.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are intended to enable civic groups and organizations to be responsive to emergency and basic needs requests, providing support for operations, and/or reducing social isolation. Applicants can be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or work with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor that will be designated to you through this grants program. Grants cover a 12-week period and will be between $500 and $5,000.

For a full list of grants funded, click here. If you’re interested in applying for a grant, click here.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants for week 6

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Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are providing financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood civic groups as well as small non-profit and faith-based organizations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties for efforts related to the provision of needs during COVID-19.

Groups funded this week include:

  • Five Ladies in Cleveland will provide nutritional meals to those in need. They have served with the Metanoia Project for the last two seasons, and they hope to continue working with those who are unsheltered and sheltered-resistant.
  • Choice’s Brothers and Sisters in Euclid will support individuals, families and youth in navigating through and accessing community resources. Resources will be available at the Shore Cultural Center three days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. At this location, they will distribute hygiene supplies, PPE, cleaning supplies, underwear and socks, snacks, and connection to other neighboring resources.
  • Boys 2 Men in Berea is hosting the Summer Garden Works Program, an 8-week program that allows up to 15 boys the opportunity to gain experience in gardening and serving the community while also earning a stipend for participation. There will be visits to the Berea Community Farm, and youth will tend to gardens of elderly seniors in the community who may need additional help with growing or tending to their home gardens or landscapes.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are intended to enable civic groups and organizations to be responsive to emergency and basic needs requests, providing support for operations, and/or reducing social isolation. Applicants can be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or work with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor that will be designated to you through this grants program. Grants cover a 12-week period and will be between $500 and $5,000.

For a full list of grants funded this week, click here. If you’re interested in applying for a grant, click here.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants for weeks 4 & 5

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Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are providing financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood civic groups as well as small non-profit and faith-based organizations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties for efforts related to the provision of needs during COVID-19.

Groups funded this week and last week include:

  • Community Yahoo’s in Broadway-Slavic Village will create the “Bridge to Life” located over I-77 on Fleet Avenue. One side of the bridge will have a memorial to those who have passed from COVID-19. There will be homemade masks in baggies that people can take in memory of someone who has passed from COVID-19. On the opposite side of the bridge will be names of survivors of COVID-19 and people will be able to take a mask in the name of a survivor. The goal to start is 250 masks on each side of the bridge for a total of 500 masks.
  • Destination Success in Glenville will provide food, hygiene supplies, help with gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, bus passes, gas cards, and self-esteem kits, which include make-up, hair products, a pamphlet on suicide prevention. and school supplies. Those in Destination Success have lost jobs and need these essentials. They will help their students with school supplies and the family with basic needs. They have created an online workshop to help people not succumb to depression and to give them a greater outlook on life which allows us to continue building social connections.
  • We Think 4 A Change in Stockyards and Garden Valley will help support People Living with HIV/AIDS during the COVID-19 crisis and help them stay connected in the community. They will increase access to services by providing transportation to medical appointments, assisting with medication pickups, food delivery, and other needed services will be provided for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Funds are intended to enable these civic groups and organizations to be responsive to emergency and basic needs requests, providing support for operations, and/or reducing social isolation. Applicants can be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or work with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor that will be designated to you through this grants program. Grants cover a 12-week period and will be between $500 and $5,000.

For a full list of grants funded this week, click here. If you’re interested in applying for a grant, click here.

Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants for weeks 2 & 3

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Neighbor Up COVID-19 Rapid Response grants are providing financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood civic groups as well as small non-profit and faith-based organizations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties for efforts related to the provision of needs during COVID-19.

Groups funded this week and last week include:

  • Food Not Bombs will distribute free produce and bread twice a month in Lake County and twice a month in Cleveland. We will work with our neighbors in both western Lake County and on the east side of Cleveland to eliminate food waste by putting it in the hands of people who need it, while advocating for changes in the system that creates food insecurity.
  • Juntos will support vulnerable Latinx households on Cleveland’s west side with direct cash assistance. Ten households will be selected that have not been able to access other forms of cash assistance during the pandemic. All households are low income and priority will be given to those with children, elders or those living with different abilities; and
  • Laundry Love at Leo’s Laundromat will continue providing free laundry services, food, and hygiene items to our neighbors in need in the Fairview Park/West Park neighborhoods while maintaining a safe social distance.

Funds are intended to enable these civic groups and organizations to be responsive to emergency and basic needs requests, providing support for operations, and/or reducing social isolation. Applicants can be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or work with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor that will be designated to you through this grants program. Grants cover a 12-week period and will be between $500 and $5,000.

For a full list of grants funded this week, click here. If you’re interested in applying for a grant, click here.