News & Events

March 7, 2008

New Grant Program Targets Health & Education in the Central Neighborhood

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is issuing a new funding announcement as part of its strategic focus on health, housing and education as key components to building strong families and stable neighborhoods. While most of the Foundation’s work to relieve poverty reaches across Cuyahoga County, efforts to improve health and education outcomes have a special emphasis in the Central Neighborhood of Cleveland.

For this announcement, boundaries defining Central are East 18th Street to the West; East 72nd Street to the East; Euclid Avenue to the North and Grand Avenue to the South. The Foundation seeks to reduce both health and educational disparities in this community. Research on Ward 5 by the Center for Community Solutions and Cleveland State University identified some compelling examples to guide the Foundation’s support, including:

• Health disparities in Central are among the city’s highest, such as the incidence of diabetes (one in seven adults with diabetes in the Central Neighborhood, compared to one in 12 in the City of Cleveland overall and in Cuyahoga County).
• In Ward 5, too many residents reach adulthood without a high school diploma (43% in Central, compared to 59% in the city overall and 74% in the county).

The Foundation’s connection to the Central neighborhood is also tied to the commitment of St. Vincent Charity Hospital which has addressed the health care needs of this community for more than 140 years. Both St. Vincent Charity Hospital and the Foundation are ministries of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

As an initial investment, the Foundation seeks proposals from organizations for programs intended to improve outcomes in health and/or education in the Central Neighborhood. Proposals may be for existing programs or new programs or planning for new programs. They should not be duplicative of existing resources in the community, but rather should strengthen, complement, or connect them.

Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental units or agencies. Interested organizations are not required to be located in the Central Neighborhood. Grant funding is generally for activities over a one-year period, however, a compelling two-year plan will be considered. This Funding Announcement has a total budget of up to $300,000.

The Funding Announcement is available at the Foundation’s website, socfdncleveland.org. For more information, or to receive a hard copy, please call Ursula Craig, Grants Coordinator, at 216-241-9300 ext. 245. Submission deadline is 5:00 PM on April 7, 2008.

About The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland serves as a grantmaker, collaborator and advocate for non-profit organizations primarily focused on addressing causes and consequences of poverty. In 2006, the Sisters of Charity Foundation joined with the Saint Ann Foundation - America’s first “healthcare conversion” foundation - to form a single organization. The combined Foundation has awarded more than $52 million in grants through 2006.

Current funding priorities for the Sisters of Charity Foundation across Cuyahoga County include initiatives to reduce chronic homelessness through permanent supportive housing and reduce health disparities by improving health literacy. Special emphasis is given to Cleveland’s Central neighborhood where disparities in health and education are among the city’s highest.

The Foundation also works to build awareness of the many contributions of Catholic women religious and to support their vital health and human service ministries supports congregations of Catholic women religious (primarily in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina). In addition, local efforts responding to basic human needs such as food or clothing are eligible for the annual Good Samaritan grant program.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland was established by the Sisters of Charity Health System in 1996 through sale proceeds involving St. Vincent Charity Hospital, which has been located in the Central Neighborhood for more than 145 years.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine established the Saint Ann Foundation in 1973 with funds from the sale of Saint Ann Hospital which served Cleveland women and children for 100 years.

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