Cleveland Foundation Jumpstarts its Equity Initiatives with the Black Futures Fund


Foundation: Cleveland Foundation

credit: Visit Elk City

The Cleveland Black Futures Fund is just one step in a long-term process toward the Cleveland Foundation becoming a more equitable grantmaker.

According to Keisha González, program manager of social impact investing and community development initiatives at the foundation, the social climate of the past year, especially following the murder of Floyd, made for a critical moment where the response had to be commensurate with the movement and push for social justice across the country within the Black community,

As soon as the Cleveland Black Futures Fund was announced, donors came forward, which emphasized the importance of the fund as a mechanism for those who recognized the problem and wanted to be part of the solution but perhaps didn't have the connections or know where to start.

A seven-person committee of community leaders and foundation representatives sorted through more than 220 submissions for the initial application period.

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