Apply for a Grant

Already have a login and password for our Gifts & Grants Online system? Log in.   

If you are not yet registered for Gifts & Grants Online, please read on:

The Cleveland Foundation now requires organizations to submit inquiries and applications electronically. 

Application process:

1. Obtain a username and password.
   • Please click the "Request Online Access" button below. You will be taken to a form you can fill out to obtain your username and password for "Gifts & Grants Online." You will be asked for contact information for the person authorized to submit inquiries and applications on behalf of your organization. This may be the executive director or a designee. On a limited basis, other staff may be given access to view information but will not have the ability to submit inquiries or applications.
     
        
2. Establish or update your organization profile. 
   Your profile must be completed and reviewed before submitting a grant inquiry or full application.
3. Review Cleveland Foundation grantmaking guidelines. 
4. Submit a grant inquiry.
5. If invited, submit a full application.

Organization Profile

Creating your organization profile is the first step in seeking funding from the Cleveland Foundation. Your profile will provide the opportunity to showcase your organization and projects before foundation staff and donors. Your profile must be completed and reviewed before submitting a grant inquiry or full application.

If you wish to showcase your organization to donors without making a specific grant request through our responsive grantmaking process, you may complete the organization profile and add specific programs for which funding is needed. Access our organizational set-up guide .

Grant Inquiry

The foundation requires all potential grant applicants to submit a grant inquiry, outlining basic information about the proposed project. Grant inquiries can be submitted at any time. If it is determined that your project fits the foundation’s guidelines, you will be asked within a few weeks to submit a full application. We recommend submitting one inquiry per proposed project. Please note that an invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee funding at any level. The grant inquiry is located under the “Apply for Grants” section of Gifts & Grants Online.

Full Application (Proposal)

If you have been invited to submit a grant proposal (now referred to as “application”), you must submit the grant application online through Gifts & Grants Online. To preview the foundation’s online application, click here. You may use this document as a worksheet to copy and paste your information into the online application, or work directly online.

The grant application can be found in the "Apply for Grants" section of Gifts & Grants Online. Access Gifts & Grants Online here or use the link on the right side of the screen. 

Once the application is submitted, the foundation will confirm receipt and a program officer or director will be assigned to review your application. This process can take eight weeks or longer depending on the complexity of the request. Please be sure to submit your application well in advance of your project’s start date.

If you plan to apply to multiple funders that accept it, we recommend completing the Ohio Grantmakers Forum Common Application Form and copy and paste your information into our online system. Please note that our application uses many of the same questions as the common application form, but not in the same order.

Additional documents: 

All applications must include the following documents (as electronic attachment or via postal mail): 

• Annual report or statement of your agency’s most recent activities 

• Most recent financial audit 

• If using a fiscal sponsor, a letter from the organization agreeing to act as a sponsor 

If your organization has submitted these documents in the past year, new information is not required. 

Our Grants Management staff is available to answer your questions and guide you through the application process.  Feel free to contact us at 216-615-7254 or e-mail grantsmgmt@clevefdn.org.