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:
- Obtain a username and password.
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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.
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Establish or update your organization profile.
Your profile must be completed before submitting a grant inquiry or full application.
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Review Cleveland Foundation grantmaking guidelines.
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Submit a grant inquiry.
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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 before submitting a grant inquiry or full application.
The profile will also showcase your organization to donors, even if you don't make a specific grant request through our responsive grantmaking process.
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. You will be able to save and continue working on an inquiry at a later time. Once you have submitted an inquiry, no further changes can be made.
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 access the application for an invited inquiry, click on the project name listed under the "Inquiry and Grant Applications" section on your welcome page. The status for an invited application will show as "Application Incomplete." Once the "Submit" button is clicked, the status will change to "Application Submitted," and no further changes can be made. The system does allow you to save your work and return at another time. To print a preview of your application, click on the Adobe icon in the upper right corner of any page of the application.
You may 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.
Additional documents:
All applications must include the following documents (as electronic attachment or via postal mail).
If your organization has submitted these documents in the past year, new information is not required
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Annual report or statement of your agency’s most recent activities
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Most recent financial audit
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If using a fiscal sponsor, a letter from the organization agreeing to act as a sponsor
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.