#CLEFund: Celebrating Organizational Fund Partner Appreciation Week

A graphic with Cleveland skyline from river and Cleveland Foundation logo

Each day, as 186 nonprofits fulfill their missions in our community, dollars designated for their long-term needs are growing quietly in special funds that help secure their future – and that help make the nonprofit landscape strong and vibrant for us all! With the generosity of donors and the foresight of board members and leaders who established these “organizational funds,” the Cleveland Foundation is helping ensure that dollars multiply over time to generate returns for each nonprofit. Each fund then strengthens a nonprofit’s long-term stability by augmenting its traditional funding sources. These organizational funds also provide a giving opportunity for caring donors who recognize when a nonprofit has partnered with the foundation and operates with the goal of sustainability.

From April 29-May 5, the Cleveland Foundation is highlighting these organizations and celebrating Organizational Fund Partner Appreciation Week. You can view a list of our organizational fund partners and make a difference in their future success by giving online.

“Building community endowment is an important part of the foundation’s own mission, so we want to recognize and thank the organizations that have also embraced this responsible strategy,” said Kaye Ridolfi, Cleveland Foundation Senior Vice President of Advancement. “In the hardest of times, it’s a safety net, and in the best times, an organizational fund can be a catalytic resource for new projects and programs that would not be possible otherwise.”

Organizational Fund Partner Benefits

An organizational fund through the Cleveland Foundation can serve both as part of a nonprofit’s funding mix and as a long-term growth strategy. The Cleveland Foundation offers many advantages in holding and managing a charitable organization’s fund, including: 

    • Access to large investment pools with low fees and proven strong investment stewardship 
    • An assigned donor relations advisor providing customized services, including access to the foundation’s Advancement team with decades of legal, tax and development experience 
    • Planned giving expertise and sophisticated giving vehicles such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts 
    • Positive brand affiliation with the foundation by virtue of having an organizational fund backed by the services and reputation of the Cleveland Foundation 

By focusing on the administrative services required for each fund, the foundation allows its partners to focus on their mission of service in our community. Learn more about how an organizational fund can strengthen a nonprofit you care about, and follow #CLEFund for appreciation week social media.