Careers and Culture at the Foundation

The Cleveland Foundation strives to attract, develop and retain the most talented individuals as a part of our team. We are highly committed to providing a work environment that supports these efforts through our values-based culture, competitive pay, exceptional benefits, developmental opportunities and work-life balance. 


Our Mission, Vision and Values

Positioning the Cleveland Foundation for a Second Century

about-hr-clevelandAlways guided by our mission, vision and values, the Cleveland Foundation celebrated our centennial in 2014 as the world’s first community foundation, the community’s largest grantmaker and one of the philanthropy field’s leading institutions.

Our Mission

An expression of who we are. The Cleveland Foundation’s mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, address needs through grantmaking and provide leadership on key community issues.

Our Vision

An expression of our aspirations. The Cleveland Foundation will use the power of philanthropy to enable Greater Cleveland to be a great and global American city. Together with our donors and partners, we will make innovative, impactful and internationally recognized contributions to the field of philanthropy.

Our Values

An expression of our beliefs and actions. The Cleveland Foundation’s values guide our daily interactions and our decision making. As an organization and as individuals, we are committed to:

Stewardship

We share a responsibility to our community – its people and resources – and we have a duty to protect its health and wellbeing now and for generations to come.  

Equity

We believe our community is only as successful as each person in it. We believe all people in Greater Cleveland should have the tools and supports they need to pursue their greatest dreams. We are committed to a future where a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity does not affect their access to power, wellbeing, opportunity and sense of belonging. We celebrate the many ways that people show up in our community.

Integrity

Our actions match our words and we put our community first. As Greater Cleveland’s foundation, we are accountable to our community. We have the courage to advocate for the truth, and we are committed to being accessible, transparent and fair to the people we serve across Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties.

Partnership

We believe in the power of relationships and trust. We are eager to build strong relationships and trust across our community because we know we can do more when we work and create together.  We take pride in partnering with our donors, nonprofit organizations, co-workers, people who invest with us, and the community by listening, showing respect, always responding, delivering excellence and going the extra mile. 

Innovation

We dream big, continue learning, and put new ideas into action. We welcome diverse ideas, seek to challenge the status quo, learn from our successes and failures, discover best practices and improvements, and develop talent. The future of our community depends on new ideas today, and we are dedicated to helping people and organizations across our community think creatively and put their ideas into action.

Anti-Racism

We know that racism hurts our entire community, and we all have a role in helping to eliminate it. Black, Indigenous and people of color in Greater Cleveland continue to be most impacted by the harmful effects of racism. Each one of us has a responsibility to break down the systems and practices that have oppressed people based on race or ethnicity.

Leadership

We recognize that there are many ways to lead. We support leadership and access to power in many forms, across generations, to benefit the Greater Cleveland community.

Diversity

The Cleveland Foundation is committed to diversity and inclusion in everything that we do.  Our Statement on Diversity reflects our commitment to keeping diversity at the forefront.

Culture in the Workplace

Awards - North Coast 99, Wellness@Work, Healthy Ohio, Prinicpal Top 10 Employers for Financial StabilityAt the Cleveland Foundation, our values drive and shape our culture. Each of us lives these values—leadership, partnership, learning, service, innovation and integrity—every day in our work with colleagues and those in the community. 

We are proud and honored that our efforts to support our employees have been recognized locally and nationally. The foundation is a 20-time winner of the NorthCoast 99 award and has also been recognized through the Wellness@ Work awards, the State of Ohio Healthy Worksite award and was named one of the Principal Financial Top 10 Employers for Financial Stability.

Benefits

In addition to the engaging and rewarding work environment, the foundation provides exceptional benefits, a comprehensive wellness program, opportunities for growth and development, and team-based activities that allow employees to interact and get to know colleagues across teams.

Below are some of the great things offered to both full and part-time employees:

  • Comprehensive, low-cost health insurance through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Comprehensive, low-cost dental insurance through MetLife
  • Vision insurance
  • Employer paid Group Term Life insurance
  • Employer paid short- and long-term disability insurance
  • Elective Life Insurance for employees and dependents
  • Flexible Spending Plan for medical, dental, dependent care, parking/transit, and adoption expenses
  • 403(b) Retirement Plan through Principal Financial with very generous employer contribution
  • Employer paid on-site financial planning/education
  • Generous paid time off program including vacation, sick, and holiday pay
  • Continuing Education
  • Identity Theft Protection Services
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Comprehensive Wellness Program including free screenings and preventative care opportunities
  • Perks: Entertainment discounts through Best Benefits Club, discounts from PlayhouseSquare and surrounding venues, and educational and fun activities planned throughout the year by our Employee Engagement Committee

Turning Passion Into Purpose Award

Congratulations to Melissa Huber, Marketing & Events Manager, who received the fall 2023 Cleveland Foundation “Turning Passion Into Purpose Award” as nominated and selected by her colleagues!

Foundation staff regularly honor colleagues with the award for demonstrating our core values in support of the Cleveland Foundation’s mission.

2023 Honorees

Brittany Schultz, Philanthropy

Melissa Huber, Marketing

2022 Honorees

The Building Operations and Guest Services Team (Leslie Dunford, Adam Geither, Sharonda Kane-Jackson, Ellen Koonce, and Bridget Soeder)

Carol Scheuer, Information Systems

2021 Honorees

Jamie McGuire, Information Systems

Tammi Amata, Finance

2020 Honoree

Dale Anglin, Program

2019 Honorees

Anthony Gattuso, Finance

Ellen Koonce, Building Operations and Guest Services

2018 Honorees

Maureen Forrest, Advancement

Jaelen Hollinger, Human Resources

2017 Honoree

Valerie Moreland, Finance

2016 Honorees

Diane Kaszei, Grants Management

Karen Bartrum Jansen, Grants Management 

2015 Honorees

Stephanie Hicks Thompson, Marketing & Communications

Kathy Parker, Finance

Christine Lawson, Finance

2014 Honorees 

Paul Putman, Advancement

Annabel Bryan, Program

Staff Committees

Several valuable employee volunteer committees offer our staff a wide variety of leadership, networking and learning experience across our enterprise, including:

  • Employee Engagement Committee, which helps connect employees to our mission, vision and values through shared activities and celebrations
  • Innov8, the foundation’s innovation and learning committee
  • NextGen, the foundation’s young professional’s group
  • Sustainability Committee, which helps the foundation reduce its environmental impact and helps employees implement “green” practices at home and in the community

The HR Collaborative

hr-collaborative-logo-5In March 2013, the Cleveland Foundation, in partnership with Thompson Hine, ERC and Oswald Companies, began discussions about the possibility of launching a unique networking group whose mission would be to support the nonprofit HR community through education, resource sharing and networking opportunities. All were highly in favor of sponsoring such an effort not only financially, but with time, expertise and resources as well as an understanding from their own nonprofit clients that there is a need to facilitate these connections.

In addition to the founding partners, a steering committee of a diverse group of nonprofits has been formed to move the Collaborative forward. Together, our goal is to create a network of peers and experts to which nonprofit human resources professionals can turn for education, knowledge, support, resources and partnerships that will ultimately help to build the capacity of the HR function and local nonprofits overall. For more information, please