Philanthropy is not only for the very wealthy, who have a named room at a museum. It’s for people with average incomes like me, a school teacher, to get involved and do something for the future.

Jack Ulman

Jack Ulman knew from an early age that you don’t need to be a John D. Rockefeller or a Bill Gates to make a sizable impact.

The retired Bedford High School teacher, who has been spreading his generosity across multiple beloved Cleveland institutions, remembers visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art as a child with his mother to buy a brick in support of the institution.

“She was a single parent with a limited income,” Ulman recalls. “And I remember her saying, ‘this is something we believe in.’”

It’s a philanthropic philosophy he’s proud to continue with several charitable gift annuities housed at the Cleveland Foundation. These giving vehicles allow him to collect on his investment in retirement while supporting the institutions that bring him joy.

Culture and community

Several years ago, Ulman gave his first gift to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, where he’s served as a docent for more than 20 years.

Born not long before Cleveland DJ Alan Freed coined the term “rock and roll,” Ulman says that rock music has provided the soundtrack for much of his life, which makes the Rock Hall a particularly special place. And, as a former teacher and guidance counsellor, he believes in the museum’s educational mission and wants to help it advance its youth outreach activities.

“Music has a way of getting to kids that most of the world doesn’t, and I really celebrate that,” he says.

And through his annuities, Ulman has extended his support to more of the institutions he grew up with and grew to love as an adult, from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to The Cleveland Museum of Art to the Museum of Contemporary Art and more—ensuring these valuable community assets will continue to thrive for generations to come.

To live and give well

Ulman was inspired to partner with the Cleveland Foundation after he began attending the organization’s Annual Meeting. “The place is always packed, and you get to hear the wonderful things the foundation does for the city of Cleveland,” he says.

Charitable gift annuities are one of many charitable vehicles available through the foundation that allow individuals to give back in the way that works best for them. These investments are a type of planned gift that generate life income for the donor with the remainder providing charitable dollars for worthy causes. Ulman said he appreciates the flexibility of this giving option and the sound investment management of the foundation, which are both helping him meet his philanthropic goals.

“Philanthropy is not only for the very wealthy, who have a named room at a museum,” he says. “It’s for people with average incomes like me, a school teacher, to get involved and do something for the future.”

Get in Touch

To apply for a grant from the Cleveland Foundation, please visit our Grants Gateway. For more information on charitable gift annuities, please contact the Cleveland Foundation Philanthropy team at 887-554-5054.