The Lake Geauga Fund at the Cleveland Foundation

This month, the Lake Geauga Fund at the Cleveland Foundation opened its grant process to applicants in Lake and Geauga counties. Grants up to $75,000 will be awarded in support of transformative projects in the region. All applications must be complete by June 8.  

Created in 1988, the Lake Geauga Fund exists to promote community philanthropy, conduct strategic grantmaking, and bring the unique resources available through the Cleveland Foundation to Lake and Geauga Counties. For nearly four decades, the Lake Geauga Fund has built a history of investing in new and catalytic projects, including Geauga Growth Partnership, DDC Clinic and Leadership Lake County. 

“The Lake Geauga Fund helps ensure vital nonprofits can continue serving our communities, which are often overlooked for funding,” said Meredith Ashkettle, Lake Geauga Fund advisory committee member and Executive Director of Leadership Geauga. “Especially while nonprofits across the country face unprecedented funding challenges, it is more important than ever for Lake and Geauga counties to have specifically designated resources that will help organizations expand their reach and impact.”  

Over the last two years, the fund has undergone assessments to strengthen its approach and maximize impact. The new priorities of the Lake Geauga Fund are centered on projects that have the potential to create large-scale and sustained transformation in Lake and Geauga counties. 

The fund supports three main impact areas: 

Capital: Focus on new projects that provide a direct benefit to the community. This includes both pre-development and capital needs. Capital projects should accomplish one of the following: 

• Has a transformational, long-term impact, not a focus on day-to-day operations.  

• Aims to enhance quality of life or address critical community needs 

• Has deep engagement and community input.  

• Supports organizational sustainability through revenue opportunities.  

Economic Opportunity: Support for projects and programs that strive to improve economic and workforce conditions for businesses and resident employees in Lake and Geauga counties. Economic development projects should accomplish one of the following: 

• Increase the number of individuals qualified for high-demand, high-growth jobs through training and/or upskilling. 

• Addresses barriers to individuals engaging in work or workforce development.  

• Support growth of small- and mid-sized businesses.  

• Expand resources for entrepreneurs starting new businesses.  

Critical Knowledge & Infrastructure: Support infrastructure and systems needed to achieve catalytic community impact. These projects should accomplish at least one of the following:  

• Improve implementation ability for an organization executing catalytic or transformative projects.  

• Pilot innovative operating structures to promote efficiency, quality, and community-wide impact. 

• New models or unique partnerships to pilot.  

• Projects or organizational needs that will improve impact.  

The Lake Geauga Fund is stewarded by a seven-person Advisory Committee of individuals who live and/or work in Lake and Geauga Counties. 

• Chair: Rich Frenchie, Retired CEO, UH Geauga 

• Angela Spalsbury, Dean, Kent State Geauga 

• Nicole Parker 

• Bill Patterson, Owner, Patterson Fruit Farms 

• Kevin Malecek, Director, Economic Development & International Trade, City of Mentor 

• Meredith Ashkettle, Executive Director, Leadership Geauga 

• Dione DeMitro, President & CEO, United Way of Lake County 

To apply, visit our website. All applications must be complete by June 8. Grant decisions will be announced in fall 2026.