[Westlake, Ohio] – The Community West Foundation Board of Directors approved $1,009,500 in second quarter grants to non-profit agencies that are located in Cleveland, western Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties marking the largest quarter distribution of community grants in the foundation's 25-year history. The grants this quarter were focused on the mission areas of providing housing and housing services as well as programs for formerly incarcerated people.  An additional $194,500 was distributed through their Community Impact Fund bringing the grand total to $1,204,000.  The Community Impact Fund was established for donors who wanted to invest alongside Community West’s mission knowing that contributions would be distributed directly to grantees quarterly.  

Community West Foundation staff and board members make it a priority to hand deliver grant checks to the agency recipients.  This quarter the foundation held group meetings in Lorain & Cuyahoga County for this purpose (see photos below).  “There is a lot of effort on both the foundation side and the agency side before a grant request is fulfilled,” commented Community West Foundation President and CEO, Marty Uhle.  “Placing an envelope in the mail just doesn’t have the same feel to it.  It’s rewarding to make that connection face-to-face.”  Bringing the grant recipients together to receive their funding also allowed for Community West’s non-profit partners of specific mission areas to connect fostering collaboration. CWF Q2 Grantee List.pdf