In selecting grant recipients, we concentrate on investment in programs in the mental health field in Northeast Ohio. We also recognize and support the fundamental role of the arts and education in creating a vibrant and enriching society.
Our Core Values
We believe and practice…
- Faithfulness to the Intent of our Founder, Margaret Clark Morgan
- Innovation, Creativity and Leadership
- Grantmaking that Makes a Difference
- Respectful, Open Communication
- Efficient, Effective Stewardship and Management
- Building and Sharing Knowledge
We seek applicants and proposals that have the following characteristics, regardless of program area:
- Mission alignment
- Fiscal and programmatic accountability
- Sound organizational management and track record
- Input from and benefit to primary end users
- Reaches underserved people
- Explicit and measurable goals
- Willingness to have open and forthright communication
- Transformational (has impact and is replicable)
Key Results
These are the outcomes we seek by our grantmaking. Our primary focus is mental health, and we also make grants supporting education and the arts.
Grant Types
Grant types the Foundation favors:
- Project/Operating: The Foundation seeks to fund project and operating grants and acknowledges these will be the main focus of our grantmaking.
Grant types and support the Foundation does not favor:
- Public Policy/Legislative Advocacy: The Foundation will not ordinarily fund initiatives focused on public policy and/or legislative advocacy.
- Endowment: Long-term support is limited to contract, pass-through grant funding versus endowment. In the case an endowment is granted as an exception it would be on an infrequent basis (3 to 5 years or more).
- Research: The Foundation does not see the funding of major national field research as its role. However, it is open to small, targeted studies,some of which may be proactively conducted or contracted for by the Foundation itself.
- Capital: The Foundation will limit building campaign gifts.
- Individual Scholarships: The Foundation will not award individual scholarships.
Grant Evaluation
The Foundation emphasizes and measures our grants as an investment designed to create specific outcomes in support of our mission. The Foundation favors projects with explicit, objectively defined goals that will demonstrate the performance of grantees.
The purpose of the Foundation’s evaluation process is to:
- Measure overall Foundation mission accomplishment
- Determine lessons learned and future directions
- Expand knowledge base for future strategic and tactical direction
The evaluation process will further:
- Convey overall performance of project/grantee
- Identify specific areas of strength/weakness of the project/grantee
- Inform grantee of their performance
- Qualify/disqualify for future funding opportunities
- Offer the grantee to opportunity to evaluate the Foundation’s grant process and experience.