What kinds of organizations does The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group support?

It supports nonprofit education leaders and organizations working with Black students and communities, with focus areas including K-12 education, innovation in teaching and learning, diversity in education, pathways to economic mobility, and leadership development.

What is a typical grant size?

The grant-size distribution centers on $50,000 awards, with a p25 of $50,000 and a median of $50,000. Larger grants appear in the upper range, including a p75 of $986,451 and several $1,000,000 awards.

Does the foundation make unrestricted or operating support grants?

Yes. Recent grants are described as supporting the programmatic or operating costs of recipient organizations, and the active 1954 Project program provides unrestricted $1 million grants plus leadership coaching, capacity support, and network membership over a three-year journey.

Where does the foundation give most often?

Its grants go nationwide, but Louisiana is the top state by grant count. Illinois is also significant, with 25% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state.

What types of funding programs are active?

The active grant program listed is the 1954 Project (Luminary Award), which provides catalytic funding and collective support for nonprofit education leaders committed to Black students and communities. It includes $1 million unrestricted grants, leadership coaching, capacity support, and a national network over three years.

Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group

Name: Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActiveEducation

CHICAGO, ILWebsite3123836681

About Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group

We bring people, resources, and imagination together to transform philanthropy and the future it fuels. We resource leaders, invest in their genius, and build networks to advance education equity, leadership development, and catalytic funding for Black students and communities.

Focus Areas

K-12 educationInnovation in teaching and learningDiversity in education / educator pipelinesPathways to economic mobility for Black students and communitiesLeadership development (early-career internships)

Funding Style

general operating supportprogrammatic supportcore/recurring operating costsvalues-aligned funding

Topics

organizational sustainability

About Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group

The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group’s clearest signal is its repeated $1 million unrestricted support for organizations aligned with the 1954 Project values. In 2024, that pattern reached Kingmakers of Oakland, Beyond 12, B-360 Baltimore Inc, and Marcy Lab Inc, each receiving $1,000,000 to support programmatic or operating costs. The same values-aligned framework also appears in 2023 awards at nearly $1 million levels, indicating a funding model built around major operating support rather than small project-only grants. The foundation backs nonprofit education leaders working with Black students and communities, with an emphasis on innovation in teaching and learning, diversity in education, and pathways to economic mobility. Its grants also extend into leadership development, including early-career internship infrastructure and educator pipeline work. The recent grants show a mix of large catalytic awards and repeated $50,000 operating grants, which suggests a layered approach: anchor a few organizations with transformational capital, then sustain a wider set of mission-aligned groups with smaller general support. Chicago appears among recipient locations, but the grant list also reaches Oakland, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Durham, and New Orleans.

What Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group Funds

A core theme is education equity for Black students and communities. That shows up in the $986,451 grant to Village of Wisdom, a 2023 award for programmatic or operating costs in alignment with the 1954 Project values. Innovation in teaching and learning is another clear lane. Techbridge Girls received $986,451 in 2023 for the same values-aligned operating or programmatic support, pointing to a preference for underwriting organizational capacity rather than isolated projects. The foundation also funds educator and leadership pipelines. Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance received $50,000 in 2024 for programmatic or operating costs, and Special Education Leader Fellowship received $50,000 in 2023 for the same purpose. These awards fit the broader focus on diversity in education and leadership development. Pathways to economic mobility appear in the grant to The Knowledge House Fellowship Inc, which received $986,451 in 2023 for operating or programmatic support.

How Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group Gives

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$4.3M

Total Assets

$28.7M

Total Revenue

$19.6M

Total Expenses

$2.9M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $50K and $986K, with a median of $50K.

25th Percentile

$50K

Median

$50K

75th Percentile

$986K

Geographic Reach

National10 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

Leadership

ELIZABETH THOMPSON

Accepts unsolicited proposals

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
MARCY LAB INC	BROOKLYN, NY	$1,000,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
BEYOND 12	OAKLAND, CA	$1,000,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
KINGMAKERS OF OAKLAND	OAKLAND, CA	$1,000,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
B-360 BALTIMORE INC	BALTIMORE, MD	$1,000,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
INNER-CITY COMPUTER STARS FOUNDATION	CHICAGO, IL	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
PROJECT SYNCERE	CHICAGO, IL	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
CHILDREN'S PLACE ASSOCIATION	CHICAGO, IL	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
SCHOOL BOARD PARTNERS	NEW ORLEANS, LA	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
TENNESSEE EDUCATORS OF COLOR ALLIANCE	NASHVILLE, TN	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
GENERATION CITIZEN	NEW YORK, NY	$50,000	2024	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
VILLAGE OF WISDOM	DURHAM, NC	$986,451	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
THE KNOWLEDGE HOUSE FELLOWSHIP INC	BRONX, NY	$986,451	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
TECHBRIDGE GIRLS	OAKLAND, CA	$986,451	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
BENOLA INC	NEW ORLEANS, LA	$968,036	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
THE BLOC	CHICAGO, IL	$968,036	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
ACADEMY OF HOPE ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDATION	WASHINGTON, DC	$50,000	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
MIKVA CHALLENGE GRANT FOUNDATION INC	CHICAGO, IL	$50,000	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
RESURGENCE HALL	ATLANTA, GA	$50,000	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
SPECIAL EDUCATION LEADER FELLOWSHIP	NEW ORLEANS, LA	$50,000	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES
GIVE MERIT INC	ANN ARBOR, MI	$50,000	2023	TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMATIC OR OPERATING COSTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE 1954 PROJECT VALUES

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

MARCY LAB INC

BROOKLYN, NY

$1,000,000

2024