What kinds of organizations does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation support?

The foundation’s active programs and recent grants point to nonprofits and civil society organizations working in education, environment, and healthy, vibrant communities. Recent recipients include National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Friends of Breakthrough Schools, Middletown Community Foundation, Cleveland Metroparks, and College Now Greater Cleveland Inc.

Does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation have a grant application process?

Yes. For some community grants, prospective applicants begin with a letter of inquiry, and only invited applicants may submit a full proposal. The foundation also has program pages for community requests, employee matching gifts, scholarship awards, and competitive Boys & Girls Clubs grants.

What is the typical grant size?

The foundation’s typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also shows much larger awards, including several in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Where does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation give most often?

Ohio is the top state by grant count, and 39% of grants go to recipients in Ohio. Recent Ohio recipients include organizations in Cleveland, Middletown, Cincinnati, and the Columbus area.

Which focus areas appear most often in the recent grants?

Environmental conservation, local community development, and K–12 education are the clearest patterns. The record includes repeated support for conservation groups, community foundations, and education organizations, along with program areas tied to healthy and vibrant communities and workforce-related skills.

Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

Name: Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism

CLEVELAND, OHWebsite5134255000

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation concentrates its giving on large, strategic investments in environmental conservation and local community development, with a secondary emphasis on K–12 education innovation. The foundation makes a small number of sizable grants—often repeated to the same institutions—favoring established intermediaries (a national conservation fund and a regional community foundation) and an urban school operator. Its pattern suggests priority for landscape-scale natural resource projects alongside targeted support for community and education initiatives in Ohio.

Focus Areas

Landscape-scale freshwater and wildlife conservation (via National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)Regional community foundations and local community development in Ohio (e.g., Middletown area)Urban K–12 charter school expansion and replication/support (e.g., Breakthrough Schools)

Who They Fund

nonprofit organizationscivil society organizations

Giving Approach

Highly concentrated giving: very few but large grants, repeat funding to a flagship environmental intermediary (multiple grants to NFWF), plus sizable one-off gifts to local community and education organizations.

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

A repeated $800,000 commitment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation stands out in The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation’s recent grant record, signaling a strong preference for large, multi-year support in landscape-scale conservation. The foundation also made major gifts to community intermediaries and education organizations, including a $502,450 grant to Middletown Community Foundation and $500,000 grants to Friends of Breakthrough Schools. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is not broad experimentation but concentrated support for a small set of organizations that appear more than once, often at substantial levels. That mix aligns with a portfolio that supports environmental conservation, local community development, and K–12 education. Ohio is especially prominent in the grant record, but the foundation also funds organizations in Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Delaware, and Washington, DC. The recent list includes both general support and grants tied to community-oriented institutions such as Cleveland Metroparks, College Now Greater Cleveland Inc, and United Way affiliates. With annual grants of $18.95 million and a median grant size of $10,000, the foundation combines a few very large awards with many smaller community grants.

What Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Funds

Environmental conservation is the clearest anchor in the recent record. The foundation gave $800,000 to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for general support, and another $700,000 grant to the same organization in 2023, showing sustained support for freshwater and wildlife work. Community development is another consistent thread. It gave $502,450 to Middletown Community Foundation and $494,000 to Middletown Community Foundation for general support, indicating repeated backing for a local intermediary in Ohio. Education also appears prominently: the foundation made $500,000 grants to Friends of Breakthrough Schools for general support, and later gave $470,000 to College Now Greater Cleveland Inc for general support. The record also includes smaller education-related grants to Magnet and ASM Materials Education Foundation.

How Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Gives

Grant size is bimodal: p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $25,000, but the recent grants list also includes several awards in the $100,000-$800,000 range. The foundation gives through a mix of repeat support and one-off awards, with multiple organizations appearing in consecutive years, including National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Friends of Breakthrough Schools, Middletown Community Foundation, and Cleveland Metroparks. It is a regular funder rather than a DAF and does not fund individuals. The active programs show both invited and unsolicited pathways, with a letter-of-inquiry process for some community grants and an employee matching-gift program for eligible nonprofits, schools, and public safety departments.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$3.2M

Total Assets

$6.7M

Total Revenue

$6M

Total Expenses

$3.2M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $5K and $25K, with a median of $10K.

25th Percentile

$5K

Median

$10K

75th Percentile

$25K

Geographic Reach

Regional27 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND	CLEVELAND, OH	$490,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION	WASHINGTON, DC	$400,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
American Online Giving Foundation	Newark, DE	$369,388	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
DUNELAND YMCA INC	CHESTERTON, IN	$125,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
GREATER CLEVELAND FOOD BANK	CLEVELAND, OH	$100,500	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
ASM MATERIALS EDUCATION FOUNDATION	MATERIALS PARK, OH	$100,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND CLINIC FDN PHILANTHROP	CLEVELAND, OH	$100,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
ATRIUM MEDICAL CTR FOUNDATION	MIDDLETOWN, OH	$75,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
YMCA OF MARQUETTE COUNTY	MARQUETTE, MI	$75,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY	TOLEDO, OH	$62,500	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST INDIANA	MERRILLVILLE, IN	$52,500	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
INDIANA DUNES ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER INC	CHESTERTON, IN	$50,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
DEARBORN EDUCATION FOUNDATION	DEARBORN, MI	$50,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA	VALPARAISO, IN	$50,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
BEAT THE STREETS CLEVELAND	CLEVELAND, OH	$50,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS	CLEVELAND, OH	$50,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
UNITED WAY OF GREATER CLEVELAND	CLEVELAND, OH	$47,579	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
MIDDLETOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	MIDDLETOWN, OH	$44,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER	CLEVELAND, OH	$44,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
MAUMEE VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY	MAUMEE, OH	$40,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
THE METROHEALTH FOUNDATION INC	CLEVELAND, OH	$40,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
SPENCER COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY	ROCKPORT, IN	$35,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
SECOND HARVEST NORTHERN LAKES FOOD BANK	DULUTH, MN	$35,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
ASSOCIATION FOR IRON & STEEL TEC	WARRENDALE, PA	$34,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER OF NWI	HAMMOND, IN	$25,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTH EAST OHIO	MACEDONIA, OH	$25,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
MARQUETTE CITY BAND INC	MARQUETTE, MI	$25,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
PROVIDENCE HOUSE	CLEVELAND, OH	$25,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY	CLEVELAND, OH	$25,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
COTTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT	COTTON, MN	$23,559	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS FOUNDATION	COLUMBUS, OH	$22,250	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION	TOLEDO, OH	$22,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY MIDDLETOWN CORPS	MIDDLETOWN, OH	$20,500	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
TOLEDO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY	TOLEDO, OH	$20,300	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
UNITED WAY OF RICHLAND COUNTY	MANSFIELD, OH	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
OWENSBORO COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC	OWENSBORO, KY	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF PORTER COUNTY	VALPARAISO, IN	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
FRANCISCAN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION INC	CROWN POINT, IN	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
LAHC LEADERS ADVANCING AND HELPING COMMUNITIES	DEARBORN, MI	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF EVANSVILLE	EVANSVILLE, IN	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF CLEVELA	CLEVELAND, OH	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION	ARLINGTON, VA	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
MIDDLETOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	MIDDLETOWN, OH	$20,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
DIOCESAN COUNCIL SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL	MARQUETTE, MI	$18,500	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD	OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL	$18,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
PARKESBURG POINT	PARKESBURG, PA	$15,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
WESTERN RESERVE LAND CONSERVANCY	MORELAND HILLS, OH	$15,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
OPPORTUNITY ENTERPRISES	VALPARAISO, IN	$15,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
ASSOCIATION OF ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN OF PORTER COUNTY	CHESTERTON, IN	$15,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTH ST LOUIS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY	VIRGINIA, MN	$15,000	2026	GENERAL SUPPORT

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND, OH

$490,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

WASHINGTON, DC

$400,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

American Online Giving Foundation

Newark, DE

$369,388

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

DUNELAND YMCA INC

CHESTERTON, IN

$125,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

GREATER CLEVELAND FOOD BANK

CLEVELAND, OH

$100,500

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

ASM MATERIALS EDUCATION FOUNDATION

MATERIALS PARK, OH

$100,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

CLEVELAND CLINIC FDN PHILANTHROP

CLEVELAND, OH

$100,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

ATRIUM MEDICAL CTR FOUNDATION

MIDDLETOWN, OH

$75,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

YMCA OF MARQUETTE COUNTY

MARQUETTE, MI

$75,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY

TOLEDO, OH

$62,500

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST INDIANA

MERRILLVILLE, IN

$52,500

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

INDIANA DUNES ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER INC

CHESTERTON, IN

$50,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

DEARBORN EDUCATION FOUNDATION

DEARBORN, MI

$50,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST INDIANA

VALPARAISO, IN

$50,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

BEAT THE STREETS CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND, OH

$50,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

CLEVELAND, OH

$50,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

UNITED WAY OF GREATER CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND, OH

$47,579

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

MIDDLETOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

MIDDLETOWN, OH

$44,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER

CLEVELAND, OH

$44,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

MAUMEE VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

MAUMEE, OH

$40,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

THE METROHEALTH FOUNDATION INC

CLEVELAND, OH

$40,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

SPENCER COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

ROCKPORT, IN

$35,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

SECOND HARVEST NORTHERN LAKES FOOD BANK

DULUTH, MN

$35,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

ASSOCIATION FOR IRON & STEEL TEC

WARRENDALE, PA

$34,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER OF NWI

HAMMOND, IN

$25,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTH EAST OHIO

MACEDONIA, OH

$25,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

MARQUETTE CITY BAND INC

MARQUETTE, MI

$25,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

PROVIDENCE HOUSE

CLEVELAND, OH

$25,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

CLEVELAND, OH

$25,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

COTTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

COTTON, MN

$23,559

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS FOUNDATION

COLUMBUS, OH

$22,250

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

TOLEDO, OH

$22,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

THE SALVATION ARMY MIDDLETOWN CORPS

MIDDLETOWN, OH

$20,500

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

TOLEDO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

TOLEDO, OH

$20,300

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

UNITED WAY OF RICHLAND COUNTY

MANSFIELD, OH

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

OWENSBORO COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC

OWENSBORO, KY

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF PORTER COUNTY

VALPARAISO, IN

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

FRANCISCAN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION INC

CROWN POINT, IN

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

LAHC LEADERS ADVANCING AND HELPING COMMUNITIES

DEARBORN, MI

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF EVANSVILLE

EVANSVILLE, IN

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF CLEVELA

CLEVELAND, OH

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

ARLINGTON, VA

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

MIDDLETOWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

MIDDLETOWN, OH

$20,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

DIOCESAN COUNCIL SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL

MARQUETTE, MI

$18,500

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL

$18,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

PARKESBURG POINT

PARKESBURG, PA

$15,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

WESTERN RESERVE LAND CONSERVANCY

MORELAND HILLS, OH

$15,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

OPPORTUNITY ENTERPRISES

VALPARAISO, IN

$15,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

ASSOCIATION OF ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN OF PORTER COUNTY

CHESTERTON, IN

$15,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

NORTH ST LOUIS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

VIRGINIA, MN

$15,000

2026

GENERAL SUPPORT

Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

Giving Approach

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

What Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Funds

How Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Deep Analysis

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Funding Style

Topics

Where Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

What kinds of organizations does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation support?

Does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation have a grant application process?

What is the typical grant size?

Where does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation give most often?

Which focus areas appear most often in the recent grants?

Recent Grants

Open Grant Opportunities

Community Grant Program (The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation)

Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

Focus Areas

Who They Fund

Giving Approach

About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

What Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Funds

How Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Typical Grant Size

Geographic Reach

Unlock Deep Analysis

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The Grant Brief

Funding Style

Topics

Where Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation Makes Grants

Frequently Asked Questions About Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

What kinds of organizations does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation support?

Does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation have a grant application process?

What is the typical grant size?

Where does The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation give most often?

Which focus areas appear most often in the recent grants?

Recent Grants

Open Grant Opportunities

Community Grant Program (The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation)