The Saint Luke’s Foundation board of trustees approved $1,461,000 in grants to 11 organizations during its second quarter meeting yesterday, Wednesday, June 5.

The investments advance the St. Luke’s Foundation’s mission to achieve health equity by addressing social determinants of health—including educational attainment, financial stability, healthy eating and active living, safe and affordable housing, social connections, and the strengthening of the neighborhoods surrounding the former Saint Luke’s Hospital.

“Our goal has been to invest in work that is proximate to the people,” says Saint Luke's Foundation president and CEO Tim Tramble Sr. “We believe we have evolved our grantmaking to actualize this goal, and the number of strategy partners (formerly known as grantees) now represent the lived experiences of the community.”

Art of Me-Productions: $60,000

The grant will support the Youth & Adult Story Workshop series and Film Education program. Art of Me empowers young people to tell their stories through writing, film, and art, engaging thirty students and twenty-five adults from various southeast CMSD schools and community centers in creating stories that challenge social norms and presenting them on national platforms.

African American Cultural GardenAssociation of the African American Cultural Garden: $500,000

The African American Cultural Garden is a longstanding effort to honor and uplift the spirit of marginalized groups through healing justice. The grant will be used over two years to invest in the realized vision of the African American Cultural Garden space in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Balance Point Studios: $92,500

Founded by Donald Black Jr. and Ali Black, Balance Point Studios will use this funding to install three new murals in the Saint Luke’s Foundation footprint neighborhoods— Buckeye-Shaker, Woodhill, and Mt. Pleasant. These murals, designed to reflect positive images of African American youth and adults, will enhance the physical environment and promote social and emotional well-being.

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Inc.: $250,000

The grant supports infrastructure development in Cleveland’s Southeast side, including capital investments in Shaker Square Plaza and expanding Community Development Corporations services in Mount Pleasant. This initiative aims to improve neighborhood revitalization and support financial stability and housing security.

In collaboration with the City of Cleveland, the grant for Artha Woods Park will update several new amenities at the park.Artha Woods Park: $58,500

The grant will support a collaborative effort to make capital improvements to Artha Woods Park, by enhancing the community space with several new amenities. Updates will include the installation of water features, new benches, a walking path, exercise equipment, and a commemorative plaque honoring Larry Doby, the first Black player in the American League.

EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute: $60,000

EDWINS provides tuition-free culinary arts and hospitality management training to returning citizens. The grant will support the program’s goal of graduating 75 students in the coming fiscal year, enhancing alumni relations, and tracking long-term employment outcomes to foster financial stability for graduates.

The grant will support capital improvements to Fairhill’s main buildingFairhill Partners: $125,000

Fairhill Partners connects people to lifelong learning and intergenerational relationships. The grant will fund capital improvements to Fairhill’s main building, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for programming, and affordable office space for small nonprofits and businesses.

Greater Cleveland Food Bank: $100,000

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank will use the funds to supply food resources in Cuyahoga County, innovate delivery methods for homebound seniors, and support community partner organizations with site capacity and equipment for efficient food distribution.

LegalWorks Inc.: $40,000

LegalWorks provides low-cost legal representation for Cleveland residents, addressing criminal, civil, and probate issues. The grant will support office hours at the Mt. Pleasant library and three legal clinics, helping residents restore legal rights and improve their financial health and housing stability.

Policy Matters Ohio: $100,000

Policy Matters Ohio will use the grant to promote policies that expand opportunities and reduce inequity. Key focuses include protecting state income tax, redefining public safety, supporting fair school funding, advocating for worker rights, and researching criminal justice system fines and fees.

YWCA of Greater Cleveland: $75,000

The YWCA of Greater Cleveland will use the grant money to continue driving impactful change through its public policy and advocacy initiatives, addressing critical social issues rooted in racism and injustice.

"This slate of strategy partners represents a diverse tapestry of organizations leading initiatives that address the social determinants of health,” says Tramble. “From the amazing work of Balance Point Studios—which captures the plight and cultural resilience of people within the Saint Luke's footprint through wonderful murals throughout the community—to the African American Cultural Garden, which represents a history of perseverance and triumph, we are excited to strategically invest in activities that are meaningful to the people we seek to uplift.”

The Saint Luke’s Foundation is dedicated to achieving health equity by addressing social determinants of health for people in neighborhoods surrounding Saint Luke’s and throughout Cuyahoga County. Saint Luke’s is committed to demonstrating grantmaking that is responsive to the community and believes that people thrive as a result of living free of racism and poverty and experiencing equitable economic opportunities and conditions that enable them to lead healthier lives.

Since it was established with the charitable assets of the Saint Luke’s Medical Center in 1997, the Foundation has awarded over $170 million in grants.