About Us

Our Mission

In the spirit of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, we increase the community’s ability to improve the lives of people living in poverty.

About Us

History

We envision an equitable community where opportunities for growth and quality of life are shared by all.

Since 1996, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland has partnered with residents, nonprofits and community leaders to change the trajectory of poverty in Cuyahoga County. Its endowment includes the first health care conversion foundation and first foundation formed by a congregation of Catholic sisters in the United States.

Through grantmaking, collaboration advocacy and more, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland works to improve the lives of those most in need with special attention to families, women and children living in poverty. The foundation works to end homelessness in Cuyahoga County and to reduce health disparities and improve educational opportunities in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood. As a Catholic organization, the foundation extends the values of Jesus Christ through the mission of its founders – the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine – and also works to sustain the ministries of Catholic sisters in Northeast Ohio.

25 Years of Partnership and Authenticity: 2021 Annual Report

Our 2021 annual report explores the ways the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland lives its commitment to community: by bringing those with lived expertise into every aspect of our work, from grantmaking to strategy development to the way we evaluate success. Flip through it below or read all the stories on our website.

As a Catholic faith-based ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, we value:

COMPASSION
COURAGE
RESPECT
JUSTICE
COLLABORATION

To fulfill our mission and achieve our vision, the foundation:

EMPOWERS by supporting individuals to improve their lives.
CONNECTS by researching and listening to understand the needs and concerns of the underserved.
CONTINUOUSLY LEARNS by using knowledge to drive decisions, evaluate impact and build mission-based systems of intervention.
PROMOTES EQUITY by advocating for just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper and reach their full potential.
PROMOTES INNOVATION by inspiring and supporting courageous approaches to break the cycle of poverty.

To accomplish our goals, we use the following tools:

grantmaking
policy advocacy
capacity building
technical assistance
community engagement
convening
partnerships
systems change approach
research
evaluation
continuous learning

As a Catholic foundation, SOCF is motivated and compelled to action by the Church’s social teachings on the creation of a just society. Our Catholic identity infuses all aspects of our work beginning with our mission, from which all else flows. Foundation goals, investments, partnerships and programmatic activities are intended to uphold the core elements of Catholic social teaching:

Life and dignity of the human person
Call to family, community and participation
Rights and responsibilities
Option for the poor and vulnerable
The dignity of work and the right of workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s creation

These elements of Catholic social teaching are central to the work of the foundation, having guided our mission and focus from our very creation in 1996. Carrying forward the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, the foundation was created as a reaffirmation of the sisters’ preferential option for the poor with a deeply abiding commitment to the life and dignity of all.

The steadfast focus on individuals, families and communities in poverty is a charge given to the foundation by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine that “echoes the understanding throughout Catholic social teaching that, in God’s eyes, the needs and rights of the poor are to be given special attention.”

In all our work, we prioritize the needs of the poor and vulnerable. We attempt to address root causes and improve the systems in which they participate. Our identity as a Catholic foundation also inspires how we strive to carry out our work in the community — through authentic listening, partnership and the promotion of equity and innovation to initiate positive, lasting change.

We seek to empower and support individuals and organizations with a deep respect for their human dignity and the unique experiences and perspectives they bring; we learn from our partners and strive for human connection, knowing that the work is stronger when more hands contribute; and we work to name and remove age-old barriers with innovative approaches designed to help all our neighbors reach the potential God created them for.

This is our Catholic mission in action.

Ending Homelessness

We are committed to ending homelessness in Cuyahoga County by promoting systems change and organizational and partnership capacity.

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Supporting Catholic Sisters & Their Ministries

We support Catholic sisters and their ministries in Northeast Ohio to meet the needs of God’s most vulnerable people.

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Strengthening the Central Neighborhood

We will break the cycle of poverty in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood, family by family, by advancing family health, education, social capital, stability and economics.

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