The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland traces its roots back to 1851, when the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (CSA) arrived in Cleveland from France to serve as the first public health nurses. In 1973 the sisters used the proceeds of the sale of Saint Ann Hospital to endow the Saint Ann Foundation, the first health care conversion foundation and the first foundation formed by a congregation of Catholic sisters in the United States. In 2006, the Sisters of Charity Health Foundation of Cleveland merged with the Saint Ann Foundation and the two foundations blended their missions. Central to the mission of both foundations and a deep-seated facet of the foundation today is supporting congregations of Catholic sisters and their ministries.
The Saint Ann Legacy Grants are responsive grants of up to $10,000 to support the ministries of Catholic sisters in Northeast Ohio as they work to meet the needs of God’s people. Ministries of Catholic sisters include those that are sponsored or led by Catholic sisters or programs at other organizations where Sisters are significantly involved. The purpose of these grants is to support the Sisters at work in our region today.
Consistent with the Foundation’s mission, the Saint Ann Legacy Grant gives special attention to ministries reaching out to those most in need, particularly low-income women, children, and youth. The program, however, also recognizes the call of women religious to address other areas of need, such as spiritual needs, social justice, or ecology.
Funds may be used for program expenses, planning, operations, salary support and capacity-building for ministries. Grants will not support endowments, annual appeals, membership drives, debt retirement, individual scholarships, or capital expenses.
The Saint Ann Legacy program awards grants of up to $10,000. It is a particularly good fit for smaller ministries which may experience more challenges with fund development. Grants are for ministries in Northeast Ohio, as defined as the Dioceses of Cleveland and Youngstown. (Please note, total funding requests always exceed the grant program budget and an effort is put forth to ensure members or ministries of congregations across the Dioceses of Cleveland and Youngstown are represented in the funding decisions.)
Proposals also should be accompanied by a support letter from the current congregational leader of the religious order of the sister(s) involved in the ministry. The timeline for use of funds is up to one year.
Applicants must be ministries of Catholic sisters, defined to include ministries sponsored by orders or led by women religious or organizations where women religious are significantly involved in northeast Ohio as defined as the Dioceses of Cleveland and Youngstown. Applicants must have tax-exempt status as nonprofit organizations, as identified by the Internal Revenue Code. Grants are not made to individuals. Special attention will be given to ministries reaching out to those most in need, particularly low-income women, children, and youth.
Please note, grant recipients can receive three consecutive Saint Ann Legacy grants and then must take a year off before reapplying. Please contact grants coordinator Ursula Craig if you are unsure of the status of your ministry.
Organizations that have previously received grants under this program must submit a report on the activities and funds spent to date as part of their application. (If grant funds have not been fully spent by the time of the application, a Final Report also will be required at the end of the grant term). During the review process, applicants may receive a site visit from foundation staff, board members, and/or consultants.
Our grants management system is online. To successfully submit an application, please follow the directives listed below:
Application deadline: April 12, 2019 at 4:59 p.m.
For technical assistance questions for application submission, please contact:
Ursula Craig, 216-357-4472 or ucraig@socfcleveland.org
For technical assistance for grant development:
Margaret Eigsti, 216-357-4462 or meigsti@socfcleveland.org.
