UWGC’s Cleveland Community Fund Endowment reaches more than $20 million

Katie Connell
July 29, 2024
Blog, Grants, Philanthropy

The formation of the Cleveland Community Fund

Through the incredible generosity of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation and more than 20 donors, our United Way established the Cleveland Community Fund Endowment.

The Mandel Foundation’s landmark $10 million gift in 2022—the largest single gift in United Way’s history—was successfully matched in 2024, bringing the endowment fund total to more than $20 million in combined cash donations and planned gift commitments.

“The incredible generosity and steadfast support of our vital work by Mort Mandel and the Mandel Supporting Foundation has made a significant difference for hundreds of thousands of people in our community,” says United Way president and CEO Sharon Sobol Jordan. “The Foundation’s $10 million matching gift to our endowment, the Cleveland Community Fund, serves as the capstone of our impactful, long-standing partnership.”

Read the complete news release here.

What our donors are saying

“Our family has a long history of working with United Way, and we have seen first-hand the incredible work that the Greater Cleveland Chapter does to support our region and thousands of community members, We are proud to support the Cleveland Community Fund, and we hope that with the Mandel Foundation grant and the match from additional donors, United Way will continue to create impactful change for those in need in Northeast Ohio for many years to come.”

“We love what United Way is doing to lift up the community and especially the people most in need of support. We see the endowment and the opportunity to match the Mandel grant as providing a strong foundation, making sure that we put United Way on a path to be able to do this work for many generations to come.”

“This $10 million grant by the Mandel Foundation is, on its own, phenomenal. But being a challenge match, it put the onus of responsibility back onto each and every member of the board. Our gift is a function of our commitment to United Way, and a leadership opportunity to inspire others to participate.”

“The work United Way does has always been important to us, because Ed's father was a long-time board member and campaign chair. We have seen the impact United Way has on the community, and the chance to have our gift doubled through this incredible challenge grant is an amazing opportunity. Cleveland is dear to our hearts, but there are issues here. And if we can help alleviate some of those issues, we think the community as a whole benefits.”

"To us, when one gives, it’s the feeling of being part of something that’s greater than oneself. And that’s the beauty of the Mandel match, getting to be part of something bigger than what any one person could create."

“United Way has been a safety net to our Greater Cleveland community for generations. It has developed touchpoints throughout the community and because of that, is in a unique position to provide and coordinate assistance to the broader population. As a family, we felt it was critical to support the future of United Way and its impact on all of us by participating in the Mandel Match. What an amazing way to add value to our donations!”

Thank you to all of the generous donors who have contributed to the Cleveland Community Fund Endowment. Check back here soon for more quotes from our donors.

The following donors contributed to the Mandel match, including several anonymous donors:

Diamond-level Leadership gift donors ($2 million)
Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Haslam 3 Foundation

Platinum-level gift donors (up to $1.5 million)
Joanie and Tom Adler
The Byrnes Family/Oswald Commitment to Community Fund
Sally and Sandy Cutler
Karen and Paul Dolan
Jane and Jon Outcalt
Amy and Randy Paine
Kim Meisel Pesses and Paul Pesses
The Meisel and Pesses Family Foundation

Gold-level gift donors (up to $350,000)
Denise and Ed Bell
Becky and David Heller
Stewart A. Kohl
Beth Mooney
Susan and James Ratner
Enid and Dr. David Rosenberg
Mark D. Ross
Vanessa L. Whiting
The August Napoli Fund for Anti-Poverty Innovation

Silver-level gift donors (up to $100,000)
Amy and Ira Kaplan

Bronze-level gift donors (up to $50,000)
Claudia and Dave Fulton
Nancy and Keith Libman
Alex Machaskee
Lorna Wisham

UWGC’s Cleveland Community Fund Endowment reaches more than $20 million

The formation of the Cleveland Community Fund

What our donors are saying

The following donors contributed to the Mandel match, including several anonymous donors:

Donate

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Donate

Advocate

Volunteer

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UWGC’s Cleveland Community Fund Endowment reaches more than $20 million

The formation of the Cleveland Community Fund

What our donors are saying

The following donors contributed to the Mandel match, including several anonymous donors:

Donate

Advocate

Donate

Advocate

Volunteer

Contact

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