Purpose
One of the missions of government is to provide for the common welfare. It is within this context that federal agencies and Congress appropriate funds for support of education, engineering, defense, health, the arts and social services. In most cases, an agency’s mission is inherent in its name.
Structure
Because the mission of federal agencies is broad and multifaceted, agencies’ work is carried out through a hierarchy of divisions, programs, and offices. It is important to understand not only an agency’s mission but also its program structure so that the proposal may be written in the proper context and directed to the appropriate office.
Types of Projects
Typically, federal agencies sponsor projects of national or universal significance. These range from basic research to service and demonstration projects. Funds from the federal government come in two forms – direct awards from the federal government and federal flow-through collaborating institutions.
Federal Sponsors
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- Department of Defense (DOD) Fellowships
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Endowment of the Arts (NEA)
- National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)
- The U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ)
- The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs - Fullbright Scholar Program
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- The U.S. Geographical Service
- The U.S. Institute of Peace
State agencies exist to fulfill specific legislated missions narrower in scope than that of federal agencies. State agencies fund projects promising benefit to the people of the state. Funded projects are usually very specific and the scope of work is often determined by the agency.
State Sponsors
Community foundations are grantmaking organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. Please contact Erica Kennedy, Director, Office of Sponsored Research or Pamela George-Merrill, Director of Foundation Relations, prior to contacting a foundation.
Local Community Foundations
- The Burton D. Morgan Foundation
- Catholic Community Foundation
- The Cleveland Foundation
- Community West Foundation
- Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
- Deaconess Community Foundation
- The FirstEnergy Foundation
- The GAR Foundation
- The George Gund Foundation
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
- The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation
- KeyBank Foundation
- The Lubrizol Foundation
- Mt. Sinai Healthcare Foundation
- The Nord Family Foundation
- The Scripps Howard Foundation
- St. Luke's Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio
- Timken Foundation
- The Weatherhead Foundation
Many corporations feel a sense of responsibility to give back. The following corporations have either direct giving programs, foundations, sponsorship programs, in-kind donations, product donations, volunteer programs, or matching gift programs. For detailed information about corporate foundations, including areas of interest, types of funding, and application procedures please contact Erica Kennedy, Director, Office of Sponsored Research or Pamela George-Merrill, Director of Foundation Relations.
Local Corporations
- American Greetings Corporation
- Cleveland Indians Baseball Company Limited Partnership
- Eaton Corporation
- Forest City Realty Trust, Inc.
- Jones Day Limited Partnership
- KeyCorp
- Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
- Medical Mutual of Ohio
- The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company Inc.
- The Sherwin-Williams Company