CLEVELAND (June 9, 2025) – Neighborhood Connections has approved $325,792 in grants to support 83 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund 24 of these resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections.

Highlights of the grants include:

• Record216 was awarded $2,750 for Project Amplify. This initiative offers free recording sessions, live performances & artist development to empower young artists in Cleveland.
  
  
• The Artist Collective was awarded $5,000 for the opening of the Creator Hub at The Brownhoist in St. Clair Superior, which will have workshops and a safe space for artists to grow, perfect their craft, and inspire.
  
  
• W 58^th Block Club was awarded $4,980 Stitching Traditions, a 10-week sewing program with hands-on workshops, tools, and community support to teach practical skills for families in the Clark Fulton neighborhood.

“The work of residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland are using their wisdom, creativity, and local resources to improve their neighborhoods every day. These 83 grassroots groups and organizations are just the tip of the iceberg of the initiatives led by residents that are making a difference in improving the quality of life for all. We are pleased to provide this support to them as they “change the world right where they live’.”

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture granted $60,500 to Neighborhood Connections in 2025 to support community-based arts and culture activities organized by and for Cuyahoga County residents.  CAC defines arts and culture broadly to include nature, science, cultural heritage, and history in addition to other art forms. Through this partnership with Neighborhood Connections, CAC has co-funded more than 510 resident-led arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland since 2013.

"Neighbor Up grant recipients continue to bring exciting and innovative arts and culture projects to life in their communities,” said Jill M. Paulsen, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. "Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is proud to be a partner in these grassroots efforts.

Since 2003, Neighborhood Connections has invested more than $15 million in resident-led projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland.

Neighbor Up grants are offered several times each year to groups of residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland and, for projects related to the pandemic, to residents in Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties, to do projects that improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Groups are encouraged to work with partners and to propose creative solutions to challenges in their community.

View a list of funded projects here.

About Neighborhood Connections

Neighborhood Connections is a nationally recognized community-building program established in 2003. Its mission is to fuel the power of neighbors to create, together, an extraordinary world right where they live. Our small grants program is one of the largest in the country. For more information, visit NeighborUpCLE.org.

About Cuyahoga Arts & Culture

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) is the region’s largest funder for arts and culture, helping hundreds of organizations in Cuyahoga County connect millions of people to cultural experiences each year. Since 2006, CAC has invested more than $257 million in 500 organizations, making our community a more vibrant place to live, work and play. CAC is a separate government entity and a political subdivision of the State of Ohio. For more information, visit cacgrants.org.