CLEVELAND (May 26, 2026) – Neighborhood Connections has approved $343,788 in grants to support 102 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), the local public funder for arts and culture, will co-fund 30 of these resident-led arts and culture projects through a partnership with Neighborhood Connections.  The McGregor Foundation, the grant-making non-profit that supports organizations serving seniors in Northeast Ohio, will co-fund 27 of these senior-led, senior-serving, and intergenerational initiatives.

Highlights of the grants include:

• Kentucky Garden Music Series, in Ohio City, was awarded $3900 to promote arts and culture through offering free public concerts held at the Kentucky Garden Community Garden.
• Kings and Queens, located in Buckeye-Woodhill, was awarded $4,475.00 to host weekly classes centered around teaching our youth their culture, teaching them their history, and having FUN doing it.
• Deep Roots Experience, located in University Circle, was awarded $2,400.00 to host a senior-centered exhibition at the Cleveland Botanical Garden where memories become art. It will highlight senior interviews and story sessions, community programming, and the creation of video/audio content to display in the show.

“Building trust and belonging is at the heart of each of these 102 groups. Building trust between people in community leads to more mutual support and increased civic participation. These 102 initiatives are creating more robust, healthy neighborhoods right where they live.”

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture granted $50,000 to Neighborhood Connections in 2026 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 500 resident-led arts and culture projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland since 2013.

The McGregor Foundation granted $40,000 to Neighborhood Connections in 2025-26 to support community-based projects that are led by senior citizens, that serve seniors, and/or intergenerational initiatives.

Since 2003, Neighborhood Connections has invested more than $20 million in resident-led projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. 

Neighbor Up Action Grants are offered two times each year to groups of residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland 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. The deadline to apply for the next round of funding is Monday, August 10, 2026.

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 $247 million in 485 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.

About The McGregor Foundation

The McGregor Foundation in East Cleveland, Ohio, is a grant-making non-profit that supports organizations serving seniors in Northeast Ohio, focusing on affordable housing, health care, workforce development, and quality of life for the elderly. For more information, please visit mcgregorfoundation.org.