Since inception, the Fund has provided a 10,000-foot view on the Northeast Ohio economy. Building on research and nearly two decades of experience, we drive awareness of what good economic growth looks like and how to make it possible.

Our members and the community at large make better decisions when they have access to clear data and analysis on what matters and what works. The Fund’s research and analysis–whether commissioned or done in house–challenges assumptions and lends critical insight to economic activity across the region.

We work on systemic solutions, which take time and typically don’t fit neatly onto the pages of annual reports! But ultimately, it is systemic change that leads to real transformation.

The complexity and interplay of factors influencing economic growth means the decisions of individual actors have limited impact. The Fund’s role as a convener—bringing together members, partner organizations, grantees, and other civic and local leaders to share knowledge and explore broader systems change—has been a critical part of our work since our inception.

We are a hands-on grantmaker, co-creating and incubating new ideas to put theories into practice. By prioritizing initiatives where we play an active role in the start-up, we can nimbly refine and adjust promising efforts as needed and work quickly to replicate successes to maximize impact.