Three years ago, we spotlighted key facts about economic development grantmaking in Ohio. This week, we released an update to that earlier report (Spotlight on Economic Development Grantmaking in Ohio, 2011), which found that grant dollars for economic development increased from $24.5 million in 2005 to $62 million in 2008, a 152% upswing. As a share of total giving in Ohio, economic development grants doubled, from 7 to 14 percent.
Giving to two major subcategories accounted for nearly three-quarters of all giving for economic development in Ohio, employment and training services and urban development. A significant increase in giving for employment training and services can be attributed to a major gift of $20 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to the University of Akron Foundation's BioInnovation Institute, expected to create 2,100 jobs.
The report also identified the top ten foundations awarding grants in Ohio for economic development and the top 10 recipients.
A special area of the Foundation Center's web site provides access to the report, free online resources including an interactive map of economic development grants in Ohio, a video highlighting the report's findings (below), audio and video recordings of local leaders in the field talking about Ohio's funding landscape, and links to other published reports.
To read or download the report, click here [PDF].
The report and web page were funded in part by the Cleveland Foundation, Generation Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Burton D. Morgan Foundation.
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