Foundation Renews Support for the Fund for Our Economic Future

The George Gund Foundation joined with other Northeast Ohio philanthropic organizations in renewing its support for the Fund for Our Economic Future, an unprecedented collaboration designed to encourage and create a shared economic transformation agenda for the region.

Foundation Trustees made an initial three-year $3 million grant to the Fund when it was launched in 2004 and approved an additional $3.1 million three-year grant at its June 2006 meeting.

More than 80 philanthropic organizations have contributed in excess of $35 million to the Fund which has made more than $20 million in grants to further its objectives. The Fund has focused on three key initiatives:

• Grantmaking to support competitiveness among established employers, high growth in new industry clusters and accelerated entrepreneurship and business formation.

• Measuring the economy through creation of projects that will track the region’s progress and public perceptions of the region and its economy.

• Engaging the public in Voices & Choices, an effort to involve citizens in shaping a shared action agenda.

The Fund’s website is futurefundneo.org.