Posted October 16, 20153:34 pm
October 2015 -- The Cleveland Foundation has awarded $25,000 to each of the 2015 Encore Cleveland prize winners.
The foundation started Encore Cleveland in 2013 to underwrite a network of organizations to provide experienced Greater Clevelanders age 50 and up with chances to use their skills to help the community.
The Encore Cleveland Prize for Nonprofit and Public Sector Organizations went to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for its Act 2 program, which sends late-career and retired volunteer lawyers out to help meet the legal needs of low-income citizens.
The Encore Cleveland Prize for Individuals went to Thomas Gaghan. According to the foundation, after he was downsized out of his corporate job, Gaghan started the Cleveland Furniture Bank in 2006 to provide basic home furnishings to people in need.
Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Ronn Richard and Executive Vice President Bob Eckardt presented the prizes Thursday night at BVU's Purpose@50 Plus event at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
BVU is a partner organization of Encore Cleveland that matches volunteers with opportunities to deploy their skills.
The Cleveland Foundation is more than a century old and is recognized as the first community foundation in the world. It has $2.2 billion in assets and gave out $98 million in grants last year.
To date, the foundation has given more than $2.6 million in support of Encore Cleveland.