Assembly for the Arts
Assembly for the Arts is a public charity based in Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 2000, it convenes and supports people and organizations involved in arts and culture in Greater Cleveland through advocacy, artist funding, technical assistance, and fiscal sponsorship.
Assembly for the Arts at a glance
In short: Assembly for the Arts gave $2.9M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $289K). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,887,090
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $288,709
- Median grant
- $359,764
- Total assets
- $2,979,021
- +70.7% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Assembly for the Arts
- Review Cycle
- Boost Fund Cycle 3 applications are scheduled for October 21–November 19, 2026.
- Deadline
- Boost Fund Cycle 3 applications are scheduled for October 21–November 19, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6539 Euclid Ave Suite 110, Cleveland, OH 44103
Phone: (216) 575-0331
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Assembly for the Arts
Arts Leadership Residency
Assembly for the Arts
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Boost Fund
Assembly for the Arts
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Cleveland Arts Prize
Assembly for the Arts
Amount
$10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Assembly for the Arts funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cleveland Clinic ($458K). Together the top 10 received $2.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
12 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 7 grants of 12 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Assembly’s stated mission concerns Greater Cleveland. Its Boost Fund and Creative Impact Fund eligibility information specifies Cuyahoga County residents. The 2025 grants listed in its filing were reported as 100% in an unspecified recipient-state category, so that figure does not identify a state.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $645K (2021) to $2.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Clinic | — | $458,019 |
| Campus District | Public Arts | $442,075 |
| The Sculpture Center | — | $427,263 |
| Metro West CDC | — | $374,015 |
| Ingenuity Cleveland | — | $373,727 |
| Red House Studio | — | $345,800 |
| CMHA | — | $296,575 |
| Sponsorship Grants | Art Sector Support | $122,115 |
| Land Studio | — | $34,941 |
| Other NFP'S | — | $12,560 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,979,021 | $5,210,115 | $4,779,529 | $2,887,090 | 10 | $46,096 |
| 2024 | $1,745,267 | $1,140,010 | $1,522,760 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | $2,038,684 | $3,300,637 | $3,000,578 | $914,963 | 1 | $19,985 |
| 2022 | $1,686,811 | $844,284 | $995,123 | — | — | $12,960 |
| 2021 | $1,992,382 | $2,915,552 | $2,493,815 | $644,879 | 1 | $17,081 |
| 2020 | $1,491,137 | $886,973 | $945,373 | — | — | $20,647 |
| 2019 | $1,459,919 | $482,728 | $760,936 | — | — | $49,925 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Assembly for the Arts states that its mission is “to convene, coordinate, and collaborate with everyone who lives and works in Greater Cleveland to strengthen and support those in the region who create, present, experience and appreciate all forms of arts and culture.”
Its reported activities include public-support and advocacy work, artist grantmaking, administration of public-art funding, technical assistance and professional development, and fiscal sponsorship. The organization reported that in FY 2024–2025 it administered a $3 million City of Cleveland ARPA investment for seven large-scale public-art projects, and acted as fiduciary and strategic partner for 14 grassroots projects.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Assembly reported 10 grants totaling $2,887,090. The median grant was $359,764; awards ranged from $12,560 to $458,019. Its largest reported grants included Cleveland Clinic ($458,019), Campus District ($442,075; purpose listed as public arts), The Sculpture Center ($427,263), Metro West CDC ($374,015), Ingenuity Cleveland ($373,727), Red House Studio ($345,800), and CMHA ($296,575). It also reported $122,115 in sponsorship grants for arts-sector support, $34,941 to LAND Studio, and $12,560 to other nonprofits.
Assembly’s website describes the 2026 Boost Fund as offering $1,500 in flexible support to Cuyahoga County artists, with 144 awards planned across three cycles. Applicants must be at least 18, live and work in Cuyahoga County, and provide proof of residency and creative work. The stated application period for Cycle 3 is October 21–November 19, 2026. The website also describes the Creative Impact Fund for eligible individual artists who live in Cuyahoga County, are at least 18, and have been actively creating for at least three years. Its FAQs state that artists who received specified Cuyahoga County artist grants in 2021–2025 are ineligible for the 2026 Creative Impact Fund.
Assembly’s website outlines a fiscal-sponsorship process for projects: an initial inquiry, a written request with a project summary, projected budget and timeline, staff review, a meeting, and a signed agreement. The organization assesses project capacity, mission alignment, funding requirements, and potential risks.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeremy V Johnson as “PRESIDENT AN”; Chinenye Nkemere as chair; Shanelle Smith Wigham as vice chair; Allison Lukacsy-Love as treasurer; and Kelly Falcone-Hall as secretary. It also lists Fred Bidwell as director, and Kathy Blackman, Lenora Inez Brown, Talise Campbell, and Mordecai Cargill as trustees.
Assembly for the Arts is led by Jeremy V. Johnson, President An on every filing since 2021; 2 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeremy V. Johnson
President An
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$100K (2022) → $193K (2025)
Chinenye Nkemere
Chair
Trustee → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine Nelson
Trustee
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clyde Miles
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Panzica
Trustee
Vice Chair → Chair, 2020
Chair → Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chann Fowler-Spellman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Bidwell
Director
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lenora Inez Brown
Trustee
Secretary → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Young
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mordecai Cargill
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Westlake
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Madison
Trustee
Treasurer → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Talise Campbell
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Sias
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vince Robinson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Afi-Odelia Scruggs
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Blackman
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marie Eslick
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karolyn Isenhart
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kurt Karakul
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Dicosimo
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shanelle Smith Wigham
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$5 (2025)
Kelly Falcone-Hall
Secretary
Trustee → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allison Lukacsy-Love
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: April Miller Boise (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Carrie Carpenter (2021–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Zulma Zabala (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Barbara Robinson (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Marika Shiori-Clark (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Paul Clark (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Phyllis Harris (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Charna Sherman (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Nancy Mendez (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Megan Van Voorhis (2019–2021) — Former President
- Former: David Heller (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Gary W. Poth (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Julian Rogers (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Kevin Moore (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Patricia Cirillo PhD (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Sara Laskey (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Sean Watterson (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Anne-Marie La Porta (2020) — Trustee
- Former: David Megenhardt (2020) — Director
- Former: John Corlett (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $193K, to Jeremy V Johnson (President an). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Assembly for the Arts
How much does Assembly for the Arts give each year?
Assembly for the Arts gave $2.9M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
What is Assembly for the Arts's typical grant size?
Assembly for the Arts's median grant in 2025 was $359,764, and its average grant was $288,709, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Assembly for the Arts's largest grantees?
Assembly for the Arts's largest 2025 grantees include Cleveland Clinic ($458,019), Campus District ($442,075) and The Sculpture Center ($427,263), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Assembly for the Arts?
Assembly for the Arts reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.2M.
What does Assembly for the Arts fund?
Assembly for the Arts states that its mission is “to convene, coordinate, and collaborate with everyone who lives and works in Greater Cleveland to strengthen and support those in the region who create, present, experience and appreciate all forms of arts and culture.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Assembly for the Arts?
Assembly for the Arts has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does Assembly for the Arts make grants?
Assembly’s stated mission concerns Greater Cleveland. Its Boost Fund and Creative Impact Fund eligibility information specifies Cuyahoga County residents. The 2025 grants listed in its filing were reported as 100% in an unspecified recipient-state category, so that figure does not identify a state.
What is Assembly for the Arts's EIN?
Assembly for the Arts's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1936190. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Assembly for the Arts funds
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Assembly for the Arts's focus areas in our free grants database
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Assembly for the Arts down — hundreds of funders to go?