Responsive Funding

Geographic Scope: Lakewood, OH

Program Description: Responsive Funding enables a faster response to emerging community needs, time-sensitive opportunities, and crises. Requests may include discretionary or small grants, sponsorship requests, and emergency community funding. This funding seeks to support creative ideas and initiatives from local groups that advance health equity in Lakewood.

Funding Purpose

Responsive Funding may:

• Build and support community engagement through activities, events, programming, and/or resource sharing
• Advance understanding of community needs through innovative and creative projects
• Support emerging community needs, time-sensitive opportunities, and crises

Grant Terms

• Amount: $1,000 - $15,000 per year
• Duration: Up to one calendar year

Eligible Applicants

Lakewood-based and Lakewood-serving:

• Non-profits
• Fiscally sponsored groups and individuals (contact HLF staff to learn more about fiscal sponsorships)
• Organizations do not need to be headquartered in Lakewood, but HLF supports programs and projects where Lakewood residents or Lakewood-based institutions are either key beneficiaries or directly served
• Lakewood-based groups are given top priority

What This Funding Does NOT Support

• Capital campaigns
• Fundraising events
• Lobbying
• Scholarships
• Religious organizations for evangelical or religious purposes
• Organizations that discriminate based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religious beliefs

Contact Information

Sharon Schuldt, HLF Foundation and Grants Manager

• Email: sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org
• Phone: 216-206-6763

Note: If you have never received HLF funding before, please email sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org before applying.

Application Process

Note: More information coming soon! Status as of 2026-04-03 indicates detailed timeline not yet available.

Application Steps

1. Submit online grant application - HLF's streamlined online form helps them understand your organization, your work in Lakewood, and how funding would support you

2. Request assistance if needed - Ask for help with the grant application process

3. HLF staff and committee review - Staff and Grants and Learning Committee identify strong fits

4. Interviews (if selected) - May be invited to a conversation with committee members
- Interview invitation (or lack thereof) should not be interpreted as indication of final funding decision

5. Funding decision - HLF Board of Directors makes final decisions based on Committee recommendations

6. Grant agreement - Review and submit signed grant agreement in online portal in timely manner

7. Reporting - Submit final grant report and/or discuss learning with HLF staff
- May be asked to share information on spending related to awarded grant

Post-Award Expectations

• Act as responsible steward of funding and ambassador to the community
• Provide feedback on application, implementation, and reporting phases
• May be asked to share ideas with other funded groups and identify areas of synergy

Application Support

• Email: sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org
• Phone: 216-206-6763
• Note: If you have never received HLF funding before, email sharon@healthylakewoodfoundation.org before applying