HEALTHY LAKEWOOD FOUNDATION

IN 2025, THE HEALTHY LAKEWOOD FOUNDATION (HLF) DISTRIBUTED 536,405 THROUGH ITS THREE ESTABLISHED GRANT PROGRAMS: COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD OPPORTUNITY, AND SYSTEMS. HLF LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR ITS NEXT CHAPTER WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS. HLF DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN THROUGH 2029 AND CREATED FRAMEWORKS FOR GRANTMAKING, LEARNING, AND EVALUATION - ALL DESIGNED TO ALIGN OPERATIONS WITH EQUITY GOALS. THE STRATEGIC PLAN, GRANTMAKING FRAMEWORK, AND LEARNING AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK WERE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ITS NOVEMBER MEETING. OVER 70 LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS GATHERED AT COVE COMMUNITY CENTER IN SEPTEMBER FOR HLF'S ANNUAL COMMUNITY MEETING. GUEST SPEAKER ANNETTE IWAMOTO, DIRECTOR OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES CHAMBER, OFFERED INVALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO HOW FEDERAL POLICY CHANGES AND FUNDING UNCERTAINTIES ARE AFFECTING LOCAL NONPROFITS. ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACING HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW COLLABORATION CAN STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY'S SAFETY NET. HLF ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN KEY COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD'S COMMUNITY HEALTH ACTION TEAM, THE NEWLY FORMED LAKEWOOD HUMAN SERVICES NETWORK, AND THE GREATER CLEVELAND FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE. THESE PARTNERSHIPS HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND BOTH COMMUNITY NEEDS AND THE CHALLENGES FACED BY LOCAL HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS. HLF ALSO PARTNERED WITH LOCAL GROUPS TO REVISE THE LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND AVAILABLE SUPPORT.