Nobody restores recess alone
Recess Cleveland exists because a diverse coalition decided play was worth funding. Over recent years we’ve partnered with more than 28 nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and foundations — plus the volunteers who make every event run. We would not exist without them.
Our partners
Nike. Cleveland Foundation. City of Cleveland — City Planning Commission and Department of Recreation. Famicos Foundation. NorthWest Neighborhoods. Bellaire-Puritas Development Corporation. University Circle Incorporated. Trust for Public Land. Neighborhood Leadership Development Program. John Carroll / Verizon Foundation. Case Western Reserve University. Walmart Foundation. Neighborhood Connections — whose $2,000 grant started it all in 2015.
How partners plug into RecessPods
Foundations fund pods for the neighborhoods they serve, with grant income covering partial or full pod costs. Corporations close gaps through sponsor wraps. Cities deploy pods for park planning. CDCs and nonprofits host them as anchors for resource connection. Whatever seat you’re in, there’s a role.
What partnership looks like in practice
Partners don’t just write checks. They host events on their land, staff resource tables, donate equipment and prizes, refer families, and lend credibility when we enter a new neighborhood. The best partnerships start small — one table at one event — and grow into funded programming as partners watch the turnout and the data.
Join the list
The next pod could carry your name into a neighborhood that needs it. Start the conversation.