The Cleveland Foundation board of directors has announced $24.8 million in grants approved in the first quarter, supporting a variety of initiatives — including those aimed at safer homes, more equitable access to green space, cleaner water and improved adult literacy — for residents in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties.

Here's a quick look at some of the largest grants in various categories:

Youth, health and human services

• CHN Housing Capital, $250,000. "While Cleveland's overall rate of childhood lead poisoning is estimated at 12%, childhood lead poisoning is disproportionately borne by Cleveland's low-income households, including and especially those households located in predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods," the foundation said. It said CHN Housing Capital "is working to help solve this problem by providing loans, grants and financial incentives for landlords seeking to make their rental properties ... safe."

• Partnership for a Safer Cleveland, $196,000. The grant "will allow Partnership for a Safer Cleveland to increase collaboration and improve efficiency around the implementation of the 2021 Pivot Plan aimed at crime prevention and violence reduction in the community," the foundation said.

• Youth Opportunities Unlimited, $450,000. The grant "will allow Y.O.U. to continue to administer (its) summer youth employment program for nearly 12,000 Cuyahoga County teens and young adults, while securing an additional 500 jobs by summer 2022."

Neighborhood revitalization and engagement

• City of Euclid, $300,000. The funding "will help the city of Euclid complete an innovative lakefront public access trail, mitigating erosion and protecting natural habitats. The all-purpose, accessible 16-foot-wide lakefront pedestrian and bike trail will connect to a new lakefront park and include amenities such as benches, bike racks, trash cans and lighting for enhanced safety and security."

• Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, $398,000. The money "provides two-year support for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress to conduct stabilization work in the Bellaire Puritas, Collinwood, Lee-Harvard and Old Brooklyn neighborhoods."

• Downtown Cleveland Alliance, $1.2 million. This three-year grant "will allow Downtown Cleveland Alliance to continue to make downtown more livable for residents and workers, while leveraging public and private resources to enhance downtown and its neighborhoods, with the understanding that racial equity and inclusion must play a central role in every facet of its operations."

• LAND Studio Inc., $420,000. The grant "provides two-year support for LAND Studio to continue its transformational civic and neighborhood public space projects, including more accessible and high-quality parks and greenspaces in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities; support a coalition of advocates for parks; and explore opportunities for enhanced access and connection such as a new greenway to connect the Kinsman, Central, Midtown and St. Clair Superior neighborhoods to the lakefront."

Education

• College Now Greater Cleveland, $600,000. The funding "will help College Now Greater Cleveland address postsecondary enrollment, persistence and completion in Cleveland via the organization's Say Yes advising program within Cleveland Metropolitan School District as well as programs, services and scholarships for adults in Cuyahoga County who are eligible to start or continue their postsecondary education."

• The Literacy Cooperative, $200,000. The grant "provides funding for The Literacy Cooperative's continued work to coordinate partners engaged in the delivery of adult literacy programs and services. Additional support for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library ensures children in Cleveland will continue receiving books and parents have access to supporting information to help families develop and improve reading skills."

Leadership development

• Fairhill Partners, $397,987. The funding "will expand the organization's evidence-based health promotion programming, adapting to virtual platforms while continuing to recruit, train and deploy valuable members of the community to benefit their peers as well as themselves. Additionally, funds will support a flexible model of recruiting and facilitating employment opportunities for older adults that specifically caters to the unique needs and challenges faced by older workers."

Environment

• Cleveland Water Alliance, $199,000. The grant "will allow the organization to support the Cleveland Innovation Project in the development of a Water Economy Initiative, which includes water Accelerator Testbeds, expanded Open Innovation Challenge programming, water-based business attraction and cultivating industry talent."

Workforce and economic development

• Evergreen Cooperative Corp., $700,000. The grant "provides operating support to allow the organization to continue to promote and expand economic opportunity and wealth building to stabilize and revitalize Cleveland neighborhoods (primarily the Greater University Circle area) by catalyzing cooperative business development and ensuring local and worker ownership."

• NewBridge, $850,000.

This funding "will allow NewBridge to expand its Social Emotional Learning (SEL) efforts in Cleveland Metropolitan School District with arts-infused youth leadership development opportunities. It will also help the organization expand its no-cost workforce training in phlebotomy and patient care to meet the growing demand for health care workers."