2022 01 13 CMNH100Logo

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation Awards Cleveland Museum of Natural History $3 Million Grant to Expand Museum Accessibility and Community Resources

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation is pleased to announce it has provided a $3 million grant to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to increase access to the Museum and support the development of a new community space within the education wing. Starting January 23, 2022, the gift will provide free admission every Sunday to residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days. In addition, the grant will fund the creation of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Space, a new center for community-oriented programming that is a key component of the Museum’s transformation. The grant is the largest gift the Museum has received from the Foundation.

“On behalf of the people of Cleveland and East Cleveland, I’d like to thank the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation for their visionary support in making the Museum’s exhibits and programs readily accessible to everyone in our community,” said Sonia Winner, President and CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. “It is imperative that learners of all ages and backgrounds have access to scientific information to help them make informed decisions both about their own lives and as part of the community. Together, the weekly Mandel Community Days and Mandel Community Space help us advance these goals which are central to everything we do.”

Jehuda Reinharz, President and CEO of the Mandel Foundation, added, “The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s community-centered vision is aligned with our focus to support neighborhood development. Our hope is that the Mandel Community Days and Mandel Community Space will help individuals throughout Greater Cleveland foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of science and nature and its relevance to civic engagement.”

This summer, the Museum sponsored a survey conducted by the Marist Poll, which found that 85 percent of the public wants to learn more about science, while close to half report they are falling behind in their understanding. The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days will welcome Cleveland and East Cleveland residents free of charge every Sunday, starting January 23, 2022 and continuing for the next three years. The Mandel Community Days also build on the CMNH’s commitment to being an accessible and inclusive museum, which includes offering $1 admission to participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the Museums for All program sponsored by Paul Lincoln and Kathy Toderick, and comprehensive collaborations with the school districts serving Cleveland, East Cleveland, and Akron students.

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Space, scheduled to open in 2024, will be a major new resource center located in the Museum’s new Education Wing and is a central component of the Museum’s $150 million transformation. The project will result in a first-of-its-kind facility and museum experience that centers the visitor and illustrates biological and planetary processes in a dynamic, nonlinear, and immersive way.

About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the natural world and inspires visitors to engage with the scientific forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which have grown to encompass more than five million artifacts and specimens, to engage the public with the dynamic connections between humans and the world around us. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, CMNH is a vital resource that serves the Cleveland community and the nation. For more information, visit cmnh.org.