The Cleveland Foundation has announced July grants totaling $12.7 million to local nonprofit organizations, with a focus on youth development programs.

The grants include $121,000 to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio to implement a new Web-based platform designed to streamline the recruitment of new members and volunteers; $197,825 to Positive Education Program to equip staff to work more effectively with youth with special needs and those who have been exposed to trauma; $70,000 to the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to expand its efforts to demonstrate how sports can lay the groundwork for future success; and $57,000 to the Playhouse Square Foundation in support of its Children's Theatre Series and the International Children's Festival.

In addition, the foundation awarded $23,000 to University Circle Incorporated to further the foundation-led Encore Cleveland initiative, which aims to channel the time, energy, and talents of older Clevelanders toward solving community challenges and filling unmet needs. The funds will support a new intergenerational videoconferencing program designed to bring neighborhood seniors and students together to explore a variety of educational topics through an Afrocentric lens.

"We're pleased many of our grants this month support new and existing programs in our community which are focused on providing young people with safe, nurturing environments, as well as educational and cultural experiences to broaden their perspectives so they can realize their full potential," said Cleveland Foundation executive vice president Robert E. Eckardt.