Akron Community Foundation announced quarterly grants and distributions totaling $4.4 million, benefiting hundreds of nonprofits in our community and beyond. Grants approved this quarter include:

Education grants totaling $695,500

Grants included in this round of funding will support mentoring, early learning and after-school programs. One such program was Akron Youth Mentorship, which was awarded $7,750 to help provide mentorship, education, and work readiness for local students, along with out-of-school-time offerings like weekly meals and summer programs to help prevent the "summer slide," during which some students fall behind their peers academically. Learn more.  

Summit County Opioid Healing Fund grants totaling $358,500

In total, 31 grants were distributed primarily to organizations not currently being funded by the Summit County ADM Board, and for programs that offer peer support services, recovery-oriented services, and community-based recovery events. Learn more.

Women's Endowment Fund grants totaling $199,000

Leaders of the Women's Endowment Fund announced the fund's latest grants on March 26 at their "For Women, Forever" annual celebration. In total, the fund awarded 39 grants to nonprofit organizations that uplift, empower and educate women and girls in Summit County. Learn more.

Gay Community Endowment Fund grants totaling $84,000

With this most recent round of grants, the fund has surpassed $1 million in grantmaking since it was founded in 2001. Grants were awarded to eight nonprofits whose work the fund believes is essential to the well-being and resilience of the local LGBTQ+ community – particularly at a time when many organizations are navigating heightened demand for services alongside limited and uncertain funding streams. Learn more.

Other targeted grants totaling nearly $50,000 support local priorities

Green Community Fund also awarded $25,000 to nonprofit programs serving Green residents, Bath Community Fund awarded $10,000 to three nonprofits celebrating America's 250th anniversary this year, and the Vernon L. Odom Fund awarded $10,300 to programs dedicated to enriching the quality of life among local minority communities. Learn more.

Help tell the story of philanthropy in Greater Akron. We’re seeking a Marketing & Communications Coordinator to support our affiliate funds through content creation, social media, email marketing, event promotion and more. This is a great opportunity for a collaborative, detail-oriented communicator who’s excited to make a difference.

If you missed our recent Community Issues Session, it was an exceptional discussion, exploring the full range of community impact from educational programs in Summit County, spanning all ages. The panel featured Joe Kanfer, former chair of GOJO, Makers of PURELL; Dr. David James, Executive Director of Summit Education Initiative; Christine Mayer, President of GAR Foundation; Annie McFadden, President & CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina County; Ron Paydo, Market President, Akron/Canton for Huntington National Bank and ACF board member; and co-hosted by the City of Akron.

Akron Community Foundation recently welcomed 20 new charitable funds to our growing family, including a fund to support the Akron History Center's mission of creating an enduring, museum-quality exhibit about Akron's history that inspires residents, educates young people, and welcomes visitors to our community.