One Sunday morning in the early 1990s, a group of women gathered on the back deck of Marie Covington’s home, chatting about life and their community. When the conversation turned toward the needs of women and girls in Summit County, a powerful idea was born: Why not ask 100 women to join them by donating $1,000 each to establish a fund dedicated to supporting the needs of women and girls? What six visionary women – Jody Bacon, Marie Covington, Carrie Herman, Norma Rist, Ilene Shapiro and Laurie Zuckerman – started on that deck so many years ago is the Women’s Endowment Fund.
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Save the Date for the Women's Endowment Fund's 30th Anniversary Celebration! |
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Mark your calendar for WEF's "For Women, Forever" 30th Anniversary Celebration on April 27, 2023, at the Akron Civic Theatre. This year's event will be a unique retrospective on our 30-year history, as well as an opportunity to discuss the fund's future.
Our keynote speaker is Debra Adams Simmons, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at National Geographic Media. During the event, the Women's Endowment Fund will also honor Tracy Carter, System Director, Government Affairs and Health Policy at Summa Health, with the 2023 Judith A. Read Tribute Award for Service & Advocacy for Women.
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We were so delighted to see those of you who were able to attend our Circle of Empowerment gathering at the lovely home of Virginia Addicott on Aug. 3, 2022. Just as the Women's Endowment Fund uplifts women and girls through our grantmaking, we joined together to uplift one another. We also introduced our new four-tier model for the Circle of Empowerment: Empower - $10,000; Uplift - $5,000; Inspire - $2,500; and
Support - $1,000.
We also added a number of new members since the event. These additions bring our total membership count to 89 and the targeted annual financial contribution to the fund to $113,000. Our next goal is to reach 106 members, the same number of original donors at the fund's founding 30 years ago.
If you're interested in upgrading your tier or know someone who would like to join the circle, please contact Deb Hoffman at 330-436-5614 or fill out the pledge form. |
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Welcome, New Board Members |
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Please join us in welcoming the fund's two newest advisory board members: |
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V. Rena Suber, M.Ed.
Chief School Administrator,
Emmanuel Christian Academy
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Jolene Lane
Principal & Founder,
Equity Lane LLC
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Nearly 30 people attended the Women's Endowment Fund's recent grant recipient listening session. Nonprofit leaders were invited to meet one another and deliver presentations about their organizations' missions, as well as discuss how funding from the Women's Endowment Fund has helped them fulfill their missions.
Last cycle, the fund supported a record 34 organizations, all of which work to address one of the fund's current funding focuses: health and wellness, economic empowerment, and safety from violence.
Among the organizations represented was First Glance. Located in Kenmore, the organization provides teen parents with parenting classes and free counseling services.
Teresa Stafford from the Hope + Healing Survivor Resource Center, also known as the Battered Women's Shelter, told the group that the "need for the services [we provide] has increased tremendously." This need was further highlighted by the representative from ACCESS Shelter, who shared that a grant from the Women's Endowment Fund has helped 204 women secure shelter in 2022 alone.
The listening session was ultimately an opportunity for nonprofits to discuss ways to collaborate with one another and potentially submit joint grant applications during this year's grant cycle. Grant announcements will be made public during the Women's Endowment Fund's 30th Anniversary Celebration on April 27, 2023.
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In 2018, the Women’s Endowment Fund created the Circle of Empowerment to maintain continued sustainability of the fund and increase its grantmaking impact each year. The Circle of Empowerment is a special group of donors who support the Women’s Endowment Fund with an annual leadership gift of $1,000 or more.
- Special recognition at our events, including being listed in all event programs and marketing-related materials
- Advance First-to-Know communications about our fund’s latest news
- An invitation to our annual Circle of Empowerment gathering
- The knowledge that their gifts uplift women and girls in our community now and forever
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Grant Application Deadline
If your nonprofit organization has a program that improves the health, safety or economic empowerment of women and girls, be sure to submit your grant application by Nov. 1. Preference is given to organizations that collaborate with others, and efforts to obtain matching funds are encouraged. Grants will be publicly announced at the "For Women, Forever" event on April 27. Apply online at www.akroncf.org/applyWEF.
Year-End Giving
This holiday season, a gift to the Women's Endowment Fund is the perfect way to honor a friend, family member or colleague while making a difference in the lives of local women and girls. Last-minute gifts can be made online until midnight on Dec. 31 for the 2022 tax year. For gifts of stock, transfers should be initiated by Dec. 12 to ensure year-end processing.
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Thank you to the generous donors who contributed to the Women's Endowment Fund from April 28 to Sept. 30, 2022. Your gifts will uplift and empower women and girls in our community for many years to come.
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From cash to mutual funds, and retirement assets to real estate, there are many ways to give to the Women's Endowment Fund. |
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Follow Us on Social Media |
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to see the latest updates about our fund. It's the best way to stay up-to-date on our giving campaigns and find out about how your donations support women and girls in the community.
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