Spring 2025

Dear Fundholders,

This spring is a season of growth and change at Akron Community Foundation. We recently welcomed two new staff members to our team: Liz Szczukowski and Denikka Ray. We are also hard at work preparing for John Petures' retirement and a new CEO. Throughout these transitions, our highest priority remains helping you achieve your philanthropic goals.

Each quarter, our team brings you Donor-Advised Insights, covering the latest in charitable giving trends and news from the foundation. Here's what you can find in this issue:

An article from our Center for Family Philanthropy about collaborative philanthropy and how you can apply for our next Institute for Emerging Philanthropists class
Tips for incorporating charitable giving into your estate plan
Updates on Akron Community Foundation's fundholder portal transition

As always, you'll find co-investment opportunities, a link to your quarterly fund statement, upcoming events, and foundation news. We hope you enjoy this issue, and we welcome your questions about any of the resources included below.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime.

Laura Lederer

Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Akron Community Foundation

330-436-5611

llederer@akroncf.org

Philanthropy: A team sport

At first glance, you may think of charitable giving as mostly an individual act. Certainly, most of the time, the actual money or asset that constitutes the charitable donation comes from a single person, couple or entity. However, the staff at Akron Community Foundation likes to think of charitable giving as a collaborative endeavor.

One example of collaborative philanthropy is our Institute for Emerging Philanthropists. The Institute for Emerging Philanthropists is an exclusive, biennial educational program designed to support, inspire and cultivate a developing group of donors. This structured seven-session program (September – June) helps participants identify their personal philanthropic goals and develop plans for a lifelong commitment to improving our community.

If you or someone you know would be a good fit, consider applying today. Applications are due April 30 for the upcoming cohort. For questions, contact Karen Hrdlicka, director of The Center for Family Philanthropy, at 330-436-5640 or khrdlicka@akroncf.org.

Apply for the Institute for Emerging Philanthropists

Make a plan – and make your favorite charities part of it

At some point during your adult life, you've likely realized that it would be wise to put in place a will, trust, and powers of attorney, as well as undertake at least a basic level of financial planning to stay on track with retirement and other wealth-related goals for yourself and for your family. Perhaps you're also among the many people who have thoughtfully incorporated charitable giving strategies into a comprehensive financial and estate plan.

The Akron Community Foundation team would be honored to help you develop a philanthropy plan, starting with lifetime giving and incorporating estate gifts as your legacy intentions take shape. As you consider whether the time might be right for you to formalize your charitable giving, here are three tips to consider – all of which the community foundation can help you achieve.

New fundholder portal coming soon

Akron Community Foundation is in the process of transitioning its database to a new software provider, and with that transition will come a new fundholder portal for our donor-advised funds. More information will be coming in the summer, including instructions for accessing your new account. For now, you will continue to access DonorCentral to view your statements and submit grant requests.

If you have any questions prior to this transition, please feel free to reach out to Cathy Kemp, donor-advised fund administrator, at 330-436-5616 or ckemp@akroncf.org.

Deadline approaching! Submit your co-investment grants via DonorCentral

Did you know you can contribute to our quarterly grant co-investment program through our online fundholder portal, DonorCentral? As a fundholder, you have the opportunity to review Akron Community Foundation's competitive grant applications and support initiatives that align with your charitable interests. Check out your fund portal to view our current Arts & Culture grant applicants now!

If you haven't registered your DonorCentral account yet, view our instructions to get started or reach out to your primary contact for assistance. All co-investment requests should be submitted by May 6.

Co-Investment Opportunities

Your quarterly fund statement is now available

Fund statements for the quarter ending March 31 are now available through our online fundholder portal, DonorCentral. This document includes timely financial information, such as your fund balance, contributions, investment activity, grants and distributions, and more. For questions about your fund statement, please contact us at 330-376-8522. If you haven't registered your DonorCentral account yet, view our instructions to get started.