Summer 2020


The Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation believes that empathy and compassion are at the core of our humanity, expressed through our desire to do good and make a difference with meaningful action.
 
The unrest and protests we’ve seen over the past weeks simply reinforce the inequities and injustice that exist here in our community and across the nation. No one should ever fear for their safety or well-being because of the color of their skin. We pledge our support and embrace all efforts to foster a more inclusive community and deconstruct the systemic and pervasive racism that has plagued our nation for centuries.  


It’s hard to formulate the right words to express the emotions that 2020 has brought out of all of us. I often reflect and question, "what are we supposed to take away from this year?" The Women’s Endowment Fund was founded on principles of uplifting and empowering women and girls of all colors, shapes, and sizes. We recognize that there’s still much work to be done. As we reflect and evaluate what steps we can take to foster change, I challenge you to follow suit. 
In May, the Women's Endowment Fund celebrated uplifting women and girls with a record more than 700 guests during its first-ever “For Women, From Home” In-Home Dinner and Online Program . The virtual event replaced the fund’s traditional, in-person “For Women, Forever” annual dinner, which was postponed in March due to government recommendations to limit the spread of COVID-19.
This year's "Who Is Your SHEro?" campaign raised more than $47,000 to rapidly provide flexible resources to area nonprofit organizations working on the frontlines of educating, engaging, and supporting individuals impacted by this health crisis, including women and girls. To learn more about how these frontline workers have been impacted by the current pandemic, the Women’s Endowment Fund conducted a Q&A with four local SHEroes working in the healthcare industry. 
This year, the Women’s Endowment Fund awarded a record $200,004 in grants to 31 local nonprofit organizations. This latest round of grants brings the fund’s cumulative grantmaking total to more than $1.5 million. Several grants this year support programs that uplift underrepresented and minority populations, including a $10,000 grant to Birthing Beautiful Communities , to address and improve the systemic and community structures that lead to poor birth outcomes
WEF's new site features easy access to our recent grants and news articles, as well as information about our advisory board and financials. It is also mobile friendly and ADA compliant, making it more accessible to everyone in the community. Check it out at womensendowmentfund.org .
Thank you to the generous donors who contributed to the Women's Endowment Fund from Oct. 1, 2019 - March 1, 2020. Your gifts will uplift and empower women and girls in our community for many years to come.

Ways to Give
From cash to mutual funds, and retirement assets to real estate,
there are many ways to give to the Women's Endowment Fund.