OVERVIEW: The Akron Community Foundation supports arts and culture, education, health and human services and civic affairs in the Akron region of Ohio.
IP TAKE: The Akron Community Foundation is the Summit County “community’s champion and generator of enduring philanthropy.” This transparent community funder provides an exhaustive accounting of its past grants divided by focus area going back at least a quarter century, as well as linking to its audited financial statements and a decade’s worth of 990s. The bad news is that it has quarterly grant cycles landlocked to the foundation’s four interest areas, so if you miss your window, you’ll have to wait until a new one opens next year. However, this is an accessible funder, and, to find the most relevant opportunities, it is best to get in touch with the ACF staff to discuss your program prior to submitting anything on the foundation’s online application system. Reach out to foundation staff with questions at 330-376-8522 or contact them directly.
PROFILE: Established in 1955, the Akron Community Foundation (ACF) is a community foundation based in Akron, Ohio. The foundation began with Edwin Shaw’s bequest of over $1 million and was originally known as Akron Community Trusts. ACF manages over 650 charitable funds. The foundation aims to “improve the quality of life in Greater Akron by building permanent endowments and providing philanthropic leadership that enables you to make a lasting investment in the community.” It funds local efforts for arts and culture, education, health and human services and civic affairs.
The Akron Community Foundation supports nonprofits in all areas of community improvement and development. It has a Competitive Grant program to address the “root cause” of urgent needs in the county, and it seeks to support projects and programs that will “create lasting and systemic change” in Akron-area communities.
The community foundation has a number of Affiliate Funds that are either geographic or issue specific, including for LGBTQ and women’s causes, adults with special needs, children, and initiatives to spay and neuter cats and dogs in economically disadvantaged households.
There are also Donor-Directed Grants, which are typically issue-specific grants awarded according to the donor’s wishes, and other Special Grants & Initiatives, including:
Proactive Grants go to nonprofits in the county for community improvement.
Community Response Fund works to address systemic racism in the county.
Capital Grants of between $2,500 and $25,000 for capital improvements.
Summit County Opioid Healing Fund grants of up to $25,000 to organizations focused on addressing the opioid epidemic.
On the Table Greater Akron supports efforts to bring disparate community members together to discuss ways to improve the community and assist its residents.
Akron Community Cemetery Preservation Fund supports efforts to restore historic gravesites in Akron.
ACF also assists local nonprofits with setting up agency endowments for permanent funding and training for nonprofits in the form of development training and endowment-building assistance.
Grants for Community Development
As part of the Competitive Grant program, the Akron Community Foundation awards Community Fund Grants to Civic Affairs organizations. Priority areas in this space include job creation and economic growth, urban development and land renewal, crime prevention and neighborhood safety, energy conservation and environmental protection, community beautification, and education programs at local parks, zoos, and public spaces.
Past civic affairs grantees include International Soap Box Derby, Keep Akron Beautiful, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, Akron Development Corporation, Akron Marathon, Akron Parks Collaborative, and Summit Metro Parks Foundation.
Learn more about this funder’s recent local community development giving by examining its Civic Affairs Grants page and older grants on its Civic Affairs Grants History page.
Grants for Arts and Culture, Music, and Dance
The Akron Community Foundation supports arts and culture organizations in Summit County through its Arts & Culture focus area. It supports giving in this space through the Community Fund Grants program. Arts grants primarily support area visual arts museums, live music organizations, and dance groups, while culture grants go to historical and cultural heritage museums and historical preservation projects.
Previous organizations and projects that have seen support include Akron Art Museum, Children’s Concert Society of Akron, Ballet Theatre of Ohio, Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Heinz Poll Festival, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens and the Akron Civic Theatre.
Look over other recent arts and culture grants here and older grants going back to the year 2000 here.
Grants for Public Health and Access, Mental Health
The foundation combines its health and healthcare support with its basic needs and human services grants into one focus area. Health & Human Services is one of the Community Fund Grants program’s funding interests. These grants prioritize support for food insecurity, preventative health care and health education, substance abuse and mental health treatment, legal aid, homelessness, social services, poverty, and advocacy for individuals with disabilities.
Past grantees the foundation has highlighted include the Summit Food Coalition, Summa Health, IBH Addiction Recovery Center, Summit County Fatherhood Initiative, Bridges Summit County initiative, 2-1-1 information and referral line, Community Support Services, and United Disability Services.
ACF’s other recent health and human services grants are here and older grants going back at least a quarter century are here.
Grants for K-12 Education, Early Childhood Education, Literacy, and Work and Economic Development
As with the Akron Community Foundation’s other focus areas, Education grants are awarded through the Community Fund Grants program. These grants support “programs that concentrate on key transition points in a student’s education.” Specific priorities include early learning and kindergarten readiness, literacy programs, vocational training and continuing education programs, and after-school and summer enrichment activities.
Grantees in this area include Akron Public Schools, Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, Summit Education Initiative, Akron Children’s Museum, and Project Learn of Summit County.
Look for other recent education grantees here and older grantees on the Grants History page.
The foundation also offers several different scholarships for local students.
Important Grant Details
Grants typically range between about $100 and $75,000. The most common amount is $10,000. The foundation gave over $13.9 million in grants in a recent year and held more than $259 million in assets.
Grantmaking focuses on Summit County and the Akron area of Ohio.
This foundation accepts grant applications from nonprofits.
ACF requests that first-time grantseekers submit an initial inquiry form before completing a full application.
It accepts online applications a month before each grant deadline.
There are multiple deadlines for different grant programs throughout the year.
Direct general questions to the staff at 330-376-8522 or to individual staff members by email.
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