The Akron Community Foundation surpassed the $100 million mark in total grant awards when board members approved more than $1.8 million last month.
The board ratified 248 donor- and committee-directed grants from 99 designated, donor-advised, agency endowment and scholarship funds totaling more than $1.3 million.
The majority of the $499,000 in discretionary grants went to civic programs, including emergency home repairs for seniors, mentoring for small-business owners and leadership training for girls living in AMHA housing. Among those grant recipients were:
• Akron Community Service Center and Urban League, for general operating support, $20,000.
• Akron Digital Media Center, $50,000.
• Akron Inner City Soccer Club, for free youth soccer camps, $10,000.
• Akron Marathon Charitable Corp., to provide first aid and CPR training to marathon volunteers, $5,000.
• Akron Rotary Camp for Special Children Inc., for operating support and to construct a recreation and resource center, $20,000.
• Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, for a simulation training room for first responders and the production of promotional videos, $50,000.
• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., to recruit and train volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in juvenile court, $10,000.
• City of Akron, for the 2013 Neighborhood Partnership program, $70,000.
• Cleveland Restoration Society Inc., for the Heritage Home Program, which provides low- and moderate-income homeowners in Summit County with technical assistance and low-interest loans to maintain their older homes, $10,000.
• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, for general operating support, $20,000.
• Crown Point Ecology Center, for general operating support, $10,000.
• Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railway Association, to improve the restrooms on passenger cars, $10,000.
• East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp., to provide emergency home repairs to low-income seniors, the working poor and homeowners with disabilities, $20,000.
• The Foundation Center Cleveland, for general operating support, $2,500.
• Friends of Historic Glendale Cemetery, to improve the accessibility and safety of cemetery walkways, $5,000.
• Friends of Metro Parks, for the Outside Is In program, an overnight camping experience for urban children, $10,000.
• Fund For Our Economic Future, for Phase 4, year one, $34,000.
• Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, for leadership training in AMHA housing sites, $15,000.
• Good Shepherd Athletic Club, for general operating support, $10,000.
• Humane Society of Greater Akron, to investigate animal cruelty and provide care for sick and injured stray animals, $7,500.
• Keep Akron Beautiful, for the 2012-13 Flowerscape program, $10,000.
• Leadership Akron, for the annual orientation retreat and leadership programs, $12,500.
• Mustard Seed Development Center, for financial literacy counseling and seminars that help low-income families learn how to increase their assets, secure stable housing and save for retirement, $10,000.
• Nazareth Housing Development Corp., to rehabilitate abandoned properties for low-income home buyers and stabilize neighborhoods in Lakemore and Springfield townships, $7,500.
• Oriana House Inc., for the Summit County Reentry Network for former offenders, $15,000.
• Partnership for the Minority Business Accelerator, to mentor minority business owners, $20,000.
• Rebuilding Together Summit County Inc., for general operating support and capacity building, $30,000.
• Service Corps of Retired Executives Association (Akron SCORE), for workshops and one-on-one mentoring for small-business owners, $10,000.
• Summit County Fatherhood Initiative, to connect men with the resources they need to be responsible, involved fathers to their children, $30,000.
• Summit Food Policy Coalition, to improve healthy food access in Summit County and address food insecurity through educational programs, public events and city gardening programs, $15,000.
In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. For more information, go to www.akroncf.org.
