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Since establishing the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits in March 2020, Akron Community Foundation has distributed nearly $675,000 to address emergency needs related to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis of systemic racism.

Nonprofits interested in applying for a grant can apply online. Individuals and businesses can also donate to the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits.

The following grants have been awarded to date:

  • ACCESS Inc., for COVID-19 expenses and operational support during the health crisis, $5,000
  • Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio, to purchase nonperishable meals and grocery cards for physically disabled youth and their families, $1,500 
  • Akron Area YMCA, to support four local pandemic care centers to provide structured and safe environments for children of critical care employees, $5,000
  • Akron Art Museum, to support the Akron Art Museum's accessibility audit and evaluate institutional accessibility needs, $2,500 
  • Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, to replenish food inventory and address increased demands at food pantries as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, $15,000 (includes $10,000 from the Food Pantry Capacity Fund); to support diversity training for hunger relief efforts, $2,500
  • Akron Children's Hospital, to support the Akron Children's Hospital Employee Hardship Fund for assistance during the current health crisis, $5,000
  • Akron Civic Theatre, to support production of and outreach for Millennial Theatre Project's "Say It Loud," which explores attitudes about race and equality in our community, $5,000; to support the Akron Civic Theatre board and staff's engagement in IDEA training and assessment, $3,000
  • Akron Community Foundation, to attend Equity in the Center's "Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture" staff training, $3,215 
  • Akron Inner City Soccer Club, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable, low-income immigrant/refugee families, $2,500
  • Akron Public Schools, to support effective, district-wide online learning through the deployment of 42 hotspot devices in weak internet areas, $5,000; to establish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to help identify and address disparities, engage employees and raise awareness about systemic and structural inequities, $5,000
  • Akron Roundtable, to support a virtual forum in June, featuring public academic writer and philanthropic innovator, Rachel Cargle, $1,000 
  • Akron Soul Trainto support the Akron Artists Relief Fund, providing micro-grants to supply basic needs for local vulnerable artists who have been affected by the current health crisis, $5,000; to support the "Reshaping the Narrative" project, featuring stories of Akron's immigrant families$2,500
  • Akron-Summit County Public Library, to support safety measures needed at all library locations which opened in July, $5,000
  • Akron Zoological Park, to distribute health and hygiene products to Akron Public Schools students and their families, $5,000
  • Akron Urban League, to educate communities of color on their rights to vote and support Make Black Count, an effort to get a complete count of Black Americans in the 2020 Census, $2,500
  • American Red Cross of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties, to provide critical relief services for Summit and Medina County residents affected by disasters, $5,000
  • Antioch Baptist Church, to provide a low-cost disinfecting and sanitizing solution for local churches and other local faith-based organizations, $3,000
  • Apollo's Fire the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, to support the Mosaic Project in Summit County, which nurtures future musicians of color through a pipeline approach – reaching children, teens and young adults at multiple points throughout their development, $2,000
  • Archbishop Hoban High School, to support creating a more diverse space ensuring a safe and stronger school community, $2,500 
  • ArtsNow, to support the arts and culture sector of Summit County, $5,000; to support the Community Circles and Statements of Equity: Arts and Culture project, which ensures mutual support, education and professional development resources, and visibility for artists of color, $5,000; for the Artist Relief Fund, which supports artists who have experienced a professional hardship due to COVID-19, $25,000
  • Art Sparksto support accessible engagement in arts experiences that bring diverse populations together, $2,000 
  • Asian Services In Action (ASIA), to provide protective equipment for employees and to convert its emergency food pantry into a carry-out model to minimize the community spread of COVID-19, $5,000
  • Autism Society of Greater Akron, to support individuals and families impacted by a developmental disability during COVID-19, $5,000
  • AxessPointe Community Health Center, to deliver virtual services to patients as a result of COVID-19, $5,000
  • Battered Women's Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties, to take precautions against the spread of COVID-19 within domestic violence shelters, $5,000; to facilitate a committee to review the agency and develop a strategic plan for corrective actions for any deficiencies in diversity, $3,000
  • Birthing Beautiful Communities, to support expectant and new parents who are COVID-19 positive or are identified as high-risk for contracting the virus, $2,000
  • The Blick Center, to support adults with disabilities and to help manage the mental health of clients, $3,000
  • Bounce Innovation Hub, to support the business program Generating Real Opportunities and Wealth (GROW), $5,000
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohioto augment its daily meal pick-up packs to include essential items, including shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000
  • Broken Chains Ministry, to support emergency general operating expenses for the Summit County women's opiate recovery program, $3,500
  • Buchtel Community Learning Center PTAto provide grandparents raising grandchildren and other non-traditional family arrangements with funds for groceries and essential items, $5,000 
  • Building for Tomorrow, to provide support for Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) residents that have lost income due to COVID-19, $5,000 
  • Business Volunteers Unlimited, to provide COVID-19 outreach and support to nonprofit organizations in Summit and Medina counties, $2,500
  • Caring Hands Charityto support Greater Akron and the National Guard with cooked meals and/or groceries, $5,000 
  • CASA Board Volunteer Association, to support recruitment of Black volunteers and stakeholders, $3,000 
  • Catholic Charities Community Services of Medina County, to provide basic needs assistance to Medina County residents, $5,000 
  • Catholic Charities of Summit County, to provide rent and utility assistance for residents facing financial hardship during the COVID-19 health crisis, $2,500
  • Cathy's House, to provide rent assistance for residents impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, $3,000
  • Child Guidance & Family Solutions, to support virtual telehealth services to ensure client safety throughout the current health crisis, $4,638 
  • Cleveland Clinic Akron General, to provide COVID-19 educational resource kits to areas disproportionately affected by the health crisis, $5,000
  • Coleman Professional Services, for psychological first aid and mental health triage among providers throughout Summa Health System, $1,500
  • Community Health Center, to implement addiction recovery services using telehealth technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, $2,500
  • Cleveland Clinic Akron General, to provide COVID-19 educational resource kits to areas disproportionately affected by the health crisis, $5,000
  • Community Legal Aid Servicesto provide legal services and education to help low-income clients navigate immediate challenges arising from COVID-19, $1,000; to create a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan to guide improvement and better serve its clients, $5,000 
  • Community Support Services, to support the integration of virtual platforms for mental health counseling, $5,000
  • Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, to support diversity, equity, and inclusion board development, $2,500
  • Copley United Methodist Church, to help the Copley Outreach Center purchase food and to support its general operations, $2,000
  • Crown Point Ecology Center, to help provide fresh, organic produce to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and other local agencies feeding those in need during the current health crisis, $4,840 (with funding support from Bath Community Fund)
  • Curated Storefront, to support local artists by providing assistance with rent and other basic needs, $5,000
  • Cuyahoga Valley Art Centerto provide cleaning supplies and building improvements to safely reopen the center in July, $1,500
  • Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy, to support DEI training for team members who engage directly with the public, $2000 
  • Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, to resume train rides that have been put on hold due to COVID-19, $2,500
  • Donovan's Kids, to support face mask production for families in Summit County, $750
  • Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Partnershipto support small business recovery in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, $2,500 
  • Dreams Academy Internationalto support virtual mentoring and music programming for African-American males, $5,000; to support a diversity, equity, and inclusion program for high school seniors, $2,500
  • East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, to provide rent assistance for tenants who are economically affected by COVID-19, $5,000
  • EasterSeals of Northern Ohio, to create a virtual continuum of care for adults with disabilities in Summit County during the current health crisis, $5,000
  • ECDI, to support underserved small businesses impacted by COVID-19 in Greater Akron, $3,000
  • Embrace Clinic & Care Center, to purchase in-demand items, including baby formula and diapers, for its clients, $5,000 
  • The Emergency Assistance Center, to provide food and personal hygiene supplies to residents in Summit County, $2,500
  • Faithful Servants Care Centerto provide urgent medical care to uninsured Summit County residents$5,000 
  • Falls Cancer Club, to support medical expenses for its registered cancer patients, $3,000
  • Family and Community Services, to deliver meals to high-risk populations in Summit County in response to COVID-19, $5,000
  • Family Promise of Summit County, to provide vouchers for extended-stay hotels for families facing homelessness, and for utility and supply expenses at the Glendora House, $5,000
  • Fathers and Sons of Northeast Ohioto support online programming and software to deliver fatherhood education classes, $3,000
  • The Final Farewell Projectto assist with final expenses for financially strained individuals who have lost a loved one to COVID-19$5,000
  • First Congregational Church of Hudson, to address racism through a collaborative approach between an urban and suburban high school, $2,500 
  • The First Tee of Greater Akron, to support a safe restart of providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf, $4,570; for diversity, equity, inclusiotraining and implementation for staff and board, $3,000
  • Forever R Children, to provide essential items and food distribution for at-risk students and their families in the Kenmore and Summit Lake communities, $2,000 
  • Freedom House for Womento purchase cleaning supplies and update client data software$5,000 
  • Friends of WKSU, to provide free critical news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, $2,500
  • Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, to support the transition to virtual programming to continue to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place$5,000; to support the Girl Scouts Social Justice Seeker Challenge with lessons to understand privilege and representation, recognize racist language and empower girls to be actively antiracist$2,500
  • Global Ties Akron, to support the transition to virtual services for community programming, $3,000; to support the Youth DEI Participatory Video (PV) project for community action and problem solving, $3,000
  • Grace Academy of Small Wondersto provide Barber Community Learning Center students with gift cards to purchase food and essential items to relieve some financial burden from parents, $3,000
  • Greater Akron Hindu Sewa Samittee, to support Summit County outreach and alleviate the sociocultural and educational challenges faced by the Nepalese-Bhutanese community in Greater Akron, $2,000 
  • Greenleaf Family Center, to support technology for telehealth services and to purchase personal protective equipment for clients and staff, $5,000
  • Habitat for Humanity of Summit Countyto provide emergency mortgage assistance for its current homeowners$5,000 
  • Harmony Houseto support Summit County homeless youth and transition-aged youth housing$2,500
  • Hattie Larlham Foundation, to purchase cleaning supplies and critical safety equipment to protect health care workers and combat COVID-19, $3,000
  • He Brought Us Out Ministry, to expand the organization's services due to increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000
  • Holy Trinity Lutheran Churchto support the Dare to Love More (DLM) Food & Resources local food pantry, $2,500 
  • H.M. Life Opportunity Servicesto provide safe housing and support services for Greater Akron's homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000 
  • Humane Society of Summit County, for staff training to identify and mitigate the effects of implicit bias within the organization, $3,000 
  • ideastream, to provide trustworthy, thoughtful, and up-to-date information to listeners across Northeast Ohio, $2,500
  • International Institute of Akron, to support remote education, social services, and food delivery to immigrants and refugees, $5,000
  • International Soap Box Derby, to support at-home STEM education programs for students of Firestone Park, Sam Salem, and Innes, $3,000
  • Interval Brotherhood Hometo support telehealth technologyservices and personal protective equipment for its clients and staff$5,000
  • JoAnna House II, to support outreach within Summit County and the organization's recovery program, $2,500
  • Journey Covenant Church, to purchase personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies needed during COVID-19, $2,500
  • Kenmore Neighborhood Allianceto support small business recovery in the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District, $4,000
  • Kent State University Foundation, to support emergency needs of college students from Summit and Medina counties who have been impacted by COVID-19, $3,000
  • Kidney Foundation of Summit Countyto support Summit County kidney patients with medication, nutritional and emergency needs$2,500
  • Leadership Akronto support intentional outreach to increase the diversity of nonprofit boards across our community, $2,500 
  • League of Women Voters Akron Area Education Fund, to support voter education and registration to Summit County's immigrant & new citizen population$2,000 
  • Legacy III, to restructure daily activities to support shelter-in-place orders, including the purchase of recovery-related items such as Alcoholics Anonymous speaker and workgroup CDs, books, DVDs, and arts and crafts supplies, $3,000
  • Limitless Ambition, to supply girls in Summit County who are impacted by trauma with "Dream Kits", duffle bags including self-guided curriculum workbooks, positive affirmation cards, personal hygiene products, and more, $2,000
  • Lodi Family Centerto purchase freezers for food storage and expand its distribution efforts, $3,000 
  • Medina Cares, to support Medina County residents who have been medically diagnosed or quarantined with COVID-19, $5,000
  • Medina Creative Housingto purchase personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies as well as feed its resident clients, $5,000
  • NeoStem Ecosystem, to support DreamSTEM, promoting visibility/accessibility of STEM professions to students of color$4,000
  • North Hill Community Development Corporation, to support a DEI art installation at North Hill Heritage Courtyard on Howard Street, $2,500 
  • Oaks Family Care Centerto provide family supportive services for Medina County residents and respond to increased needs as a result of COVID-19, $3,000
  • Ohio Living Rockynol, to address emergency staffing shortages as a result of COVID-19, $3,000
  • OPEN M, to support increased services through its free medical and dental clinics as a result of increased unemployment due to mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000; to provide employment services to people of color seeking employment in a post-COVID economy, $2,500
  • Operation Homes, to continue to provide temporary shelter to homeless individuals in Medina County during COVID-19, $4,000
  • The Packard Institute, to support Summit County indigenous healing and recovery center, $2,500 
  • Pathway Caring for Children, to support Summit County foster parents and children impacted by COVID-19, $2,500
  • Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, to support reproductive health care for patients in Summit County during the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000
  • Portage Path Behavioral Health, to support the implementation of telehealth for mental health and addiction treatment, $5,000
  • Portage Path Collaborative, to support North American First People's Day, presenting first-person accounts from members of various indigenous nations to local students, $5,000
  • Pregnancy Solutions & Services Inc.to support its mobile medical unit to promote access to prenatal care for African Americans, $3,000 
  • Project: LEARN of Medina County, to restore and develop safety measures for one-to-one adult literacy, G.E.D. achievement, and English as a second language programs amid the current health crisis, $2,500
  • Project Learn of Summit County, to support virtual instruction and the safe return to in-person instruction for adult literacy, GED, and English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) education$5,000 
  • Project Ujima, to support race dialogue discussions and training, $5,000
  • Proyecto RAICES, to support its "Physically Distant, Socially Connected" virtual summer programing for Summit County Latinx youth$5,000 
  • Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohioto purchase personal protective equipment and virtual workflow technology for staff and homeowners$5,000 
  • Recovery Center of Medina County, to support crisis services as a result of COVID-19, $3,500
  • Red Oak Behavioral Health, to continue to provide mental health and addiction services for adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic, $5,000; to support development of a JEDI (justice, equity, diversity & inclusion) strategic plan for staff and board$2,500
  • Revere Power Pack Program, to provide food to local families in need, $3,000 (with funding support from Bath Community Fund)
  • Ronald McDonald House Akron, to support staff training in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), $2,500 
  • St. Paul's Episcopal Church, to provide rent and utility assistance for Summit County residents in need, $5,000
  • Safety Forces Support Centerto provide mental health counseling and support services to first responders in Summit County, $5,000, and to fund engagement activities by first responders to build positive community relationships, $3,000 
  • Salvation Army of Summit County, to support and sustain basic needs services for citizens of Summit County, $5,000
  • Second Chance Villageto distribute comfort care and basic needs items for individuals facing homelessness, $2,500 
  • Service Corps of Retired Executives Organization (SCORE), to support mentoring services for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, $4,000
  • Shanti Community Farmsto support a farm-to-school and international peace garden for North Hill students and families, $2,500 
  • The Society for Handicapped Citizens of Medina County, to support staff and individuals with developmental disabilities with additional technology, equipment and resources to ensure safety during the current health crisis, $4,000  
  • South Akron Youth Mentorship, to adapt group mentoring to individual and virtual programs, and to distribute emergency food and supplies, $5,000; to empower disadvantaged youth of color living in poverty through mentoring, education, and work initiatives, $2,500
  • South Street Ministries, to adapt community-focused programs to distribute food, first aid and emergency supplies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, $5,000; to support the Embodied Cause program to facilitate training on issues of race and address racism education through authentic sharing and activism, $5,000; to support the “Across the Lake” video series and further inform Project Ujima facilitated discussion circles, $3,500
  • Stark State College Foundation, to support the basic needs and technology costs of post-secondary students, $3,000
  • Stewart's Caring Place, to support the increased demand for food, supplies and counseling for cancer patients and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, $3,500; to support education and outreach for those on the cancer journey, $2,000
  • Stow-Munroe Falls Neighborhood Improvement & Community Enrichmentto provide tangible support and emergency needs for underserved families in Stow and Munroe Falls, $5,000
  •  Students With A Goal, to support Akron students and families with basic needs deliveries, $5,000; to develop a strategic plan to encompass racial equity within the organization and for students served$3,000
  • Summa Health, to provide meals and personal protective equipment for frontline caregivers, and to develop strategies to better diagnose and treat COVID-19, $5,000; to support dialogue circles about race and unconscious bias for healthcare providers, $2,500
  • Summit Artspaceto provide rent assistance to local artists and artist-serving organizations, $5,000; to support the development of Summit Artspace's racial equity and inclusion plan, $3,000
  • Summit County Community Partnership, to provide small businesses with tools to identify emerging behavioral health needs of employees, $2,500
  • The Summit County Historical Society of Akron Ohio, to support Summit County diversity outreach, $2,500 
  • Summit Food Coalition, to support updates to our local food guide to aid in economic recovery efforts, $2,500; to support racial equity training and host conversations on its implications for food justice, $2,500
  • Summit Metro Parksto support the building of the Sojourner Truth statue, $5,000
  • Tri-County Jobs for Ohio's Graduates, to support integration of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in programming and training, $2,500
  • Tri-County Jobs for Ohio's Graduatesto provide personal health and safety supplies to safely maintain the organization's current operations, $5,000
  • Truly Reaching You, to support the "Working It Out: Personal Stories of Reentry and Overcoming the Odds" project$3,250 
  • Truly Reaching Youfor re-imagining reentry and recovery based on COVID-19, $5,000
  • United Disability Services, to support a new collaboration with VANTAGE Aging to deliver food through Meals on Wheels to elderly and vulnerable residents who are homebound due to the current health crisis, $3,000
  • Urban Vision, to distribute support kits with cleaning supplies, groceries, easy meals and essential items to families in the North Hill neighborhood, $5,000
  • VANTAGE Aging, to support a new collaboration with United Disability Services to deliver food through Meals on Wheels to elderly and vulnerable residents who are homebound due to the current health crisis, $5,000; to purchase personal protective equipment, $2,500; and to support diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff, $2,500
  • Victim Assistance Program, to provide 24/7 crisis intervention hotline services, $5,000; to support an organizational Racial Equity Institute (REI) assessment to improve service to Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities in Summit County, $5,000
  • The Village of St. Edward Foundationto purchase personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, and food for vulnerable independent living residents to prevent the contraction and spread of COVID-19, $3,000 
  • Wadsworth Communications Inc.to provide critical COVID-19-related information to listeners and support a safe alternative graduation ceremony for Wadsworth High School seniors, $2,000 
  • Walsh Jesuit High School, to create and share the "Courageous Conversations" podcast to help bring authentic understanding to the experiences that marginalized communities face$2,500 
  • Well Community Development Corporation, to support a rent assistance fund for tenants and vulnerable families at Mason Park Community Learning Center, $5,000
  • Western Reserve Playhouseto support online arts education and workshops as a safe alternative to youth summer camps, $5,000 (with funding support from Bath Community Fund); to sponsor a production showcasing the many challenges of cultural stereotypes and systemic racism that people of color face, $2,500
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