Akron Community Foundation is here to help the community's most generous individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits make their charitable dollars go the furthest for the good of the community.
Here are some of the unique ways working with the community foundation can benefit you:
We're accessible – online and in person
While we believe our website is an informative tool and that a lot can be accomplished over the phone or email, the special advantage of working locally comes when you want to meet face to face. Our helpful staff is always ready to meet with you, your family or your advisor about any issue you wish to discuss, from gift planning to grantmaking. Our office is centrally located in downtown Akron, or we can come to you.
We offer strategic, streamlined giving
By establishing your own charitable fund, you can make your philanthropic impact in a way that is meaningful to you. Whether you want to help students pursue higher education, fight a specific disease, or make grants to a variety of different organizations over time, we can help you create a fund that makes sense for your charitable goals. In particular, a donor-advised fund at Akron Community Foundation streamlines your giving by allowing you to support all of the causes you care about in one place, without any of the administrative burdens of a private foundation. And we provide tax acknowledgments for all of your gifts, so you only have to track your contributions to one organization.
We're a tax-smart way to give
As a 501(c)(3) public charity, donations to community foundations offer the most favorable tax deductions allowed by law. Gifts of cash are deductible up to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), while gifts of stock are deductible up to 30% of your AGI. We also work with your trusted financial, tax and legal advisors to ensure you're making the most tax-advantageous gifts for your unique situation.
We know the community
From education and the arts to homelessness and the environment, Akron Community Foundation knows the nonprofits that are moving the needle on key issues in our community. We can share with you our nearly 70 years of experience – including which organizations are collaborating, which ones meet a service gap, and where your grantmaking will be most effective – but only if you ask: We won't interfere with your personal charity.
Our fees are low and stay in our community
Creating a fund at Akron Community Foundation means that your fees of approximately 2% directly benefit Summit County; they don't go to a broker's pocket on the other side of the country.
We work with your advisor
We understand how important your relationships are with your legal and financial advisors. It's common for us to work with advisors to set up all types of charitable funds, and under certain guidelines we'll even let your advisor continue to manage your fund's assets. We also have relationships with nearly all of the region's banks.
Your legacy is important – and we'll be here forever to carry it on
Akron Community Foundation's endowment is invested and managed to ensure that we last forever, so we will always be here to fulfill your charitable wishes. Charitable funds can make a statement. You can name them for your family or company, or in honor of a co-worker or loved one. Your fund can also be endowed to grow in perpetuity, meaning dollars available for grantmaking will be limited to ensure your fund – and your charitable legacy – lasts forever for the benefit of the community.