Bath Community Fund celebrates 10th anniversary, launches endowment campaign
Founders and current leaders of Bath Community Fund gathered with supporters on Aug. 15 at Crown Point Ecology Center to celebrate the fund's 10th anniversary of building community philanthropy in Bath Township. During the event, fund leaders also shared their vision for the future of Bath Community Fund as a permanent endowment dedicated to strengthening the Bath community for current and future generations.
Advisory Board Chair Rev. Mark Frey expressed gratitude to the donors whose support has allowed the fund to grow to nearly $1.3 million while awarding more than $250,000 in grants to nonprofits serving the Bath community.
Frey also announced the launch of the fund's "For Bath, Forever" 10th Anniversary Campaign, which aims to grow the endowment by $400,000 and recruit 100 new donors to the fund. To date, fund leaders have already raised nearly $200,000 toward this goal.
"Over the next year, we invite all Bath Township citizens to contribute to the campaign and help us continue to fund the nonprofits serving Bath," Frey said. He encouraged donors to give to the campaign online at akroncf.org/give/BCF.
To demonstrate the impact Bath Community Fund has made on the community, Kevin Gross, executive director of Crown Point Ecology Center, shared that Bath Community Fund's longtime support has allowed the organization to donate nearly 8,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
To close the evening, longtime donors Jim and Cheryl Nilsen shared why they support Bath Community Fund. The couple grew up in Bath and met at Bath Elementary, before starting to date in their junior year of high school. Despite moving away to raise their own family, Bath still holds a special place in their hearts.
"We were physically disconnected from Bath, but the memories we made remain strong to this day. Those memories are the reason why I wanted to be involved in this campaign that will benefit Bath for decades to come," said Jim.
About Bath Community Fund
Established in 2014 by a group of committed Bath residents, Bath Community Fund is a permanent endowment dedicated to strengthening the Bath community for current and future generations by providing leadership, fostering collaboration, and creating a legacy of charitable giving. The fund is committed to responding to community needs, helping the less fortunate, supporting local nonprofits, and reinforcing and preserving Bath's historical and environmental legacy. Since its inception, the fund has grown to nearly $1.3 million and reinvested more than $250,000 into the Bath community. For more information, contact Affiliate Fund Engagement Manager Deb Hoffman at 330-436-5614 or dhoffman@akroncf.org.
About Akron Community Foundation
For 69 years, Akron Community Foundation has been our community's champion and generator of enduring philanthropy. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of $296 million with a growing family of more than 880 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation's funds have awarded nearly $245 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit akroncf.org.