Women's Endowment Fund announces nearly $200,000 in grants at "For Women, Forever" celebration

The Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation announced 30 grants totaling $191,000 to nonprofit organizations serving women and girls. This latest round of grants brings the fund's cumulative grantmaking total to nearly $2.5 million.

Leaders of the Women's Endowment Fund announced the grants on Thursday, March 20, during the fund's "For Women, Forever" annual celebration at House Three Thirty. "By giving back to organizations in our backyard, we're creating a brighter, more equitable future for women and girls," said Pamela Kiltau, president of the Women's Endowment Fund.

Among this year's grant recipients is The Well CDC, which received a $10,000 grant to provide trauma-informed career development services for women in the Middlebury neighborhood. The project is designed to prepare women to fill and retain in-demand jobs in the local economy, increasing stability for the entire community.

Jen Meade, The Well CDC's fund development director, shared what makes the organization's approach to job training unique. "We acknowledge and address the trauma and overlapping barriers that can derail the aspirations and efforts of women impacted by cycles of community disinvestment and poverty. Our approach flips the traditional job training and placement model by helping job seekers address barriers before expecting success in training, obtaining or maintaining a job," Meade said.

In addition to the grant announcements, the event featured a presentation from Cleveland-based Latinx fashion entrepreneur Valerie Mayén. Her socially conscious fashion brand, Yellowcake Shop Clothing, promotes inclusivity and environmental responsibility. Valerie discussed the value of cultivating an authentic, sustainably crafted wardrobe.

The event culminated with the presentation of the 2025 Judith A. Read Tribute Award for Service & Advocacy for Women to Katie Smucker. John T. Petures Jr., president and CEO of Akron Community Foundation, said, "You've selected as your honoree one of the most passionate, thoughtful, committed, kind-hearted leaders and volunteers I have ever met in my 45-year professional career."

The following is a complete list of organizations receiving grants in 2025:

ACCESS Inc., to provide safe shelter, food, clothing and hygiene items for women and children who are experiencing homelessness, $10,000
Akron Children's Museum, to support the "InventHERS: Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers" workshop series for adolescent girls interested in a career in engineering, $2,700
Akron Inner City Soccer Club, to increase participation by female players and coaches in a year-round, low-cost soccer program, $5,000
Akron Urban League, to support a college and career readiness program for historically marginalized and low-income female students in Summit County, $5,000
Birthing Beautiful Communities, to provide free perinatal support services to new and expecting Black moms in Summit County, $7,500
Community Legal Aid, to provide holistic legal services for low-income women who have experienced domestic violence and stalking, $10,000
Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market, to support the Carrot Cash food access program, which empowers women to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables from the market, $3,000
Forever R Children, to purchase toiletries, personal hygiene items, and household cleaning products for women who are experiencing homelessness or living in poverty, $5,000
Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio, to support a running-based program for girls that combines physical activity with discussions about self-confidence, stress management and healthy relationships, $10,000
Grace House Akron, to provide end-of-life care, basic necessities and housing for terminally ill women, $3,000
Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, to provide affordable homeownership opportunities to women through the Women Build home construction program, $5,000
Harmony House, to provide emergency and transitional housing for young women who are experiencing housing insecurity, $7,500
Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center (Battered Women's Shelter), to provide free protective shelter and crisis intervention services for women and children who have been impacted by domestic violence, $10,000
Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center (Rape Crisis Center), to provide 24/7 crisis intervention services for women and girls impacted by sexual violence or abuse, $10,000
IBH Addiction Recovery, to support the recovery housing program for women recovering from addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders, $5,000
Legacy III, to support the Pathways to Freedom program, which provides transitional and rapid rehousing services for women experiencing homelessness while recovering from substance use or mental health disorders, $8,000
Limitless Ambition, to support the after-school PC360 Teen Program, which empowers teen girls through social-emotional learning and mentorship, $7,500
North Hill CDC, to support the Maker House, a women's empowerment space in North Hill that addresses income and educational disparities for immigrants and refugees by fostering women-owned small businesses, $5,000
OPEN M, to support the OPEN M medical clinic, which provides uninsured women in Summit County with free, comprehensive health care, $5,000
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, to support a comprehensive sexual health education program for youth in Summit County, $10,000
Proyecto Raices, to provide training and mentorship for Hispanic women interested in starting or expanding their own business, $6,300
RAHAB Ministries, to provide respite and resources for survivors of sex trafficking, $5,000
South Street Ministries, to support emergency and transitional housing for justice-involved women, $2,500
Stewart's Caring Place, to provide support services and wellness programs for women impacted by cancer, $5,000
Summit Artspace, to provide entrepreneurship coaching and workshops for female artists in Summit County who are seeking to establish or grow an arts business, $5,000
Summit Choral Society, to support a weekly educational music program that builds confidence and emotional resilience in adolescent girls, $2,500
VANTAGE Aging, to provide in-home, nonmedical care services for older women who are not eligible for Medicaid, allowing them to remain at home as they age, $10,000
Victim Assistance Program, to provide holistic, evidence-based advocacy services for women and girls who have been impacted by crisis, violence or tragedy, $8,000
Victory Gallop, to support an equine therapy program for adolescent girls with behavioral challenges or life-threatening illnesses, $2,500
The Well CDC, to provide trauma-informed career development services for women in the Middlebury neighborhood, $10,000

About the Women's Endowment Fund
The Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation was established in 1993 as a permanent endowment committed to encouraging the advancement of women and girls in Summit County. To date, it has grown to more than $5.2 million and awarded nearly $2.5 million in grants. Contributions of any amount are welcome and can be made online at akroncf.org/give/WEF or mailed to Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, 345 W. Cedar St., Akron, OH 44307. For more information, call 330-376-8522 or visit womensendowmentfund.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 more than $305 million with a growing family of more than 900 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 $259 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.