Gay Community Endowment Fund awards $80,500 in grants

In March, the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation announced 17 grants totaling $80,500 to programs that enhance the quality of life of Greater Akron's LGBTQ+ community.

The fund awarded a total of $57,500 in impact grants to seven programs addressing needs that fund leaders have identified as a high priority. These priorities include creating safer environments for LGBTQ+ youth, combating phobias of the LGBTQ+ community, and supporting mental health and suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ people.

Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI) received two grants this year, each addressing a different Gay Community Endowment Fund focus area. CANAPI received a $10,000 impact grant to provide short-term rental, utility and transportation assistance for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing housing instability. Additionally, a $3,000 microgrant will support the 2025 Akron Pride Festival.

"The need for housing assistance for LGBTQ+ young people is high. The rental and utility assistance provided through this program will prevent LGBTQ+ young people from becoming homeless or having their utilities disconnected," said Julie Beckert, CANAPI's board president.

Dr. Kate Raymond, the chair of the Gay Community Endowment Fund, shared her thoughts on this year's grantmaking cycle, saying, "We're proud to support so many deserving organizations. As we approach the fund's 25^th anniversary in 2026, our board remains committed to funding organizations that make a difference in the lives of the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community."

Two additional grants awarded by the fund will support LGBTQ+ artists through the Millennial Theatre Project and The Groundhog Show. Other grants will support workshops and training for transgender individuals through the Akron AIDS Collaborative and Trans Joy Akron.

The following is a complete list of organizations receiving grants this year:

Akron AIDS Collaborative, to support The Trans Leadership Program, a yearlong workshop for transgender young adults to advance their leadership and communication skills, $2,000
Akron Children's, to support patients and their families through free patient kits, parent support groups, and other services, $3,000
Akron Civic Theatre, to support the Millennial Theatre Project, which engages underrepresented young adults in theater productions, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, $1,000
Akron Marathon, to expand outreach to LGBTQ+ individuals, $1,000
The Buckeye Flame, to publish three stories about inspiring LGBTQ+ individuals in Summit County, $3,000
CANAPI, to support the 2025 Akron Pride Festival, $3,000
CANAPI, to provide short-term rental, utility and transportation assistance to LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing housing instability, $10,000
Clapp for Art, to support The Groundhog Show, an annual pop-up art exhibition that broadens the reach and impact of LGBTQ+ artists, $3,000
GLSEN Northeast Ohio, to support an all-day conference that empowers and educates middle and high school LGBTQ+ students and allies throughout Northeast Ohio, $7,500
Kent State University Foundation, to support the Queers United to Encourage and Support Transition (QUEST) mentorship program, which pairs LGBTQ+ students with a supportive adult role model, $3,000
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, to expand access to affordable medications and services for trans and nonbinary patients through the PPRx pharmacy at the Akron Health Center, $10,000
Summit County Continuum of Care, to provide safe housing and support systems for LGBTQ+ youth who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness, $7,500
Trans Joy Akron, to support professional development for board and committee members and programming for trans+ community members, $5,000
University of Akron Foundation, to provide expanded learning and enrichment opportunities for LGBTQ+ students and allies during the 2025-26 school year, $3,000
University of Akron Foundation, to create the first digital archive of Summit County’s LGBTQ+ history, $10,000
VANTAGE Aging, to provide general operating support, $1,000
Whole Human Project, to support Camp Indigo, a summer day camp for transgender and gender-expansive youth, $7,500

About the Gay Community Endowment Fund
Founded in 2001, the Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation. The fund supports the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community by providing grants and scholarships that enhance the right to live safely, openly and authentically. Since its inception, the fund has grown to almost $2.5 million while reinvesting nearly $920,000 into the community. Contributions of any amount are welcome and support future grantmaking. Checks should be sent to Akron Community Foundation, 345 W. Cedar St., Akron, OH 44307, with Gay Community Endowment Fund in the memo line. Donations may also be designated for the GCEF Scholarship Fund. For more information, or to contribute, call 330-376-8522 or visit gaycommunityfund.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.