One of the community foundation's most important values is inclusiveness, and no fund embraces that more than the Gay Community Endowment Fund.
Founded in 2001, the mission of the Gay Community Endowment Fund is to support the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community by providing grants and scholarships that advance the right to live safely, openly and authentically. The fund envisions a societal transformation in which all LGBTQ+ individuals experience equity and acceptance.
Since its establishment, the Gay Community Endowment Fund has invested nearly $840,000 into local causes that change the lives of LGBTQ+ people in our community. Recent grants have created safer environments for LGBTQ+ youth, combated phobias of the LGBTQ+ community, and supported mental health and suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ people.
In addition, area students can apply for a scholarship from the GCEF Scholarship Fund, which supports LGBTQ+ and allied students who live or attend school in Summit, Medina, Portage, Stark and Wayne counties.
Read our latest newsletter | Learn about the history of the fund | Circle of Inclusion | Impact Grants | Sugar Plum Tour
Our Recent Grants
By the Numbers
Advisory Board
Advisory board members serve without pay to help the fund impact the lives of people in Greater Akron's LGBTQ+ community.
Katherine I. Raymond, D.D.S.,
Raymond Dental Group
Vice President, Senior Project Manager,
PNC Bank
Sr. Business Systems Analyst,
Kent State University
Retired Attorney
Summit County Continuum of Care
Summit County Domestic Relations Court
YMCA of Greater Cleveland
Eighth District Court of Appeals
Maple Heights City Schools
County of Summit
Canton City Schools
Nash Integrated Services LLC
Wyant Woods Healthcare Center
Medina Pediatric Dentistry
First Congregational Church of Akron
Retired, Akron Police Department
Retired, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
President, Jones Group Interiors
President, TRIAD Communications
Retired Healthcare Executive
News & Events
News
Sugar Plum Tour will feature enchanting homes throughout Greater Akron The Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation invites Greater Akron residents to save [...]
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik to speak on LGBTQ+ issues in Greater Akron Tickets are now available for the Gay Community Endowment Fund's 2024 annual celebration, "exhALE: [...]