Gay Community Endowment Fund Grant History

In 2020, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $49,000 to 13 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Children’s Hospital, to support social work services at the hospital’s new Center for Gender Affirming Medicine, which offers comprehensive care for transgender youth, $10,000
• 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
• CANAPI, to support the 2020 Akron Pride Festival, $3,000
• CANAPI, to support outreach to LGBTQ+ youth and to connect them to resources for housing, transportation, health services and job preparation, $3,000
• GLSEN, to support a conference for LGBTQ+ youth and allies who participate in their school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club, $1,500
• Greater Akron Amenities, to support the Proud2Play Tournament, which celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion through sports, $1,000
• Kent State University Foundation, to support the QUEST mentorship program, which pairs LGBTQ+ students with a supportive adult role model, $3,000
• OutSupport, for community outreach, education and advocacy efforts that promote the health and equality of LGBTQ+ people in Medina and surrounding communities, $2,000
• PFLAG Akron, for community outreach programs, including self-defense classes for LGBTQ+ youth and speaking engagements at schools, churches and businesses, $2,000
• Plexus Education Foundation, to support networking events and educational programs for the LGBTQ+ business community and allies, $2,000
• Rape Crisis Center, to support outreach to LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic or sexual violence, $1,500
• Summa Health, to support the inaugural LGBTQ+ Healthcare Summit, which will highlight health disparities specific to the LGBTQ+ community and train local physicians to provide inclusive care for their patients, $10,000
• Summit Artspace, to create a traveling art installation by Shane Wynn that shines a light on the alarming rate of LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, $8,000
• Weathervane Community Playhouse, to support the production of Kinky Boots, $1,000

In 2018-19, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $55,050 to 15 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Children’s Hospital, to support the hospital’s new Center for Gender Affirming Medicine, which offers comprehensive care for transgender youth, including gender-affirming hormone therapy, mental health care, and social work services, $5,000
• Akron Civic Theatre, to support the Millennial Theatre Project, which engages underrepresented young adults in theater productions, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, $2,500
• Battered Women’s Shelter, to support outreach to LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic or sexual violence, $2,000
• CANAPI, to support the Akron Pride Festival, $3,000
• CANAPI, to provide housing support and mentoring programs for LGBTQ+ youth, who are more likely to experience homelessness than their straight, cisgender peers, $10,000
• Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture, to create safer school environments for LGBTQ+ youth through in-school performances and workshops that address bullying, $3,000
• Kent State University Foundation, to support the QUEST mentorship program, which pairs LGBTQ+ students with a supportive adult role model, $3,000
• META Center Inc., to provide support groups, outreach and affirming activities for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth in Northeast Ohio, $1,000
• National Center for Choreography, to support arts internships for LGBTQ+ young adults, $1,000
• OutSupport, for community outreach, education and advocacy efforts that promote the health and equality of LGBTQ+ people in Medina and surrounding communities, $2,000
• PFLAG Akron, for community outreach programs and events, including speaking engagements at schools, churches and businesses, $1,000
• Plexus Education Foundation, to support networking events and educational programs for LGBTQ+ business professionals and entrepreneurs, $1,000
• Portage Path Behavioral Health, to remove barriers and increase the quality of care for LGBTQ+ people seeking mental health and substance use treatment, $10,000
• Summa Health, to support the launch of the Summa Health Pride Clinic, which will provide specialized health care services for LGBTQ+ patients in Greater Akron, $5,000
• TransAction, to support a summer camp for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, $2,550
• VANTAGE Aging, to provide more inclusive services for aging adults by educating staff members about the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ seniors, $3,000

In 2017, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $39,000 to 13 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Civic Theatre, to support the Millennial Theatre Project, which engages young adults in theater productions that emphasize diversity in sex, race, gender, sexual orientation and physical abilities, $3,000
• Akron Soul Train, to support the 2018 LGBT Arts Festival, which showcases LGBTQ+ musicians, filmmakers, visual artists and writers throughout Greater Akron, $1,000
• Battered Women’s Shelter, to support an outreach campaign for LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic or sexual violence, $1,000
• CANAPI, to support the 2017 Akron Pride Festival, $5,000
• CANAPI, to support the 2018 Akron Pride Festival, $3,000
• CANAPI, to provide housing support to homeless LGBTQ+ youth, who are more likely to become victims of violence, abuse and human trafficking than their heterosexual peers, $5,000
• CASA Board Volunteer Association, to support a community awareness campaign about the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare system, $2,500
• Equality Ohio Education Fund, to advocate for nondiscrimination protections for Summit County’s LGBTQ+ community and to create a countywide culture of inclusion through outreach and education, $2,000
• Equitas Health, to support HIV testing and prevention education through targeted outreach to gay and bisexual men in Summit County, particularly in the African-American community, $2,500
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for "Reaching Akron’s Silent Generation," a program that provides education, counseling and social support for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $1,500
• Kent State University Foundation Inc., for the QUEST mentoring program, which pairs LGBTQ+ students with a supportive adult role model, $4,000
• OutSupport Inc., to increase the visibility of this local LGBTQ+ advocacy group through community outreach and promotional materials, $3,500
• The Plexus Education Foundation Inc., to support networking events and educational programs for LGBTQ+ business professionals and entrepreneurs, $1,000
• Weathervane Community Playhouse, to support the production of "It Shoulda Been You," a musical comedy about a bride and groom who find love in unlikely places, $2,000
• Western Reserve Playhouse, to support the production of "Bare: A Pop Opera," a rock musical about two gay high school students and their struggles at a private Catholic boarding school, $2,000

In 2016, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $42,850 to 16 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Civic Theatre, to support the Millennial Theatre Project, which engages young adults in theater productions that emphasize diversity in sex, race, gender, sexual orientation and physical abilities, $2,500
• Cleveland International Film Festival, for screenings of LGBTQ+ films in downtown Akron, $2,500
• Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative, to support the annual Game Change Conference at Kent State University, which educates local social workers, teachers and health care workers about the specific needs of the LGBTQ+ community, $1,000
• Community AIDS Network/Akron Pride Initiative, to provide housing support to homeless LGBTQ+ youth, who are more likely to become victims of violence, abuse and human trafficking than their heterosexual peers, $5,000
• Domestic Violence Project Inc., to support a one-day training seminar that educates local law enforcement officers, attorneys, social workers, housing providers and clergy members about critical issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community, including trauma, mental illness, addiction, intimate partner violence, and more, $1,000
• Equality Ohio Education Fund, to advocate for nondiscrimination protections for Akron’s LGBTQ+ community and to create a citywide culture of inclusion through outreach and education, $2,000
• Equitas Health, to support HIV testing and prevention education through targeted outreach to gay and bisexual men in Summit County, particularly in the African-American community, $4,000
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for "Reaching Akron’s Silent Generation," a program that provides education, counseling and social support for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $2,500
• Kent State University Foundation Inc., for the QUEST mentoring program, which pairs LGBTQ+ students of color and economic need with a supportive adult role model, $6,000
• Magical Theatre Company, to increase awareness about the Nazi persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals during the Holocaust through the production of "The Diary of Anne Frank," as well as post-show discussions with students about discriminations the LGBTQ+ community still faces today, $1,000
• Mobile Meals Inc., to provide home-delivered meals and supplements to low-income LGBTQ+ residents in Summit County, $1,500
• None Too Fragile Theater, to support the production of "The Whale," an award-winning play featuring a gay protagonist who finds beauty in unexpected places, $1,000
• OutSupport Inc., to increase the visibility of this local LGBTQ+ advocacy group through community outreach and promotional materials, $2,850
• PFLAG Akron, to support the Teen Pride Network, which offers positive social support and activities for LGBTQ+ youth who feel isolated in their school, home or community, $4,000
• Rape Crisis Center, to support outreach to LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault, $1,000
• TransOhio Inc., to provide free legal clinics to help people in the transgender community file petitions to change their name and gender on legal documents, $3,000
• Weathervane Community Playhouse, to advance the community dialogue about gender identity development in children through a production of "A Kid Like Jake" and a free workshop for education professionals, $2,000

In 2015, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $36,361 to 11 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Art Museum, to support an art tour program for middle and high school students that challenges their assumptions about gender identity, sexuality, body image and race, $6,220
• Akron Public Schools, to support a student-led cyberbullying prevention and education campaign at Innes Community Learning Center, $3,186
• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care through specialized training for child welfare professionals in Summit County, $1,580
• Cleveland International Film Festival, for screenings of LGBTQ+ films in downtown Akron as part of the 40th Cleveland International Film Festival, $2,500
• Community AIDS Network, to support a conference that educates local social workers, teachers and health care workers about the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, and to create a digital directory of LGBTQ-friendly service providers in Northeast Ohio, $6,000
• Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, to create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in local schools, and to establish a network of allies among educators, $875
• Friends of 91.3, to broadcast positive messages about kindness, respect and bullying on KIDJAM! radio in Akron Public Schools, $1,000
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for "Reaching Akron’s Silent Generation," a program that provides education, counseling and social support for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $5,000
• Kent State University Foundation Inc., for the LGBTQ Student Center at Kent State University, $5,000
• OutSupport Inc., to increase the visibility of this local LGBTQ+ advocacy group through outreach and promotional materials, $3,500
• Stewart’s Caring Place, to increase the agency’s support of LGBTQ+ cancer patients and their families through cultural competency training for staff and volunteers, $1,500

In 2014, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $42,700 to 11 nonprofit organizations:

• Battered Women’s Shelter, to renovate a residential suite for victims of domestic violence at the agency’s new campus, $10,000
• Cleveland International Film Festival, for screenings of LGBTQ+ films in downtown Akron as part of the 10% Cinema series, $2,500
• Community AIDS Network, for the Akron Film+Pride program, an independent film and discussion series that brings visibility to LGBTQ+ issues, $1,500
• Community AIDS Network, to support the Game Change Educational Conference, which educates local social workers, teachers and health care workers about the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, $3,500
• Equality Ohio Education Fund, for a public education campaign about the need for statewide nondiscrimination protections, $3,500
• Fair Housing Contact Service Inc., to educate local residents and housing providers about fair housing practices and prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, $1,000
• GCEF Scholarship Fund of Akron Community Foundation, for scholarships for LGBTQ+ students in Summit, Medina, Portage and Stark counties, $5,000
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for "Reaching Akron’s Silent Generation," a program that provides education, counseling and social support for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $5,000
• Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Inc., Akron Chapter, for the Teen Pride Network, which offers positive social support and activities for LGBTQ+ youth who feel isolated in their school, home or community, $6,000
• Rape Crisis Center, for diversity and inclusiveness training to better equip staff members to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault, $2,700
• Stark State College, to send students to a regional conference that promotes leadership, activism and empowerment among LGBTQ+ college students, $2,000

In 2013, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $131,925 to 15 nonprofit organizations:

• Actors Summit, for productions of the critically acclaimed My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding during the week of the Gay Games, $3,000
• Akron Area Arts Alliance, for a real-time digital and online photography exhibit that captures the community pride sparked by the Gay Games, $5,000
• Akron Independent Film Festival Inc., for screenings of LGBTQ-inclusive films the week before and during the Gay Games, $1,000
• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., for an equality training seminar that educates volunteer court advocates about placing children with same-sex foster or adoptive parents, $2,000
• Child Guidance & Family Solutions Inc., to develop marketing materials for the agency’s school-based adolescent outreach program targeted toward LGBTQ+ youth, $5,000
• Cleveland Special Events Corporation, for events held in Akron and Summit County as part of the 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation, $85,000
• Community AIDS Network, for the Teen Pride Network, a collaboration with the Akron chapter of PFLAG that offers positive social support and activities for LGBTQ+ youth who feel isolated in their school, home or community, $2,600
• Community AIDS Network, for a one-day conference at the University of Akron that explores LGBTQ+ issues in sports and culture, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ elder, youth and transgender issues, $5,000
• Community Drug Board DBA: Community Health Center, to increase outreach to the LGBTQ+ community and educate the agency’s substance abuse counselors about the specific needs of LGBTQ+ clients, $2,500
• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, for a special "Music in the Meadow" concert in the national park for Gay Games participants and the general public, $5,000
• Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, for an LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusiveness program for small business and nonprofit government professionals held in the weeks leading up to the Gay Games, $3,725
• Fair Housing Contact Service Inc., to provide remediation to LGBTQ+ individuals who have faced discrimination by housing providers, $2,000
• Fusion Magazine, for Kent State University’s award-winning, student-produced publication, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $500
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for counseling and support groups for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $4,000
• Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in Northeast Ohio Inc., for the Teen Pride Network, a collaboration with Community AIDS Network that offers positive social support and activities for LGBTQ+ youth who feel isolated in their school, home or community, $2,600
• Verb Ballets, for the creation of LGBTQ-themed dance performances that will increase public awareness and excitement about the Gay Games, $3,000

In 2012, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $26,683 to nine nonprofit organizations:

• Battered Women’s Shelter, for a community outreach program that educates teens and adults about same-sex domestic violence, $1,500
• Domestic Violence Project Inc., to provide emergency shelter for victims of same-sex domestic violence in Summit and Stark counties, $1,500
• Fair Housing Contact Service Inc., to study housing discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in Akron, $4,000
• Friends of 91.3, to broadcast anti-bullying messages on KIDJAM! radio in Akron Public Schools, $2,400
• Fusion Magazine, for a marketing campaign that will expand the reach of Kent State University’s award-winning, student-produced publication, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $3,000
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for counseling and support groups for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $5,000
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Union, to send University of Akron students to the 2013 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference, $5,000
• Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in Northeast Ohio Inc., to purchase educational materials that answer questions and provide support for the families and friends of LGBTQ+ individuals, $783.03
• Weathervane Community Playhouse Inc., for the production of "Next Fall," a contemporary comedy about the issues that arise in the long-term relationships of gay men, $3,500

In 2011, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $29,161 to 10 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Area Pride Collective, for the LGBTQ+ youth support group, $1,700
• Akron Film + Pixel Festival, for the premiere of "Hit So Hard," a documentary about the life of Hole drummer Patty Schemel and her marriage to Christina Soletti, $1,218
• Battered Women’s Shelter, for a community outreach program that educates people about same-sex domestic violence, $1,500
• Friends of 91.3, to broadcast anti-bullying messages on KIDJAM!, an online children’s radio station, $3,500
• Fusion Magazine, for Kent State University’s award-winning, student-produced publication, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $1,300
• Jewish Family Service of Akron Ohio, for counseling and support groups for LGBTQ+ senior citizens, $5,000
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Union, to send Kent State, Stark State, Mount Union and University of Akron students to the 2012 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference, $5,608
• Mobile Meals Inc., to promote Mobile Meals’ free food and supplement services to LGBTQ+ individuals in greater Akron, $1,250
• Summa Foundation, to educate forensic nurses about same-sex domestic violence and assault, $5,085
• Verb Ballets, for the creation and local performance of a new work that depicts tango from a same-sex perspective, $3,000

In 2010, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $26,435 to 11 nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Art Museum, for a James Gobel painting that illustrates the pitfalls of stereotypes, $3,000
• Asian Services in Action Inc., for an HIV/AIDS prevention program among local Asian Americans, $2,000
• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., for a training seminar for court advocates working with LGBTQ+ youth, $1,790
• Community Health Center, to train staff in identifying and treating addiction and mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ population, $965
• First Grace United Church of Christ, for Project CommUnity, which records the personal narratives of LGBTQ+ individuals and then translates them into live theater performances, $2,500
• Friends of 91.3, for KIDJAM!, an online children’s radio station that broadcasts music and anti-bullying messages to local youth, $3,500
• Fusion Magazine, for Kent State University’s award-winning, student-produced publication, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $3,000
• Mobile Meals Inc., to promote Mobile Meals’ free food and supplement services to LGBTQ+ individuals in greater Akron, $1,250
• Violet’s Cupboard Inc., for safer sex packets for people with HIV, $1,250
• Weathervane Community Playhouse Inc., for the production of "Breaking the Code," a play about Alan Turing, an English mathematician who helped secure a victory in World War II by breaking the German cipher but was later prosecuted for his homosexuality, $3,500
• Western Reserve Public Media, to broadcast "In The Life," a monthly television series documenting the LGBTQ+ experience, $3,680

In 2009, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $29,268 to eight nonprofit organizations:

• Battered Women’s Shelter, for Reach OUT 2010, which seeks to improve services to LGBTQ+ victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, $4,400
• CASA Board Volunteer Association Inc., for the "Speak Up Speak Out" youth advocacy unit, which trains advocates for abused and neglected LGBTQ+ youth in the juvenile court system, $4,300
• Child Guidance & Family Solutions Inc., for a community education project that aims to increase awareness of the consequences of intolerance in the LGBTQ+ population, $2,000
• Community AIDS Network, to help facilitate the merger of Akron Pride Center with CAN, $5,000
• Fusion Magazine, to support the magazine, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $1,500
• University of Akron, Women’s Studies Department, for the LGBTQ: Inclusion, Advocacy and Empowerment project, a year-long series of programs at the University of Akron, $3,000
• Violet’s Cupboard Inc., to provide peer advocates for people who have recently been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, $5,568
• Weathervane Community Playhouse Inc., for the production of "The Sum of Us," a play about the relationship between a widower and his gay son, $3,500

In 2008, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $32,994 to nine nonprofit organizations:

• Akron Area Pride Collective, for the Akron Pride Center "Building Pride" capital campaign, $10,000
• Akron Area Pride Collective, for Out in Akron 2008, $2,000
• Akron Art Museum, for the "Marsden Hartley: American Modern" exhibition, $5,000
• Akron PFLAG, for the Bruce G. Kriete Speaker Series, $2,000
• Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, to purchase LGBTQ+ library materials for the Adolescent Health Center, $2,534
• Community AIDS Network, for an ad campaign to promote HIV testing among at-risk youth, $6,460
• Equality Ohio Education Fund, to support the Akron-area Safe Places, Safe Spaces Program for direct care providers, $2,000
• First Grace United Church of Christ, for the StandOUT: Open Door After School Program for LGBTQ+ youth and teens, $1,500
• Fusion Magazine, to help publish the magazine, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $1,500

In 2007, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $24,000 to six nonprofit organizations:

• The Akron AIDS Collaborative, for the Ujima Safe House Project, $7,500
• Akron Area Pride Collective, to publish and increase distribution of its monthly newsletter, $2,500
• Fusion Magazine, Kent State University, to produce and expand circulation of the magazine, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, $2,000
• Rape Crisis Center, for the Reach OUT Initiative pilot program to support LGBTQ+ communities, $8,500
• University of Akron Foundation, to fund the seminar "Understanding and Strengthening GLBT Couples Relationships: What are the Struggles and What Can Help," $2,500
• The University of Akron, for the conference "Psychological Perspectives on GLBT Persons," $1,000

In 2006, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded grants totaling $5,980 to four nonprofit organizations:

• Diversity Alliance of Stark County Inc., for the Domestic Violence Response Initiative, $300
• Fusion Magazine, which strives to unify people of different backgrounds and orientations, for production and expanded circulation, $2,000
• Portage Path Community Mental Health Center, for LGBTQ+Pride for Life, an education and support group, $1,680
• Violet's Cupboard Inc., in collaboration with the Community AIDS Network, to expand HIV counseling and testing, $2,000

In 2005, the Gay Community Endowment Fund awarded its first grants totaling $9,000 to four nonprofit organizations:

• Battered Women's Shelter, for the Summit Anti-Violence Initiative Program, a domestic violence program specific to the LGBTQ+ population, $4,000
• Child Guidance & Family Solutions Inc., to purchase LGBTQ+ diversity awareness materials and to address the mental health treatment needs of children and adults, $2,000
• University of Akron Foundation, for "Queer Women Make History Too," a series of presentations focusing on issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community, $2,000
• Weathervane Community Playhouse Inc., for "Angels in America: Perestroika," a play portraying the human devastation caused by AIDS, $1,000