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A Common Theme

Akron Community Foundation is a library of personal stories. Their authors? Charitable people just like you who want to enrich the community in their own unique way, now and forever.

Some are fundholder stories, which feature charitable individuals, families and organizations that find purpose, ease and fulfillment by giving through Akron Community Foundation. Others are grantee stories about nonprofits that are leveraging generous gifts from our donors and fundholders to improve life all over Summit County. Still others are advisor stories about legal and financial professionals who have expanded their services and strengthened client relationships by offering philanthropic services through Akron Community Foundation.

Ready to write your own story? Learn how you can start a charitable fund and leave your mark on the community for generations to come. You can also read our publications for more inspiring stories about philanthropy in Greater Akron.

Hudson resident's legacy lives on through fund
Hudson resident's legacy lives on through fund
Everett Shumate had a heart for Hudson. In the 1930s, he grew up as one of the few African Americans in the small town.  After graduating from Hudson High School, Everett joined his father as an employee of the Peterson Nut Company, and for five years,...
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Preservation of the Abolitionist Movement Fund
Preservation of the Abolitionist Movement Fund
Although most people study history in school, it was at the dinner table that longtime Akron native Marna Becker started gathering her vast knowledge of U.S. and world history.  Becker grew up listening to her father talk about the stories he learned in...
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Donovan Veterans Fund
Donovan Veterans Fund
For four days and nights, Harry Donovan was lost at sea. His entire crew had been attacked, so there he sat, stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where hope seemed as distant as the shoreline. Deliverance came in the form of a U.S. landing ship. Its...
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Local nurse cares for community through fund
Local nurse cares for community through fund
When Mary DiDonato thinks of home, she thinks of her mother, a kind and caring woman who served others while never asking for anything in return.  Mary has many fond memories of her mother's charity, including how she started every day by serving...
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New Year's charity launches family's legacy
New Year's charity launches family's legacy
New Year's Eve is a time of reflection and planning for many, including the Mike and Susan Zeleznik family.  On Dec. 31, 2012, at the end of what had been a rewarding year, the Hudson residents chose to express their gratitude by planning for the future:...
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Couple serves up entrée for cancer cure
Couple serves up entrée for cancer cure
For most parents, a child's graduation marks a monumental milestone: with their child and with one another. Nothing could have been truer for Bath residents David and Lisa Craine when their oldest son, Jake, graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School in...
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Investment policy embraces client-advisor relationship
Investment policy embraces client-advisor relationship
"I was miserable just calling an 800 service." That's what corporate real estate advisor Bob Cooper said of his former charitable fund administrator. The administrator was the same national financial services firm that managed his donor-advised fund. It was...
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Grant leads women and families to freedom in East Akron
Grant leads women and families to freedom in East Akron
While families all over greater Akron gather around their fireplaces this holiday season, a chilling fact remains: Local women and children living in poverty are being displaced from their homes due to chemical dependency and substance abuse. Last year, Akron...
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