Women's Endowment Fund announces more than $200K in grants

The Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation has approved $204,000 in grants to 34 nonprofits, bringing the fund's cumulative grantmaking total to more than $1.9 million. Fund officials announced these grants yesterday during its "For Women, Forever" annual dinner that was presented virtually to an audience of 400 community leaders.

In addition to the grant announcement, the virtual annual dinner featured a keynote address from Julie Boland, US Chair and Managing Partner and Americas Managing Partner - Elect and US-Central Region Vice Chair, Ernst & Young LLP. The Women's Endowment Fund also celebrated this year's Judith A. Read Tribute Award recipient, Dr. Sandy Auburn.

Among this year's funding priorities were economic empowerment, health and wellness, and safety from violence for local women and girls.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio received $6,500 from the fund this year to provide after-school educational opportunities for girls in Akron Public Schools.

"Because of (the Women's Endowment Fund's) support, we're able to bring the Girl Scout leadership experience to girls in a lot of areas that might not have a traditional troop to join," said Jane Christyson, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, during the virtual event. 

"Summit County is filled with incredible organizations addressing the unique challenges women and girls face in their daily lives," said Laura DiCola, advisory board president of the Women's Endowment Fund. "Our fund is proud to support the work of these 34 outstanding organizations that are making our community a better place for all of us by improving the lives of local women and girls."

The following organizations are receiving grants in 2022:

ACCESS Inc., for the Women & Children in Crisis Program, which provides holistic services for women and children in the shelter, including clothing and hygiene materials, life skills training, and physical and mental health support, $10,000
Akron Municipal Court, to purchase self-help and nonfiction books for Peace of Mind, a probation program for female offenders, $2,000
Battered Women's Shelter, to provide protective shelter services for victims of domestic violence and their children, $13,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, for SMART Girls, which provides health, fitness and self-esteem programs for girls in Summit County, $5,000
CASA Board Volunteer Association, to provide sexual development education and period supplies for girls in the foster care system, $2,000
Cleveland Clinic Akron General, to support nurses with education, mental health and wellness resources to best care for trauma victims, $6,000
Community Legal Aid Services, to provide emergency legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence and stalking, $10,000
Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy, to support equitable access to healthy foods and community spaces for Summit County WIC recipients, $9,000
First Glance Student Center, to support The Connect, an educational program for young moms and their families, $2,000
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, to provide after-school educational opportunities for girls in Akron Public Schools, $6,500
Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio, to support the physical, social and emotional well-being of girls in Summit County through running, $10,000
Global Ties Akron, working with Shanti Community Farms and the Himalayan Arts, Language and Cultural Academy, provide handicraft workshops and teach entrepreneurial skills to women and girls from refugee and immigrant communities in Akron, $7,500
Grace House Akron, to provide sleepwear, personal care and hygiene items to terminally ill women, $2,545
Greater Akron Hindu Sewa Samittee, to provide training to women with sewing skills for increased economic opportunities, $5,000
Gum-Dip Theatre, to support a theater workshop for girls in North Hill, $5,000
HFLA of Northeast Ohio, to provide interest-free loans to individuals without access to fair financial resources, $2,500
H.M. Life Opportunity Services, to provide life skills programming and recovery coaching for previously homeless mothers recovering from addiction, $5,000
International Soap Box Derby, for Girls Racing to STEM Careers, a program for 80 girls in grades 5-8 to explore Derby Downs and engage in unique STEM activities, $5,000
Limitless Ambition, to empower girls at Jennings Middle School and North High School to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, $5,000
North Hill Community Development Corporation, for the creation of immigrant women-owned cooperatives at the Maker House, $7,500
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, to support a comprehensive, evidence-based and LGBTQ-inclusive sexual health education curriculum for students in Summit County, $10,000
Proyecto RAICES, to support Hispanic women through business development trainings that help them market traditional foods, $5,000
Rape Crisis Center, to support crisis intervention services for women impacted by sexual violence, $10,000
Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio, to support She Builds 2022, which provides repairs on women-headed households and women-focused community spaces, $7,500
RePlay for Kids, to promote an interest in STEM careers for female students through toy adaptation workshops, $1,955
Springfield Local School District, to implement the Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) empowerment program, which equips girls to navigate the challenges they face during adolescence, $5,000
Stewart's Caring Place, to provide wellness services to women experiencing cancer, $2,500
Stow-Munroe Falls City School District, to implement the Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) empowerment program, which equips girls to navigate the challenges they face during adolescence, $4,000
United Way of Summit & Medina, to provide no-cost financial services to women through the Akron Financial Empowerment Center, $5,000
VANTAGE Aging, for the Home Wellness Solutions Program, which provides services to help older low-income women not eligible for Medicaid to remain in their own homes and age in place through evidence-based assessments and prevention programming, $7,500
Victim Assistance Program, to support crisis intervention and advocacy for survivors of crime and trauma, $7,500
Victory Gallop, to support an equine therapy program for adolescent girls with behavioral challenges or life-threatening illnesses, $2,500
The Well Community Development Corporation, to remove the barriers to economic mobility for women, $10,000
Women's Network Inc., for the creation of a Greater Akron women-owned business list to enable visibility, support and outreach, $5,000

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 nearly $5 million and awarded more than $1.9 million in grants. Contributions of any amount are welcome and can be made online at www.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 www.womensendowmentfund.org.

About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 66 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $300 million with a growing family of more than 780 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 $206 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 www.akroncf.org.