Akron Community Foundation

05/22/2026

There's still time to get tickets for our Community Issues Session, which takes place Thursday, May 28 at the Akron Art Museum. The event explores how arts and culture have helped shape ideas and investments in Summit County and have fueled a dynamic economy across the region. The panel discussion features Harvey Nelson, Retired Co‑Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Main Street Muffins; Kimberly Beckett, Executive Director of Downtown Akron Partnership; Brian Lamoda‑Genet, General Manager of 750ml Wines; Rita Aggarwal, Executive Director of Proyecto RAICES; and Natalie Grieshammer‑Patrick, Executive Director of Summit Artspace. The event is free to attend but RSVP is required. We’ll also livestream the event here on our page. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arts-culture-as-an-economic-driver-tickets-1986316287486

05/20/2026

Thanks to the Buckeye Flame for highlighting our Gay Community Endowment Fund for reaching a philanthropic milestone of $1 million in grants awarded. Tickets are still available for “exhALE: Advancing Lived Equality,” the Fund’s 25th anniversary celebration featuring activist Jim Obergefell, which takes place Friday, June 5 —

The philanthropic fund recently surpassed more than $1 million in grants awarded since 2001.

05/19/2026

Congratulations to the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition on the opening of Summit Lake NorthShore Park. What an incredible transformation of the property with a resource designed by Summit Lake residents. The Coalition and all its partners continue to beautify and enhance the Akron Civic Commons and its many natural assets.

05/14/2026

Our next Community Issues Session, which takes place Thursday, May 28 at the Akron Art Museum, will explore how arts and culture have helped shape ideas and investments in Summit County and have fueled a dynamic economy across the region. The panel discussion features Harvey Nelson, Retired Co‑Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Main Street Muffins; Kimberly Beckett, Executive Director of Downtown Akron Partnership; Brian Lamoda‑Genet, General Manager of 750ml Wines; Rita Aggarwal, Executive Director of Proyecto RAICES; and Natalie Grieshammer‑Patrick, Executive Director of Summit Artspace. The event is free to attend but RSVP is required. We’ll also livestream the event here on our page. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arts-culture-as-an-economic-driver-tickets-1986316287486

05/12/2026

The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center’s 40th Annual Membership Exhibition features a variety of styles, from painting, sculpture and ceramics to works on paper. Visitors to the exhibit also have the chance to vote for the People’s Choice Award winners, who will be announced during an artist reception Friday, May 22, at 5:30 p.m. We’re a proud partner of CVAC through our grantmaking and are thankful for the nonprofit’s community impact and their work providing resources for local artists. Admission to the Art Center is free and open to the public. For more, visit

Exhibit: Membership Exhibition On Display: April 28 - June 4, 2026 Location: Cuyahoga Valley Art Center - Gallery The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center proudly presents its 40th Annual Membership Exhibition, a milestone celebration honoring four decades of creativity, community, and artistic excellence. Th...

05/06/2026

Thanks to Ideastream News for covering last week’s Changemaker Challenge event, where eighth graders from Akron Public Schools presented real-world solutions and ideas to help solve problems in their schools and communities. And the students earned actual grant money to help bring their ideas to life. We’re proud to support this event and it is rewarding to see the programs brought to reality each year. Thanks also to Akron Public Schools students and staff and to TomTod Ideas, who helped the student presentations shine. Read more -- https://www.ideastream.org/education/2026-05-04/akron-students-show-how-middle-schoolers-can-be-a-changemaker?

The Changemaker Challenge is a partnership between local nonprofits and Akron Public Schools to give students a way to make an impact on their community.

05/05/2026

Congratulations to Mariana Silva, who was recently promoted to Senior Community Investment Officer at Akron Community Foundation. Her knowledge of the local nonprofit landscape, paired with keen organizational skills and compassion for the community, have made a positive impact. In addition, she’s become a knowledge expert and helpful resource throughout an intensive database and software migration here at the community foundation. We look forward to all that Mariana will accomplish in her new role!

05/04/2026

We're grateful for everyone who joined us last week at our Women & Wealth event at Michael Angelo's. It was an inspiring evening filled with stories about the ways female leaders and mentors increase access to opportunities, inspire confidence, encourage diverse perspectives, and foster collaboration. Special thanks to our guest speaker, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio CEO Jane Christyson, as well as Marsh for their generous sponsorship.

The Women & Wealth series is presented by Akron Community Foundation's Professional Advisor Council in partnership with the Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation. To receive an invitation to future gatherings, reach out to Laura Lederer at [email protected].

05/01/2026

Congratulations to the Akron Public Schools students who took part in this morning’s Changemaker Challenge, a chance for 8th-graders to create ideas that help implement change in the community and deliver presentations for grants to help make the ideas reality. And the presentations were truly inspiring, as the students’ passion for helping others was on full display. The first-place winner this year was the student team from the iPromise School, which will receive a $4,000 grant to create hygiene bags for adults and children who are homeless, expected to be distributed at local libraries. Second-place winner was the team from Buchtel CLC, which will receive $2,000 for a mental wellness program that offers a therapeutic activity room, local field trips and other resources for Buchtel students; and winning third place, for $1,500, was a team from Jennings CLC, for a program that will help introduce students to new hobbies that go beyond the classroom, like music, art and sports, in a supportive environment.

All other teams received $500 grants, and their ideas ranged from care bags for patients at Akron Children’s Hospital, to a plant club for students, and culturally focused meal kits for residents who’ve lost SNAP food benefits, among other proposals. We’re a proud supporter of the Changemaker Challenge through our grantmaking. Special thanks to the event partners, TomTod Ideas () and Akron Public Schools, along with all the nonprofit partners who helped the students develop their ideas.

05/01/2026

Thanks to Canine Companions for visiting with Akron Community Foundation earlier this week, on the way to meet with students at Litchfield Middle School. The nonprofit offers service dogs free of charge for people of all ages with disabilities, and these canine companions are trained in up to 45 tasks to help empower residents to live with more dignity and independence. Through ACF’s grant funding, the nonprofit has built a stronger presence in Summit County, including individual service dogs and facility dogs in places like courthouses and schools. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet a service dog trainee and learn more about this incredibly impactful organization, which has around 2,000 active service dog teams working throughout the U.S. For more, visit canine.org.

04/30/2026

Join Akron Community Foundation and The University of Akron Foundation on May 21 for a special lunch presentation about strategies for incorporating donor-advised funds into client planning, including both lifetime giving and estate planning contexts. The presentation will feature our own chief development officer, Laura Lederer, and will offer 1 hour of CE credit. Learn more and register at https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=03fde836-d3f1-4de6-ac1d-aff747d34b85&envId=p-UMe-qg1RCU-VaHO2Nu8s5A&zone=usa.

Donor-advised funds continue to play a growing role in charitable, tax, and estate planning—and their use in practice is evolving. Join us for a complimentary continuing education lunch designed for professional advisors.

This session will explore practical considerations and emerging strategies for incorporating donor-advised funds into client planning, including both lifetime giving and estate planning contexts.

Continuing education credit has been requested for 1.0 hour of OH CLE, OH CPE, CFP® CE, and OH Insurance CE.
Questions? Call Kim Zebedis @ 330.972.2819