The Portage Foundation

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The Portage Foundation

Funds are established by donors for the broad-based charitable benefit of the residents of Portage County, Ohio and beyond.

The Portage Foundation is the community foundation for Portage County, Ohio, and created as a means to build a permanent source of income to meet area charitable needs and the philanthropic desires for our donors. The Foundation was created to serve the community through a permanent source of income to meet community charitable needs and the philanthropic needs of its donors. The Foundation is gov

erned by a Board of Trustees who serve in a volunteer capacity and provide oversight of the Foundation. Our physical office is in Ravenna is open most Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8:30-3:30 pm and Monday/Friday by appointment.

06/06/2026

Join us down at Fred Fuller Park at the Aidan Effect event where you can support our Portage County Pride Fund and the Portage Animal Protective League. The weather is beautiful now, so come out for the food truck, silent auction items, 50/50, and live music!

06/05/2026

The Portage Foundation is very proud of our scholarship program. With 19 endowed scholarships offered this year - and more set to unveil in 2027 - we strive to offer something for all. Whether it's a traditional 4-year education, older adults heading back to college to create new opportunities, or students who are called to the trades as their career path, we know that we can make a difference for so many Portage County residents.

But this only starts with the generous and forward-looking folks who create scholarship endowments for our students. Endowments ensure that the scholarship will be available to students for generations to come. And at the Portage Foundation, we want to impact as many students as possible, forever. The future looks bright in Portage County!

For a list of our 2026 scholarships and their recipients, click here:
https://portagefoundation.org/2026-scholarship-winners/

For more information on establishing your own endowed scholarship, click here:
https://portagefoundation.org/scholarships/

06/04/2026

A BIG THANK-YOU TO Bell Tower Brewing Co. for your support of the Portage Foundation's Portage County Pride Fund! Friends and supporters gathered last night to kick off Bell Tower's Pride Month activities, with events and drink specials offered in June that will help support the fund.

Portage County Pride Fund was created last year to fill the void left by passage of SB1, which included eliminating much-needed support for Kent State University LGBTQ+ students in crisis. The new fund provides emergency assistance and programming support to LGBTQ+ students at Kent State, Hiram College, and NEOMED.

We're grateful to the many folks that stepped forward to share their stories and their passion. Together, we're making a difference!

To learn more or to donate to the fund, please visit https://portagefoundation.org/portage-county-pride-fund/

06/02/2026

BEAUTIFUL WEATHER, WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS, AND A GENEROUS HELPING SPIRIT were on hand at a recent pop-up food pantry at NEOMED in Rootstown. The pantry was held by the Akron-Canton Foodbank via a grant by the Portage Foundation.

We thank the wonderful volunteers on hand to load the nearly 100 cars that came, and a VERY SPECIAL "THANK YOU!" to our generous donors and fundholders who put the needs of Portage County first!

05/29/2026

Welcome, Wes Buchanan!

We’re thrilled to welcome Wes Buchanan as the newest member of the Portage Foundation Board of Directors! Wes brings sharp legal expertise, thoughtful leadership, and a deep commitment to the people and organizations of Portage County.

Please join us in celebrating and welcoming Wes to the Portage Foundation Board of Trustees...we’re excited to make an impact together!

05/26/2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FRIENDS AT COLEMAN HEALTH SERVICES on the launch of their new 24/7 Crisis Services facility in Ravenna!

The Portage Foundation was honored to be there as Coleman CEO Hattie Tracy cut the ribbon on the beautiful new facility, which is ready to welcome individuals in need of immediate mental health support. These new walk-in services are an important addition to the care available throughout Portage County.

We’re grateful for the many ways Coleman has served our community over the years through its commitment to mental health and recovery services. It’s also a privilege for the Portage Foundation to help support that lasting impact by serving as the home of the Coleman Foundation Fund.

05/19/2026

CONGRATULATIONS TO DERIK STANLEY of James A. Garfield High School, the 2026 recipient of the Layding Family Scholarship for Career Development!

Created by the Layding family, this scholarship reflects the importance of supporting students whose paths lead directly into the workforce through skilled trades and career development opportunities. By investing in students pursuing hands-on careers, the scholarship helps strengthen our local workforce while honoring the value of hard work, dedication, and technical skill.

Derik plans to pursue a career in the trades as an HVAC apprentice with DiMarco & Associates Heating & Cooling. We are proud to celebrate his achievement and excited to see the impact he will make in his career and community. Congratulations Derik, and THANK YOU to Margaret and Marty Layding for investing in Portage County's future!

To learn more about the Layding Family Scholarship, or our other scholarships, visit PortageFoundation.org.

05/13/2026

What a fantastic morning at yesterday’s CORE Workshop hosted by the Portage Foundation!

We were thrilled to welcome a packed room of 50 nonprofit professionals and volunteers for an engaging and practical workshop focused on fundraising and financial storytelling. Attendees gained essential tools and real-world insights during two impactful sessions: transforming financial data into compelling stories with Kendra Myers and Steve Luc from Meaden & Moore, and hearing fundraising perspectives from local development leaders Andra Polasky of Leadership Portage County and Scott McKinney from Kent State University Foundation.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared ideas, and invested in strengthening the nonprofit community across Portage County. We’re grateful to our presenters and participants for making this workshop such a success, and to the Portage County Health District for use of their beautiful space.

And special thanks to our wonderful corporate partners who helped make the day possible...
Silver Partners: Dakota Wealth, Brimfield Insurance
Bronze Partners: PCR Business Systems, The Portager, J9 Gifts, KeyBank, Sarchione Chevrolet Randolph, and Star Therapy.

05/08/2026

RUNNING ON PASSION AND HOPE

Our Board of Trustees isn’t made up of distant decision-makers or rubber-stamp approvers—it’s made up of neighbors.
They live here. They work here. They care deeply about what happens in Portage County because it’s their community, too.
Behind every grant, every fund, and every opportunity created through the Portage Foundation, there are real people who are passionate about making this place stronger, more connected, and full of possibility.

Over the coming days, we’re proud to introduce you to each of them — sharing not just who they are, but what drives them. Because when passion meets purpose, great things happen right here at home.

To get involved with the Portage Foundation – through service on a board or committee, setting up a fund to create your legacy, or just by learning more about who we are and what we do – visit our website at PortageFoundation.org or call us at (330) 470-8950. We’d love to talk with you!

05/05/2026

The Portage Foundation was honored to receive the Community Impact Award at last week's Lavender Celebration, hosted by Pride! Kent.

The award celebrates the establishment of the Portage County Pride Fund, launched by the Portage Foundation in 2025 in response to the closure of on-campus support centers following recent legislation. Understanding the significant impact these closures have had on students and local residents, the Foundation acted quickly to create a source of meaningful, community-based support.

Building on that momentum, and thanks to the generosity of many local donors, April marked the launch of the Pride Fund’s Student Assistance Program. This new program will
assist LGBTQ+ students with short-term financial aid for immediate needs related to food, housing, medical care, or transportation.

We're grateful to Pride! Kent for this special (and beautiful!) award, and we're especially grateful to the generosity of our community who have supported this new fund.

To learn more about the Portage County Pride Fund, or to make a donation, please visit
https://portagefoundation.org/portage-county-pride-fund/

Address

6693 N. Chestnut Street, Suite 268-B
Ravenna, OH
44266

Telephone

+13304708950

Website

http://portagefoundation.org/

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