(Editor's note: The following is a press release.)
The Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation awarded grants totaling $26,900 to nine greater Akron nonprofit organizations. Akron Community Foundation's board ratified this latest round of grants at its quarterly meeting Nov. 30.
Grants were awarded to programs that increase awareness about domestic violence and bullying in the LGBT community, including a $2,400 grant to install KIDJAM! radio in Akron Public Schools. Created by 91.3 The Summit, KIDJAM! promotes inclusion and respect among pre-teens through positive music and messaging.
Other grants will provide outreach to LGBT individuals and their families in greater Akron, including counseling for senior citizens and educational resources for parents and friends.
Since awarding its first grants in 2005, the Gay Community Endowment Fund has reinvested $183,438 into local nonprofit initiatives that promote the well-being and full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens in the greater Akron area.
To make a gift to the Gay Community Endowment Fund, visit www.akroncf.org/give/gcef.
The following grants were awarded this year:
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, $1,500
Fair Housing Contact Service Inc., to study housing discrimination against LGBT 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 LGBT 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
Akron Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, to purchase educational materials that answer questions and provide support for the families and friends of LGBT individuals, $1,000
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
About the Gay Community Endowment Fund
Founded in 2001, the Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation. It facilitates and perpetuates philanthropy by supporting programs and services that support or positively impact the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as the entire greater Akron community. The fund has reinvested more than $183,000 in the community since its inception. Contributions of any amount are welcome and support future grant-making. Checks may be sent to the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, 345 W. Cedar St., Akron, OH 44307-2407. For more information, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.gaycommunityfund.org.
