Gay Community Endowment Fund seeks grant proposals

The Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation is accepting grant applications for programs that positively impact local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents, along with Greater Akron as a whole.

The Gay Community Endowment Fund accepts operational, programmatic and capital requests from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. It also encourages collaborations between applicant organizations. Last year, grants from the fund provided diversity training to people who work with LGBT youth in foster care; supported screenings of LGBT films in downtown Akron theaters; and funded programs for LGBT senior citizens, among other projects.

All grant requests are due by Thursday, Sept. 15. A link to the application is available at www.akroncf.org/applyGCEF. Questions about the application process should be directed to John Garofalo, vice president of community investment, at 330-436-5624 or jgarofalo@akroncf.org.

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. Since its inception, the fund has grown to approximately $1 million while reinvesting nearly $400,000 into the community. Contributions of any amount are welcome and support future grantmaking. 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, or to contribute, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.gaycommunityfund.org.

About Akron Community Foundation

Celebrating 61 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. As of March 31, 2016, it is a philanthropic endowment of more than $182 million with a growing family of more than 530 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 more than $130 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.