Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund announces new signature event

This fall, the Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund will launch a new community event to celebrate the outstanding impact of individuals and organizations that are making a difference in the lives of women and children in Medina County.

The Seasons of Giving event will build on the legacy of the fund’s signature Festival of Trees fundraiser, which raised nearly $150,000 for the endowment over the last decade. The new event will continue to embrace the spirit of holiday giving while reinforcing the fund’s three-part mission of providing grants to organizations and programs in Medina County that support women and children; serving as a catalyst for needed projects; and assisting women in their growth as philanthropists.

“Seasons of Giving is an outgrowth of the recent strategic planning initiative MCWEF undertook in February,” said President Cathy Posner. “Each aspect of the event will be centered around the principles of our mission. It will also serve as a platform to celebrate the phenomenal work of women and nonprofits in Medina County.”

The Seasons of Giving event will take place Thursday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 p.m. at Weymouth Country Club. The evening will feature a keynote address from a notable philanthropist and recognize the accomplishments of the nonprofit organizations that received grants from MCWEF in 2017. The pinnacle of the event will be the presentation of the fund’s first annual Excellence in Philanthropy Awards, which honor individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on women and children in Medina County.

“Our advisory board is excited to host an event that embraces those who are making excellent achievements in philanthropy,” Posner said. “It’s perfectly aligned with our vision of helping women of all ages become philanthropists in their own community.”

The Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund will begin accepting nominations for the Excellence in Philanthropy Awards after June 1. Details about the nomination process and sponsorship opportunities will be available in early June. For more information, contact Cathy Posner, advisory board president, at medinacountyWEF@gmail.com.

About the Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund
The Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund, an affiliate of Akron Community Foundation, was established in 1998 to improve the lives of women and children in Medina County. The mission of the Medina County Women’s Endowment Fund is to fund organizations and programs in Medina County that support women and children, to serve as a catalyst for needed projects, and to assist women in their growth as philanthropists. The fund encourages the advancement and full participation of women and children in the community and in society. In addition, it supports organizations and programs that create opportunities for the educational, physical, emotional, social, artistic and personal growth of women and children. Since the fund’s establishment, it has grown to nearly $390,000 and awarded more than $135,000 in grants. For more information, or to contribute to the Medina County Women’s Endowment fund, go to www.medinawomensendowment.org.

About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 62 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. Currently, it is a philanthropic endowment of more than $201 million with a growing family of 560 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 $138 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.