Akron, Ohio (February 22, 2012) – The Distribution Committee of GAR Foundation kicked off the Foundation’s forty-fifth year of grant making by awarding $900,000 to local nonprofits.
Grants this quarter support treasured Akron institutions, such as the Akron Art Museum, now celebrating its 90th anniversary year. They also support familiar Akron organizations taking new directions, such as the reenergized All-American Soap Box Derby, which received funds to launch a curriculum development effort for school-based car kit projects.
Of particular note to the vibrancy of Akron is a $100,000 grant awarded to the University Park Alliance for the implementation of the Core City Master Plan. UPA focuses on making the 50 block area around The University of Akron a healthy place to live, learn, work, shop and play. “We believe in the vision set forth by University Park Alliance and its many collaborative partners”, said GAR Foundation President Christine Mayer. “Successful execution of the Core City Master Plan will create the vibrancy of place that is so essential to thriving economies, “ said Mayer.
An additional GAR Foundation grant award will be announced at a February 23rd press conference in conjunction with the Akron Public Schools.
The following organizations received grant awards during the Distribution Committee’s February 9, 2012 meeting:
|
Organization |
Amount |
Purpose |
|
Actors' Summit |
$15,000 |
Operations |
|
Akron Area YMCA |
$80,000* |
Voris Community Learning Center |
|
Akron Art Museum |
$110,000 |
Operations |
|
Akron Public Schools |
$70,000 |
Great Leaders Program |
|
All-American Soap Box Derby |
$40,000 |
Operations and Curriculum Development |
|
Asian Services in Action, Inc. |
$40,000 |
International Community Empowerment Project for Akron students |
|
Community Legal Aid Services |
$10,000 |
Legal Support for Families with Children Program |
|
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park |
$50,000 |
For Get Up, Get Out and Go! and Seeds of Learning Urban Youth Outreach Programs |
|
East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. |
$20,000 |
Emergency Home Repair Program |
|
Freedom House for Women, Inc. |
$10,000 |
Operations |
|
Lorain County Community College as fiscal sponsor for the Great Lakes Biomimicry Collaborative |
$15,000 |
Operations |
|
Intermuseum Conservation Association |
$5,000 |
Educational Programming in Summit County |
|
International Institute of Akron, Inc. |
$25,000 |
Funding for a Resource Case Manager Position |
|
Kent State University Foundation |
$50,000 |
Last Opportunity Scholarship Program |
|
Kent State University Foundation |
$20,000 |
WKSU's Spring Fund Drive |
|
Project GRAD |
$100,000 |
Operations |
|
South Street Ministries |
$15,000 |
Operations |
|
Summit County Historical Society |
$15,000 |
Operations |
|
Tri-County Jobs for Ohio's Graduates |
$50,000 |
Provide Dropout Recovery Services for Summit County Youth |
|
United Disability Services, Inc. |
$50,000 |
Vocational Rehabilitation Public Private Partnership Program |
|
University Park Alliance |
$100,000 |
Capacity Building to Implement the Core City Master Plan |
|
The Village Network |
$10,000 |
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Summit County Juvenile Offenders |
*Indicates that part of the award is in the form of a challenge
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Founded in 1967 as a charitable trust by Galen J. Roush, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Roadway Express, and his wife, Ruth, GAR Foundation has distributed over $200 million to date to local nonprofit organizations. GAR Foundation primarily funds five strategic areas: education, health and social services, civic enhancement, the arts and arts education, and nonprofit enhancement with a preference for funding programs and organizations which directly serve Summit County residents. For more information on GAR Foundation, go to www.garfoundation.org or call 330-576-2916.