Akron Community Foundation

Akron Community Foundation advances charitable giving, grantmaking, and student support across Greater Akron through a broad portfolio of funds, initiatives, and scholarship opportunities. Its website organizes this work across giving, grants and initiatives, affiliate funds, nonprofit and advisor services, and a dedicated Students section that connects local learners with scholarship support. In education, the foundation positions scholarships as a major pathway for helping students pursue their educational goals, with fundholders making possible millions of dollars in scholarship grants for the next generation of leaders. The foundation’s scholarship work serves distinct local audiences and fields of study rather than a single one-size-fits-all program. Examples on its student scholarships page include the Richard L. Averitte Memorial Scholarship Fund for Akron-area high school seniors who have participated in a music program, with awards ranging from $500 to $1,000 and a March 30 deadline, and the Black Tiger Gridiron Alumni Club Scholarship Fund for Cuyahoga Falls High School seniors involved in football, cheerleading, or band, including a $2,000 football-player award and $500 awards for cheerleaders and band members. The foundation also features Hudson-focused opportunities through the Hudson Public Schools Endowment Fund, including scholarships for students planning to study education and for seniors pursuing drawing, painting, or graphic arts. This combination of donor-directed funds, place-based service, and targeted educational support shows Akron Community Foundation operating as a community foundation with deep roots in Akron-area communities, including Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls. Its student-facing resources pair scholarship access with application guidance and direct staff assistance, integrating philanthropy, local education, and community opportunity within one institution.