United Way of Summit County today announced that it would award grants to 53 programs representing 41 organizations throughout Summit County for its two-year funding cycle beginning in 2020. In order to receive funding, organizations had to demonstrate how their programs would help meet the basic needs of local residents or advance United Way’s Bold Goals by 2025.
United Way is working to boost third-grade reading scores, high school graduation rates, and college and career readiness among Akron Public Schools students, promote financial empowerment in Summit County, and decrease ER visits due to overdoses by 2025.
Grant applications were narrowed down through a months-long process led by volunteer members of United Way’s Community Impact Task force. Final approval was given by United Way’s board of directors in November. More programs and agencies will receive grants during the 2020-2021 funding cycle than in the previous two-year period, and of the organizations receiving grants, 13 have never received a grant from United Way before.
Grants, however, are just a portion of United Way’s investments in the local community. In 2020, United Way will spend more than $8 million to support programs – both external and internal – that serve Summit County residents. This includes the Financial Empowerment Center, created through a partnership between United Way and the City of Akron and serving clients throughout the county, and United Way’s 2-1-1 – which answered more than 70,000 calls for help from Summit County residents last year.
“United Way’s work – from the direct services we offer people in our community to the agencies we fund – is singularly focused on creating the greatest possible impact on the lives of Summit County residents,” said Mark E. Krohn, United Way of Summit County board chair. “That work is already showing positive results in our community, including growing third grade reading scores and plummeting overdose rates.”
“We’re proud of our program partners and the critical work they do in delivering services to people in Summit County,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit County. “We’re also inspired by the ways in which their work complements United Way programs, like our Family Resource Centers opening in Akron Public Schools this school year. Today, United Way of Summit County is investing more funds in the local community than ever before, and thanks to the strategic collaborations that power our work, our impact continues to grow year after year.”
United Way Funded Agencies for 2020 and 2021
• ACCESS, Inc.
• ACE Mentor
• Akron Area YMCA
• Akron Inner City Soccer Club
• Akron Promise
• Akron Urban League
• Alchemy, Inc.
• Arlington Church of God Inc.
• Asian Services in Action (ASIA, Inc.)
• Battered Women's Shelter
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Western
Reserve
• Building for Tomorrow
• Catholic Charities
• Child Guidance and Family Solutions
• Community Drug Board Inc.
• Community Outreach Resources
Exchange
• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley
National Park
• ConxusNEO
• Early Childhood Resource Center
• Family Promise of Summit County
• Greater Akron Chamber
• Heart to Heart
• International Soap Box Derby, Inc.
• Jobs for Ohio Graduates (JOG)
• Law and Leadership Institute LLC
• Leadership Akron
• Legacy III
• National Inventors Hall of Fame
• Opportunity Parish Ecumenical
Neighborhood-Ministry
• Portage Path Community Mental
Health Center
• Project GRAD Akron
• South Street Ministries
• Stewart's Caring Place
• Students with a Goal (SWAG)
• Summa Health
• Summit County Fatherhood
Initiative
• Summit Education Initiative
• The Goodwill Industries of
Akron, OH, Inc.
• The Salvation Army
• Truly Reaching You
• Urban Vision
• Victim Assistance Program
• The Well Community Development
Corporation
• Wonder World Child Development and
Day Care Center