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Mark Your Calendar: 2015 Annual Meeting
Join the Gay Community Endowment Fund on Sunday, April 26, at the new Hilton Garden Inn on East Market Street for our annual "Report to the Community." We're excited to hear from keynote speaker Judy Shepard, whose son Matthew was murdered in October 1998 as part of an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming. Don't miss the opportunity to hear Judy speak about her son and the work she is doing in his memory. Details coming soon.
Read more about the event.
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Gay Games 9 Breaks Profit Records
We're proud to announce that Gay Games 9 was the most profitable in the event's history. As platinum sponsor, the Gay Community Endowment Fund received $27,000 from the profit, bringing our fund balance close to the $1 million mark. John Grafton, GCEF board member, along with John T. Petures Jr., president and CEO of Akron Community Foundation, accepted the check at an event wrap-up panel, where a Gay Games 9 impact report was released.
See photos from this exciting event.
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Grant News
GCEF Announces 2014 Grants
The Gay Community Endowment Fund recently awarded 11 grants totaling $42,700 for programs that positively impact the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Grants provided diversity training to people who counsel LGBT survivors of sexual assault, supported screenings of LGBT films in downtown Akron theaters, offered counseling and support to LGBT senior citizens, and supported many other critical LGBT services in Greater Akron.
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Board News
GCEF Welcomes New Board Members
The Gay Community Endowment Fund is excited to welcome two new board members.
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Lisa is the vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Akron Children's Hospital, where she is responsible for the patient service areas of both Akron Children's hospitals, as well as the off-site patient care units within adult hospitals. She and her partner, Dianne, live in Twinsburg and enjoy traveling, reading, golfing and spending time with their families.
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Vince is the president and CEO of Fair Housing Advocates Association in Akron, where he investigates housing discrimination cases against racial and LGBT minorities. He has received a number of awards, most notably from the Akron Black Women's Leadership Caucus and the Ohio Senate. Vince is also the proud father of two sons.
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In addition, Cindy Christman is the new advisory board chair, succeeding Mary Margaret Rowlands, who led the fund for the past two years. Thank you, Mary Margaret, for all you have done to move GCEF forward as chair and for your continued work on the board.
Thank you also to Jim Simon, who resigned his position on the board due to increased commitments. You will be missed.
The board would also like to recognize two members who, although their terms on the board have expired, will continue to provide support and knowledge in emeritus positions. Thank you to Peter Schofield and Rick Krochka, who were members of the original founding board.
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Events
Five proud homeowners welcomed more than 850 guests into their homes on Dec. 7, 2014, as part of the Sugar Plum Tour. Thanks to the generosity of the homeowners and the hard work of chair Steve Williams and his committee, this year's tour generated an incredible $81,500. Thank you to everyone for their generous support and participation. Your support of this event allows us to continue funding programs that make a difference for LGBT people in our community.
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Donate Now
Support GCEF With Your Donations |
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The Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent philanthropic fund of Akron Community Foundation. To date, it has reinvested nearly $360,000 to organizations and programs in the Greater Akron area that support or positively impact the LGBT community and serve as a catalyst for full participation of LGBT people in our society. The fund promotes philanthropy within the LGBT and allied communities. Since 2001, the fund has grown to more than $960,000 through gifts, fundraising and bequests. The earned income from this balance is distributed through annual grantmaking.
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