2024 impact report

Welcome to GAR Foundation’s 2024 Impact Report. Like many organizations, we take time to reflect at the end of each year — to consider what went well, what we learned, what we will build on in the year to come, even what we will discard.

As we worked through that process for 2024, we felt pride in our grantee partners who have persisted through challenges and made their communities better. While we can point to dozens of great stories among our partners, we found that we kept coming back to efforts that fall in the intersections of our work. By this, I am referring to those magical, powerful initiatives where an organization that is an expert in one field such as education joins forces with an organization from another field like the arts. We see outsized impact in these kinds of partnerships for a few reasons.

• First, they unleash creativity and innovation. Partners with a long history of excellence in their field often begin to approach their work differently, with a spin they learned from a practitioner who is not normally a part of their world.
• Work at the intersections also creates efficiencies, reducing duplicative efforts and enabling organizations to do what they do best.
• Lastly, work at the intersections mirrors how life really works. We don’t have a compartment of our brain that focuses on our family’s education needs and a different compartment that frets about paying the bills and accessing healthcare.

All of our challenges and opportunities are interrelated, and successful collaborative work echoes that reality, building holistic solutions that make more sense in real life. At a time when we constantly hear about all the things that divide us, we take heart in the successes we see when people come together around important work. We hope this discussion of intersections in our work will inspire you to achieve more by partnering with others.

Christine Amer Mayer
President

ArtsForward is a regranting program operated by ArtsNow that provides resources to support individual projects and programs that move the Akron/Summit Cultural Plan’s ten key priorities forward. Through ArtsForward, artists, creators, and cultural organizations are empowered to bring their projects to life and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of our community.

In 2024, ArtsForward supported 29 artists and programs with over $400,000 in grants, bringing its total to more than $870,000 awarded in just two years. Operated by ArtsNow, ArtsForward continues to empower Akron’s arts and culture community to bring transformative projects to life while strengthening the cultural fabric of the entire region.

With a focus on collaboration, inclusivity, and accessibility, ArtsForward fosters partnerships among local artists, cultural organizations, and community groups to tackle pressing social and economic challenges. By integrating creative placemaking strategies and amplifying cultural assets, the initiative enhances neighborhood vibrancy, builds connections among residents, celebrates Akron’s diverse identities, and drives economic opportunities. This holistic approach firmly establishes arts and culture as central to Akron’s growth and resilience.

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Althea Jones, Local Artist & ArtsForward Grantee

“By having significant financial and professional support, I was able to be open to the feedback of community members and create arts experiences and artifacts that responded directly to their needs and desires. Being responsive in this way has allowed community members to feel seen and has increased their personal investment in this project and the arts; while developing new relationships with other community members.”

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Elevate Greater Akron (Elevate) is a collaborative of government, business, and civic leaders working together to bring greater prosperity to the greater Akron region. The initiative focuses on shared priorities and metrics aligned with the work of nearly 20 local partners. Elevate is transforming the culture of economic development by capitalizing on opportunities that catapult the Greater Akron region toward a new trajectory in a rapidly changing world.

Elevate is the “table” where economic development stakeholders unite to strengthen the region and create an inclusive economy in Greater Akron. Since GAR helped to found Elevate Greater Akron in 2018, we’ve prioritized collaborative action over isolated efforts. By supporting a shared vision, clear sightlines to each other’s work, data sharing, and collective accountability, Elevate embodies the intersection of economic development work and collaboration.

In 2024, Elevate introduced an updated strategic framework centered on four shared priorities. Below is a brief overview of each priority and how it’s impacting our region. Click the link in each section to explore the full details.

Global Polymer Capital - Capture growth opportunities as the global sustainable polymer capital.

• In 2024, Elevate helped secure $100M in federal and state grants to grow Greater Akron’s thriving cluster in sustainable polymers.
• Partners are leveraging this focus to drive business growth, entrepreneurship, downtown development, and workforce inclusion.

Opportunity Akron - Prioritize inclusive economic growth.

• Elevate partners support minority-owned businesses through robust assistance, procurement opportunities, and connections to foster inclusive prosperity.
• They also develop workforce pathways to connect residents with good jobs, promoting inclusivity in the local economy.

Strong Downtown. Strong Region. - Build a thriving, connected downtown.

• Elevate partners collectively focus their efforts on priorities from the Downtown Akron Vision and Redevelopment Plan – for instance, prioritizing a vibrant retail block near the newly reopened Lock 3.
• Elevate partners are rallying around the new Downtown Akron Development Corporation which will facilitate smart strategic real estate deals downtown.

The New Fundamentals - Coordinate economic development intentionally focused on those already in the region.

• The Elevate Business Retention and Expansion team unites partners to support local companies, providing the resources and guidance they need to grow and thrive in Greater Akron.
• Elevate partners have put together resources to redevelop latent parcels near residential neighborhoods so that Greater Akron is well positioned for smart, inclusive growth when opportunities arise.

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Steve Millard, President & CEO, Greater Akron Chamber

“By bringing collaborative partners together around a shared vision, we’re shaping our future with intention—together. Elevate links us with ecosystem partners to create momentum for growth in key industries, downtown vibrancy, and inclusive prosperity.”

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Each school year through Essential Experiences^SM, nearly 10,000 Akron Public Schools PreK-5th grade students visit one of seven local cultural and historical organizations to engage in custom-designed educational programs that align directly with classroom learning. These experiences deepen students' connections to the community, foster critical thinking through inquiry-based activities, and allow them to gain valuable exposure to career possibilities.

Essential Experiences^SM provides Akron Public Schools PreK-5th grade students with meaningful, high-quality co-curricular field studies designed to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning. Each experience has been thoughtfully curated with specific learning objectives aligned to Ohio’s age- and grade-appropriate learning standards, ensuring that students not only enjoy these adventures but also engage in educational opportunities that reinforce classroom instruction. By partnering with arts, culture, and historical organizations across greater Akron, Essential Experiences^SM opens a world of discovery for APS students, connecting them to the region’s rich cultural assets and fostering lifelong learning.

Now in its sixth year, Essential Experiences^SM has become a proven model of collaboration and innovation, transforming the educational landscape for thousands of APS students while enhancing each host organization. For students, these experiences go beyond classroom learning, sparking critical thinking, creativity, and an awareness of diverse career possibilities. For host organizations, the program has provided an opportunity to refine and expand how they engage with a diverse audience of young learners, improving their impact on the community. This transformative initiative not only equips students with tools for academic and personal growth, but also fosters a deep, enduring connection to greater Akron’s vibrant arts, culture, and historical landscape—planting the seeds for future civic engagement and community pride.

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Marcie Ebright, Director, College and Career Academies of Akron

“Essential Experiences reinforces the idea that arts and culture are a shared resource that belongs to everyone and creates a long-lasting relationship between the students and the community in which we want them to live and thrive.”

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Family Resource Centers (FRC), powered by United Way of Summit & Medina, are welcoming community hubs located in five Akron Public Schools buildings. In 2024, GAR Foundation proudly became an official sponsor of the North High School FRC.

FRCs are welcoming places that connect families to vital services, including food assistance, housing support, financial education, and more, fostering stability and well-being. By linking students and their families to needed resources, the FRCs are helping to address non-academic barriers to student success.

Staffed by a United Way coordinator, the FRCs provide ongoing, individualized wraparound care to clients, connecting them with services offered by United Way – such as housing assistance or free financial counseling – or by agencies across the local community.

Since first opening in 2019, United Way’s Family Resource Centers have provided more than 2,000 free rides to residents in need of transportation and more than 2,000 free deliveries of food and school supplies. FRC events – from family dinners to health screenings and financial literacy sessions – hosted an estimated 6,700 guests in that time.

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Tiffany Stacy, North FRC Coordinator, United Way of Summit & Medina

"Our coordinators become a member of the family's network of support while also strengthening the ties between home and school.”

Read more about GAR’s sponsorship of the North High School FRC and the impact these centers are making on the lives of students and families:

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Youth Success Summit (YSS) is a network dedicated to providing support for high quality after school and summer programs that are focused on the growth, development, and success of Akron's youth. Its mission is to galvanize the entire community to provide equitable and innovative opportunities where youth build essential skills needed for success in life.

YSS is on a mission to ensure that our community’s children and youth have equitable access to high-quality out-of-school time programs. Research shows that these opportunities enhance positive youth development, reduce youth violence, improve educational outcomes, and better prepare young people for college and career success. By addressing the real challenges faced by after-school and summer program providers, YSS is rallying to convert the entire community into a classroom of learning.

YSS has identified three key programming areas of focus to support: arts and enrichment, college and career readiness, and sports and wellness. These efforts are deeply aligned with the City of Akron’s strategic priorities around youth opportunity and violence prevention. YSS connects Akron’s youth with caring adults and meaningful activities during the critical after-school hours of 3-6 p.m., a peak time for youth crime and violence. By connecting youth and families to positive experiences and relationships, YSS lays the groundwork for success in school and life.

One powerful avenue for this impact is the arts. Through arts and enrichment programming, YSS bridges the gap between education and creativity, offering transformative experiences that inspire personal growth, critical thinking, and self expression. This approach not only enriches young lives but also strengthens academic success and community bonds, demonstrating how creativity equips children with the skills and confidence to thrive in school, careers, and beyond.

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Rachel Tecca, Executive Director, Youth Success Summit

“Participation in arts and enrichment after-school programs nurtures a young person’s creativity, strengthens their confidence, and enhances critical thinking skills, all while fostering a sense of community and belonging that supports their overall development.”

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