Akron, Ohio (May 23, 2017) – GAR Foundation announced grants totaling $1,404,000 to 46 area nonprofit organizations at its May distribution meeting.

The Akron Development Corporation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the City of Akron, received a grant in the amount of $150,000 to support the development and implementation of an economic development strategy for the City. This effort is an outgrowth from the recommendations of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force. That group urged Mayor Horrigan to strengthen and deepen the City’s economic development efforts. “GAR Foundation is energized by Mayor Horrigan’s leadership and his commitment to smart, strategic economic development efforts. We are proud to be able to support this work,” said Christine Amer Mayer, president of GAR Foundation.

“It’s time for Akron to break out of its old habits in our approach to economic development,” Mayor Horrigan said, “and this grant from GAR Foundation will help support a fresh, unified strategy for our City.  This new strategic vision will be living, breathing process that seeks measurable improvement across the city, attracts outside investment, and creates an environment of sustained job growth that uplifts the entire Akron community.”

ArtsNow was awarded $100,000 to continue to enrich and advance arts and culture in the region. The organization is a direct outcome of the GAR and Knight Foundation-funded Arts and Culture Assessment commissioned in 2013 which pointed to the need for a backbone organization to align and support the arts sector.

“The arts remain a key driver of community vibrancy and livability,” said Mayer, “ArtsNow has done terrific work in better connecting the sector and helping to tell the story of the arts’ significance to our economic prosperity.”

Other notable grants include an award in the amount of $134,000 to The Salvation Army of Summit County for high-quality preschool programming at The Learning Zone, and $50,000 to the Akron-Canton Regional FoodBank.

GAR offered a competitive, limited funding application round this quarter for Knight Arts Challenge winners, granting funds to seventeen projects, including Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival, Akron Soul Train, and the Northside Arts District Outdoor Gallery.

The organizations receiving support this quarter include:

• Akron Area YMCA, $20,000, for the Neighborhood Leadership Institute
• Akron Development Corporation, $150,000, for support of the City of Akron Economic Development Strategic Plan
• Akron Soul Train, $25,000, for the first phase of the Akron Soul Train Village
• Akron-Canton Regional FoodBank, $50,000, for general operations*
• American Toy Marble Museum, $5,000, for the Akron’s Marble Railways sculpture garden at Lock 3. Fiscal sponsor: Miami Foundation
• Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra, $4,000, for the “Music Alive!” Folk + Baroque Concerts at Akron Art Museum
• ArtsNow, $100,000, for general operations. Fiscal sponsor: Akron Civic Theater
• Big Love Network, $15,000, for the Akron City Repair Project. Fiscal sponsor: Global Ties
• BLU Jazz Master Class Foundation, $15,000, for jazz master classes for students
• Boys & Girls Club of the Western Reserve, $85,000, for general operating of the afterschool and summer youth development programming
• Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio, $20,000, for the Summit Academy
• Bridges Summit County, $40,000, for general operations. Fiscal sponsor: United Way of Summit County.
• Carla Davis Music, $1,000, for the “Where you There?” historical music project at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Fiscal sponsor: Miami Foundation
• Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture for Devil’s Milk, $2,500, for the All-Over Akron project to present The Devil’s Milk Trilogy at the Balch Street Theatre
• Children’s Concert Society, $10,000, for general operations.
• College Now of Greater Cleveland, $55,000, for College Access Advising Services in Akron Public Schools
• Curated Storefront, $5,000, for a series of exhibitions in unused storefronts in downtown Akron. Fiscal sponsor: Miami Foundation
• East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, $8,000, for the Storefront Echos Project
• Emmanuel Christian Academy, $35,000, For the Summer Enrichment STEAM Academy
• First Glance, $35,000, for general operations
• Girls Rocks Camp Akron, $2,500, for a week-long music camp for girls. Fiscal sponsor: Miami Foundation
• Groundworks DanceTheater, $25,000, for programming in Summit County
• Interfaith Caregivers, $25,000, for general operations
• Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, $20,000, for the Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders program in Summit County
• Karen Starr and Shane Wynn, $7,500, for the “If this Wallpaper Could Talk” project. Fiscal sponsor: Akron Area Arts Alliance
• Kent State University Foundation, $7,000, for the Optics of Memory project
• Kent State University Foundation, $50,000, For the Last Opportunity Scholarship program
• Lawrence School, $25,000, for professional development and literacy intervention training with Emmanuel Christian Academy
• Magical Theatre Company, $25,000, for general operations
• Mobile Meals, $60,000, for general operations
• NEOs Dance Theatre, $7,500, for the “Lose your Marbles: A Dance-centric Fringe Festival”
• Ohio Living Holdings, $10,000, for the Akron Adult Day Center
• Open Tone Music, $20,000, for the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival
• Philanthropy Ohio, $5,000, for general operations
• Project Learn of Summit County, $50,000, for general operations
• Stan Hwyet Hall & Gardens, $30,000, for the 2017 Annual Fund*
• Summit County Historical Society, $15,000, For the Education Expansion for Readiness and Success program
• Testa Companies, $15,000, for the Northside Arts District Outdoor Gallery. Fiscal sponsor: Miami Foundation
• The Cleveland Orchestra, $75,000, for the 2017 Blossom Music Festival
• The Salvation Army, $134,000, for the Learning Zone
• The University of Akron Foundation, $5,000, for the Synapse: Stream into Stem project
• The University of Akron Foundation, $12,000, for the Art Bomb Brigade project
• Tuesday Musical Association, $8,000, for the Decompression Chamber project
• Urban Vision, $25,000, For the Set on Success afterschool program
• Victim Assistance Program, Inc., $30,000, for general operations
• Western Reserve Historical Society, $35,000, For the Inhale program serving Summit County

*consists of a challenge grant.

For more information contact Dina Younis, communications manager at [email protected] or 330.572.2809.

_{Header photo by Tim Fitzwater for Akron Stock.}