Akron Community Foundation

What Akron Community Foundation does

Akron Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 1955 in Akron, Ohio, through a $1,033,533 bequest from Edwin Coupland Shaw, former B.F. Goodrich Vice President. Originally chartered as Akron Community Trusts and renamed in 1982, the foundation has grown to manage nearly $340 million in charitable assets across more than 900 individual funds and has distributed approximately $280 million in grants since inception. Its primary service area is Summit County, Ohio, with additional historical reach into Medina County prior to the January 2024 spin-off of Medina County Community Foundation as an independent entity.

Name

Akron Community Foundation

Legal name

Akron Community Foundation

Website

https://akroncf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akron Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1955 that manages nearly $340 million in charitable assets across more than 900 funds, serving donors, nonprofits, and students in Summit County, Ohio through charitable funds, grantmaking, and philanthropic services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Donor-advised funds
• Planned giving services
• Community grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fund Administration and Investment Fees: Annual fees of approximately 1.93% for donor-advised and designated funds, and approximately 2.68% for scholarship funds, covering administration and investment management. Fees are deducted directly from funds after donors receive full tax deduction.
2. Charitable Contributions: Accepts donations of various asset types including cash, publicly traded securities, closely held stock, life insurance, real estate, and other property to establish or contribute to charitable funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akron Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that manages nearly $340 million in charitable assets across more than 900 charitable funds for individual donors, families, companies, and nonprofits in Summit County, Ohio. It offers six types of charitable funds (donor-advised, designated, agency endowment, scholarship, field-of-interest, and board discretionary funds), competitive quarterly community grantmaking in Arts & Culture, Civic Affairs, Health & Human Services, and Education, and planned giving services to establish permanent philanthropic legacies.

Product overview

Akron Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a comprehensive suite of philanthropic products and services centered around charitable fund management and community grantmaking. The organization's core offerings include six types of charitable funds (Donor-Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Agency Endowment Funds, Scholarship Funds, Field-of-Interest Funds, and Board Discretionary Funds), competitive quarterly community grants in Arts & Culture, Civic Affairs, Health & Human Services, and Education, plus seven Affiliate Funds serving specific community populations. Supporting infrastructure includes The Center for Family Philanthropy for multigenerational giving, The Institute for Emerging Philanthropists for emerging donor education, Planned Giving vehicles for legacy creation, and Special Grants & Initiatives for proactive community investment. The foundation connects donors to over 900 charitable funds while distributing grants back to the Summit County community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Center for Family Philanthropy: A resource center launched in 2018 featuring state-of-the-art, multigenerational philanthropic services, including education, community needs assessments, and grantmaking expertise for charitable families.
• The Institute for Emerging Philanthropists
• The Institute for Emerging Philanthropists Alumni Network

Products and services

• Charitable Funds

Quantifiable outcome

• 7.3% 10-year annualized net return on investments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GAR FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2025Co-funder of the Unified Early Learning System initiative alongside Akron Community Foundation and PNC Bank to support childcare providers in Greater Akron.
• PNC BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2025Co-funder of the Unified Early Learning System initiative to support childcare providers and increase preschool enrollment in Akron.
• Bath Community FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 2014 to preserve Bath Township's historical and environmental legacy and meet community needs.
• Black Giving Collective FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 2023 to invest in Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations to transform generational health, wealth, and well-being of the Black community in Greater Akron.
• Gay Community Endowment FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 2001 to support programs that advance the LGBTQ+ community's right to live safely, openly and authentically.
• Green Community FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 2022 to strengthen the Green community by supporting meaningful civic and community initiatives.
• Women's Endowment FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 1993 to support programs that improve the health and wellness, safety, and economic empowerment of women and girls in Summit County.
• Vernon L. Odom FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 1993 to support programs that promote diversity and enrich the quality of life within Greater Akron's communities of color.
• Millennium Fund for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate fund established in 1999 in partnership with Akron Beacon Journal to support grassroots children's programs in the newspaper's circulation area.
• Edwin C. ShawcoreOthersOriginal benefactor who established Akron Community Foundation in 1955 with a $1 million bequest. The Edwin C. Shaw legacy society recognizes donors who include the foundation in their estate plans.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Foundation: Ohio's oldest and largest community foundation, headquartered in Cleveland. Operates the same community foundation model in a neighboring Northeast Ohio metro, with comparable charitable funds, donor services, and competitive grantmaking—making it the closest functional peer.
• Columbus Foundation: Ohio's second-largest community foundation, based in Columbus. Runs an identical community foundation model with donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and affiliate funds for the central Ohio region, making it a strong same-state peer.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Community foundation serving the Greater Cincinnati region with donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and community impact initiatives. Closely comparable in scale and operating model to Akron Community Foundation.
• The Dayton Foundation: Community foundation serving the Dayton, Ohio region with charitable funds and grant programs. Operates the same community foundation playbook as ACF in a comparable mid-size Ohio market.
• Pittsburgh Foundation: Community foundation serving the Pittsburgh region with donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and affiliate funds. Comparable to ACF in operating model, scale (~$1.7B AUM), and focus on regional community investment.
• Toledo Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Toledo, Ohio region with donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship programs. Closely comparable mid-size Ohio community foundation peer.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S., offering a national DAF product that competes directly with ACF's donor-advised funds for affluent donors, but at far greater scale and with national reach.
• Schwab Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Competes directly with community foundation DAFs including ACF for donor-advised fund assets, particularly among Schwab's client base.

Emerging players

• Foundation Source: Provider of administrative services for private family foundations. Competes with ACF's Center for Family Philanthropy offering for ultra-high-net-worth families choosing between a private foundation structure and ACF's community foundation services.

Regional players

• The Indianapolis Foundation (Central Indiana Community Foundation): Central Indiana community foundation operating donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and affiliate funds serving the Indianapolis region. Comparable in structure and product set but serves a different Midwestern geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akroncf
• Facebookfacebook.com/AkronCommunityFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akron Community Foundation