What Barberton Community Foundation does

Barberton Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1996 in Barberton, Ohio, with an original endowment of $86 million and a current Main Fund of approximately $91-94 million. The Foundation manages 122 charitable funds, deploys roughly $1.1 million annually in grants across four strategic focus areas (early learning, career pathways, downtown revitalization, and basic needs), and awarded approximately $336,128 in scholarships across 119 awards in 2025. It is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors and operated by a six-person staff led by Executive Director Josh Gordon (appointed January 2024).

The Foundation's revenue model relies on investment returns from its diversified endowment portfolio (which is mandated to be preserved in perpetuity) plus annual donations and planned gifts from individuals, families, and organizations. Donors can establish their own charitable funds through the Foundation's Fund Establishment Services or contribute to existing funds supporting specific causes. Distribution to grantees is executed through GOapply (online grant and scholarship application portal), the Fund Portal (donor-facing balance and history tracking launched in 2024), and Qgiv (payment processing). The Foundation has no proprietary technology platform and uses third-party SaaS tools including Constant Contact for email marketing.

The Foundation's go-to-market is community-led: it functions as a convener, funder, and strategic partner to the City of Barberton, Barberton City Schools, Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC), Main Street Barberton, Youth Success Summit, the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, and dozens of local nonprofits and small businesses. In 2025 it adopted a new 2025-2031 strategic plan and articulated a long-term "Transformational Impact Era" vision of growing the Main Fund to $250 million to enable $7 million in annual community grants.

Name

Barberton Community Foundation

Legal name

Barberton Community Foundation

Website

https://barbertoncf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barberton Community Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) community foundation in Barberton, Ohio, managing 122 funds with a ~$91-94M Main Fund and deploying ~$1.1M annually in grants and scholarships across early learning, career pathways, downtown revitalization, and basic needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Endowment grantmaking
• Scholarship administration
• Donor-advised funds
• Local philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Barberton

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The Foundation receives charitable donations from individuals, families, and organizations into its endowment and donor-advised funds. Donors can establish new funds, make planned gifts, or donate to existing funds supporting early learning, career pathways, downtown revitalization, basic needs, and other community priorities.
2. Investment Returns on Endowment: The Foundation's Main Fund (endowment) is invested across a diversified portfolio. Only a constrained percentage of investment returns is spent on grants, scholarships, and operations, ensuring the endowment grows in real terms to support the community 'in perpetuity' (forever).
3. Grants and Program Support: The Foundation deploys ~$1.1M annually in grant programs (2025 figure) across downtown development, economic development, early learning, career pathways, and basic needs. The Foundation also funds scholarships (~$400K+ annually) and sponsors community events and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Barberton Community Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation that manages an approximately $91-94M endowment and 122 charitable funds to strengthen the Barberton, Ohio community. It provides competitive grants to nonprofits, schools, and businesses, administers multiple scholarship programs for Barberton students and adult learners, offers fund establishment and planned giving services to donors, and convenes community stakeholders across four strategic focus areas: early learning, career pathways, downtown revitalization, and basic needs.

Product overview

Barberton Community Foundation is a community foundation offering a unified portfolio of grantmaking and scholarship programs designed to strengthen the Barberton, Ohio community. The core offerings include multiple scholarship programs (Cum Laude, First Generation, On-Campus Housing, Resident, Adult Back to School, Early Childhood Education Workforce, CDL, Leadership Development, General Workforce Development, and Driver's Education scholarships), grant programs (Downtown Building Rehabilitation Program and Economic Development Assistance Program), fund establishment services, and planned giving options. The Foundation manages approximately 122 funds and operates through strategic focus areas of early learning, career pathways, downtown revitalization, and basic needs. All programs are accessible through the Foundation's online portals including GOapply for applications and the Fund Portal for fund representatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tuscora Park Health & Wellness Foundation: A separate foundation that the BCF partners with and hosts on its website

Products and services

• Cum Laude Scholarship Four-year renewable scholarship for graduating seniors at Barberton High School demonstrating academic excellence through GPA and class ranking. Awards increase yearly from $1,500 (Year 1) to $3,000 (Year 4).
• First Generation Scholarship Four-year scholarship recognizing students who are first in their family to attend college. Awards increase from $1,500 (Year 1) to $3,000 (Year 4), supporting six graduating seniors annually.
• On-Campus Housing Scholarship Scholarship providing up to $15,000 annually to help Barberton students pursue higher education while living in on-campus housing with a meal plan.
• BCF Resident Scholarship Four-year renewable scholarship supporting Barberton residents pursuing post-secondary education. Awards up to $1,000 per year for college, trade, or technical education at accredited nonprofit institutions.
• Adult Back to School Scholarship Workforce development scholarship open year-round for Barberton residents and employees of Barberton-based organizations pursuing degrees, certifications, or professional training.
• Early Childhood Education Workforce Scholarship Scholarship supporting individuals pursuing CDA credential, Associate's, or Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Awards up to $2,500 for early childhood providers located in Barberton.
• Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Scholarship Scholarship supporting individuals pursuing CDL certification through Stark State College or accredited nonprofit providers. Awards up to $2,500 for Barberton residents or employees of Barberton-based organizations.
• Leadership Development Scholarship Matching scholarship covering 50% of program costs (up to $2,500) for leadership training programs including Heart to Heart Leadership's Purposeful Leadership Program, Leadership Akron, and United Way's Center for Immersive Leadership.
• General Workforce Development Scholarship Four awards up to $1,250 for adult learners pursuing career advancement through college coursework, trade training, professional certification, or credentialed learning.
• Driver's Education Scholarship Partial scholarships ($125-$325) for Barberton High School students to offset driver education costs through Myers Driving School partnership.
• Downtown Building Rehabilitation Program (DBRP) Grant program providing funding for building owners and businesses to make improvements to buildings in downtown Barberton. Grants up to $100,000 for purchasing and renovating downtown buildings for new businesses, and up to $20,000 for new Barberton business promotion.
• Economic Development Assistance Program (EDAP) Grant program for established businesses wishing to expand operations and add jobs. Concepts are evaluated and passed along to Barberton Community Development Corporation for approval and implementation.
• Sokol Youth Sports Fund Fund created in partnership with Sokol Club to support quality enhancements and improve access to youth sports for Barberton kids and families. Grantmaking begins in 2027 for Barberton-based youth sports organizations, leagues, teams, and community-based athletic programs.
• Fund Establishment Services Service allowing donors to establish charitable funds supporting specific causes they care about. The Foundation manages 122 funds supporting various community causes and organizations.
• Planned Giving Legacy gift opportunities enabling donors to create long-term support for Barberton across generations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22.8% kindergarten readiness (vs. 36.5% Ohio state average) — a key metric BCF targets through early learning investments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Youth Success Summit (YSS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Youth Success Summit is a Summit County nonprofit network dedicated to providing high-quality, equitable after-school and summer programs for children and teenagers. BCF and Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation jointly funded a small grant to YSS to conduct a landscape study of Barberton's OST organizations and opportunities, working with Barberton City Schools, Lake Anna YMCA, Barberton Parks and Recreation, Boys and Girls Club, and others.
• Akron-Canton Regional Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BCF provided a $50,000 grant to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank at year-end 2025, restricted exclusively to fulfill food orders placed by Barberton-based food distribution locations. This upstream funding approach amplified and prolonged the impact of BCF dollars by paying at the source, relieving distribution sites of food order costs.
• Sokol ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarberton Community Foundation partners with Sokol Club to administer the Sokol Youth Sports Fund, created to support quality enhancements and improve access to youth sports for Barberton kids and families. Sokol Club is building the fund throughout 2026 with grantmaking beginning in 2027. The fund invests in Barberton-based athletic organizations, leagues, teams, and community-based programs. Rooted in Sokol's century-long commitment to fitness, character, and community (since 1905), the fund helps remove financial barriers and expand youth sports access.
• Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCDC is the primary implementation partner for the Foundation's economic development grant programs — the Downtown Building Rehabilitation Program (DBRP) and Economic Development Assistance Program (EDAP). BCF funds BCDC to evaluate, approve, and administer grants to downtown businesses and building owners seeking to open, expand, or renovate in Barberton's downtown.
• Main Street BarbertoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain Street Barberton is focused entirely on making downtown Barberton a destination for residents and visitors through events, small business marketing and promotion, building owner support for finding quality tenants, and administration of grant programs. BCF and the City of Barberton have provided funding support for MSB for the past 3 years.
• Barberton City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarberton City Schools is a key strategic partner across multiple Foundation focus areas: early learning (Kindergarten Readiness Assessment data, purple t-shirt program), career pathways (Polymer Pathway aligned with Federal Tech Hub, Advanced Manufacturing, Network Systems & Cyber Security programs), and OST landscape study collaboration. BCF supports school district programs through grants and scholarships.
• Lake Anna YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Barberton OST landscape study, providing information on its programming offerings for youth and families as part of the effort to map all out-of-school-time opportunities in Barberton.
• Barberton Parks and Recreation DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Barberton OST landscape study, sharing information on recreational programming and sports opportunities available to youth as part of the effort to map and connect Barberton families to OST resources.
• Boys and Girls Club of Northeast OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Barberton OST landscape study, contributing knowledge of its youth programming as part of the collaborative effort to map all out-of-school-time opportunities available to Barberton children and families.
• Tuscora Park Health and Wellness FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation is a related foundation whose website BCF manages. It co-funded the grant to Youth Success Summit for the OST landscape study, matched BCF's contribution, and represents a parallel health-focused foundation serving Barberton.
• Barberton Area Community Ministries (BACM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACM is a frontline nonprofit partner serving Barberton residents experiencing food insecurity. As a food distribution location, it receives food orders from the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank that are funded through BCF's restricted grant. BCF's basic needs focus area supports organizations like BACM with grant funding.
• Salvation Army of BarbertonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalvation Army of Barberton is a food distribution location serving local families in need. It receives food orders from the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank funded by BCF's restricted grant as part of the Foundation's basic needs focus area.
• Common ThreadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Threads is a food distribution nonprofit serving Barberton residents. As a food distribution location, it benefits from BCF's $50,000 restricted grant to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, which covers food orders placed by Barberton food distribution sites including Common Threads.
• Myers Driving SchoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMyers Driving School is the provider of driver education courses for Barberton High School students. BCF's Driver's Education Scholarship (ranging from $125 to $325) helps offset the cost of these courses for eligible students, making driver education accessible to more Barberton teens.
• City of Barberton (Mayor Judge's Office, Planning Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Barberton, under Mayor Judge's leadership, is a key strategic partner in economic development and downtown revitalization. The City collaborates with BCF on funding support for Main Street Barberton, downtown development grants, and broader community development strategy. BCF and the City have provided joint funding for MSB for 3 years.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Akron Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Summit County, Ohio (the same county as Barberton). Highly comparable model — endowed community foundation providing grants, scholarships, and donor-advised funds — with a larger geographic mandate and likely larger endowment. BCF actually partners with related foundations in the same county (Tuscora Park Health & Wellness Foundation).
• Stark Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Stark County, Ohio — directly adjacent to Barberton (Summit County). Comparable mission, donor-advised fund model, and scholarship/grantmaking programs. Stark State College is even referenced in BCF's CDL scholarship materials, suggesting geographic overlap with BCF's workforce development beneficiaries.

Broad incumbents

• The Cleveland Foundation: Ohio's first and one of the largest community foundations, with a multi-billion-dollar endowment and grantmaking across Greater Cleveland. Comparable as a state-level peer doing similar grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund work, though at much greater scale and broader geographic scope than BCF's single-city focus.
• The Columbus Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the U.S., serving central Ohio. Directly comparable as a multi-fund community foundation running donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, scholarships, and donor stewardship programs — but at significantly greater scale than BCF.
• The Pittsburgh Foundation: Major community foundation serving Pittsburgh and Allegheny County — a comparable Rust Belt post-industrial city profile to Barberton. Operates similar donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarships, but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than BCF.

Direct peers

• Dayton Foundation: Greater Dayton-area community foundation with a comparable single-region grantmaking model, donor-advised funds, and scholarship programs. Both foundations serve post-industrial Midwestern cities of similar economic profile, making the operating model and donor stewardship approach closely aligned with BCF.
• Greater Toledo Community Foundation: Northwest Ohio community foundation with similar scale, donor-advised fund services, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship programs. Both foundations serve legacy industrial Ohio cities and deploy strategic community investment approaches — comparable in mission, structure, and operating model to BCF.
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Mid-sized community foundation with a comparable endowment-driven grantmaking and scholarship model, serving a single mid-sized city (Grand Rapids, MI). Both foundations manage 100+ funds, deploy competitive grant cycles, and emphasize strategic community investment — making the operating model closely aligned with BCF.
• Lancaster County Community Foundation: Pennsylvania-based community foundation with a comparable mid-sized endowment and single-county service area. Operates a similar portfolio of donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grant cycles, with a comparable lean staff structure serving a defined geographic community — directly analogous to BCF's operating model.
• Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: Iowa's largest community foundation with a comparable mission-driven grantmaking, donor-advised fund, and scholarship model. Serves a defined Midwestern metropolitan area through strategic community investments and donor stewardship — directly comparable to BCF in model and approach, though at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@barbertoncommunityfoundati2251
• Facebookfacebook.com/barbertoncommunityfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barberton-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Barberton Community Foundation