What Greater Alliance Foundation does

Greater Alliance Foundation (GAF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1999 and headquartered in Alliance, Ohio, that operates as a community foundation for the greater Alliance area. It manages donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, corporate advised funds, organizational endowments, and scholarship funds, connecting roughly 200 local nonprofits and individual donors with community needs. Its core programs include the Give Alliance 365 collective giving circle ($1/day membership with peer voting on grants up to $10,000), a family of named funds (Carlile Food Insecurity, Summer Explorers, Alliance Police K-9, etc.), a multi-fund scholarship portfolio, and The Alliance Commons, a co-located hub hosting partner nonprofits such as StarkFresh, Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, YWCA Career Boutique, and Alliance Area Habitat for Humanity. The foundation employs a 3-person staff (Executive Director Heidi McClung, CFO Marcie Curry, Administrative Coordinator Lori Jewell) supported by a 7-member Board of Trustees plus a Trustee Emeritus.

Revenue mechanics center on charitable donations rather than commercial sales. Inflows come from individual and corporate donations, recurring Give Alliance 365 memberships, matching contributions from the Peters Charitable Fund and Burnell Brotsman Charitable Fund, and endowment returns. GAF distributed more than $1 million annually to local nonprofits in a typical year and nearly $875,000 in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025, with grants reviewed quarterly and scholarships awarded annually. The technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress website with Network for Good payment processing and a Community Calendar; there is no proprietary platform, mobile app, or AI capability. Distribution occurs through the website for self-serve donations and applications, formal grant review cycles, and community events at Alliance Commons.

Name

Greater Alliance Foundation

Legal name

Greater Alliance Foundation Inc.

Website

https://greateralliancefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Greater Alliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Alliance, Ohio that manages donor funds, grants, and scholarships for nearly 200 local nonprofits and area students through its Give Alliance 365 giving circle and The Alliance Commons nonprofit hub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable grant administration
• Donor-advised funds
• Scholarship administration
• Collective giving circles

Headquarters

HQ city

Alliance

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Receives donations from individuals and organizations through various fund types including donor-advised funds, designated funds, and general community fund. Manages these funds and distributes grants and scholarships to qualifying recipients.
2. Give Alliance 365 Membership: Recurring membership program at $1/day where members collectively decide on grant allocations to local nonprofits. Raised over $114,000 in 5 years, granting $74,000 to local nonprofits and endowing $78,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Greater Alliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that pools charitable contributions from individuals and organizations and redistributes them as grants to local nonprofits and scholarships to area students. It also administers a portfolio of named funds, runs the Give Alliance 365 giving circle ($1/day membership with donor voting on micro-grants up to $10,000), and operates the Alliance Commons as a hub co-locating multiple partner nonprofits serving Alliance, Ohio residents.

Product overview

Greater Alliance Foundation is a community foundation serving the Alliance, Ohio area. Its primary offerings consist of grant programs supporting local nonprofits, scholarship programs for area students, and the Give Alliance 365 giving circle. The foundation facilitates charitable giving through various fund types (Donor Advised, Designated, Field of Interest, Corporate Advised, Organizational Endowments, and Scholarship Funds), manages a Family of Funds addressing specific community needs, maintains a community calendar of local events, and publishes annual reports. The foundation partners with Network for Good for online payment processing and utilizes WordPress for its digital platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Give Alliance 365: A collective giving initiative under GAF's umbrella that allows donors to contribute $1 per day and vote on which local nonprofits receive micro-grants up to $10,000.
• Michael's World
• The Alliance Commons
• Summer Explorers

Products and services

• Give Alliance 365 A collective giving circle program where members donate $1 per day ($365/year) to support local nonprofits; members vote on how funds are distributed to community organizations, while also building an endowment for long-term impact. Raised over $114,000 in 5 years with $74,000 granted and $78,000 endowed.
• Scholarship Programs Portfolio of named scholarship funds (Alliance Association of Office Professionals, Ann McConahay Education Foundation, Athena Scholarship Fund, Carlile Scholarship Fund, Carnation City Players, Hometown Heroes, Sarah Stanley Memorial, and others) supporting Alliance-area high school seniors and post-secondary students with awards typically ranging from $1,000 upward.
• Grant Programs Grant funding program for local nonprofits serving Alliance, Ohio communities across arts, education, health, human services, housing, and food security. Applications reviewed three times yearly in October, February, and June, with donor recommendations carrying a $250 minimum distribution. Awards exceed $1 million annually.
• Charitable Fund Establishment Service enabling donors to open and contribute to named charitable funds including Donor Advised Funds, Donor Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Corporate Advised Funds, Organizational Endowments, and Scholarship Funds, accepting various gift types.
• Family of Funds Portfolio of named charitable funds administered by the foundation including the Carlile Food Insecurity Fund, Summer Explorers Fund, Alliance Police K-9 Fund, Alliance Friends Marriage Ministry Fund, Maxine Middleton Robotics Memorial Fund, and other donor-restricted funds supporting specific community causes.
• Community Calendar Online calendar listing free community events at The Alliance Commons and partner locations, including movie nights, social service walk-ins, children's clothing distributions, CPR training, Soup & BINGO, Mugs & Muffins, and Clay Camp.
• Annual Reports Annual reports (2023, 2024, 2025 editions) documenting grants awarded, scholarships distributed, financial stewardship, and community impact metrics for donors and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $875,000 in grants distributed in first half of FY25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 flagship, core and minor.

• University of Mount Union Regula CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Jointly hosted Professional Development Day welcoming nearly 80 nonprofit professionals. Partnership with Abby Schroeder, Director of the Regula Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement, provides student interns and volunteers supporting Alliance Commons. Now in fifth year of collaboration.
• Network for GoodcoreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork for Good securely processes online credit card payments for the Greater Alliance Foundation. They provide the payment processing infrastructure for all online donations to the foundation.
• Alliance City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through Summer Explorers program with Rob Gress and Michelle Balderson. Birdie Bag Program serves Alliance City School students. School-Based Health Center partnership with Alliance Family Health Center anticipated for 2027.
• The Alliance Commons Nonprofit PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHub for multiple nonprofit partners: Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank (41 households, 1,350 diapers), Beacon Charitable Pharmacy (705 prescriptions), Challenge Ministries (job training), YWCA Career Boutique (3,000+ patrons), StarkFresh (5,172 customers), Habitat for Humanity (11 homes). Foundation provides space and coordination.
• YWCA of AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Explorers program hosting at-risk elementary students. YWCA provides facilities and support for the summer learning loss prevention program.
• Ben Curtis Family FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCarlile Food Insecurity Fund supports Birdie Bag Program providing over 450 Alliance City School students with reliable non-perishable meals and snacks.
• Alliance Pregnancy CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReceived grant from Give Alliance 365 to provide car seats to families in need through parenting courses.
• Challenge MinistriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGive Alliance 365 funding enabled expansion of 1-on-1 mentorship program and increased job placement success for participants.
• Michael's WorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGive Alliance 365 funding supported expansion and renovation of free children's clothing store serving Alliance children.
• Alliance Family Health CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Alliance City Schools to open School-Based Health Center at Alliance High School, anticipated to open spring 2027.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Foundation for Appalachian Ohio: Regional foundation serving Appalachian Ohio counties with grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund services. Comparable in fund structure but serves a broader and demographically different geography than Greater Alliance Foundation.

Direct peers

• The Dayton Foundation: Community foundation serving the Dayton, Ohio region with donor-advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and the same nonprofit hub-and-fund model. Operates at a similar community-foundation scale with overlapping donor and grantee dynamics.
• The Columbus Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in Ohio, offering donor-advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and fund establishment services to central Ohio donors. Comparable operating model, with significantly larger scale, making it a peer in mission if not in size.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Regional community foundation in Ohio administering donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship programs. Comparable structure with similar revenue streams from individual donors, corporate advised funds, and endowments.
• Akron Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Summit County, Ohio, immediately adjacent to Stark County. Operates the same model of donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship administration for a similar small/mid-sized Ohio metropolitan donor base.
• Toledo Community Foundation: Northwest Ohio community foundation offering donor-advised funds, scholarship administration, and competitive grant cycles. Direct structural peer operating the same playbook for a similar mid-sized Ohio donor market.
• Stark Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Stark County, Ohio — the same county where Greater Alliance Foundation operates. Both manage donor funds, award grants to local nonprofits, and administer scholarships; StarkFresh is even named as a GAF grantee, evidencing geographic overlap and direct competition for the same donor and nonprofit audience.
• United Way of Greater Stark County: Federated giving organization operating in the same Stark County geography as GAF, running workplace giving campaigns and competitive grant programs to local nonprofits. While structurally a federated campaign rather than a community foundation, it competes for many of the same donor and nonprofit partners.
• Greater Cleveland Community Foundation: Community foundation providing donor-advised funds, grantmaking, and scholarships in northeast Ohio. Shares the same operational pillars as GAF (donor funds, scholarships, competitive grants, community leadership) within the same state ecosystem.

Others

• Candid (GuideStar): Nonprofit transparency and information platform that awards the Platinum Seal of Transparency GAF has earned. Not a competitive peer but an adjacent ecosystem player that sets the standards GAF meets and connects donors to vetted community foundations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/111024181578266
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-alliance-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Greater Alliance Foundation