The GAR Foundation approved $894,000 in grants for 25 nonprofit organizations at its fourth-quarter meeting.
Awards include both outright and challenge grants.
The largest grant, $130,000, went to the Summit Education Initiative to advance its Cradle to Career Alliance.
The program seeks to address educational achievement at key points: arriving at kindergarten ready to learn, possessing grade-level reading skills in the third grade, possessing solid math skills by the end of eighth grade, completing ninth grade on time, graduating from high school ready for college or work and progressing through the earning of a college degree.
Other grants went to:
• ACCESS Inc., $50,000 for operations.
• Akron Community Service Center and Urban League Inc., $50,000 for operations.
• Akron Council on World Affairs, $5,000 for the Global Scholars program.
• Akron Regional Development Board Educational Fund, $15,000 for strategic planning for Greater Akron Chamber.
• Akron SCORE, $25,000 for operations.
• Alliance for Healthy Youth, $5,000 for high school/youth development.
• Cascade Locks Park Association, $15,000 for leadership capacity/position support.
• Summit Choral Society, $30,000 for operations, the performance of Messiah and board capacity development.
• Akron Civic Theatre, $50,000 for operations.
• Crown Point Ecology Center, $15,000 for operations.
• Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, $50,000 for Summit County student scholarships and veterans support.
• Friends of Historic Glendale Cemetery, $35,000 for operations.
• Foundation Center, $10,000 for operations.
• Haven of Rest Ministries Inc., $25,000 for operations.
• Invent Now Inc., $74,000 for Camp Invention in Akron.
• Leadership Akron, $30,000 for operations and Founders Society.
• Let’s Grow Akron, $20,000 for operations.
• Magical Theatre Co., $20,000 for operations/education support in Summit County.
• Mature Services Inc., $25,000 for home-care services.
• Western Reserve Public Media, $25,000 for major gifts and planned giving officer development.
• Project: LEARN of Summit County, $60,000 for operations and capacity-building for technology.
• Rebuilding Together Summit County Inc., $75,000 for operations and the Raise the Roof campaign.
• Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of Ohio Inc., $5,000 for Summit County foster parent recruitment and training.
• The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Inc., $50,000 for scholarships to Summit County students and continued support for Akron Bridges Program.
GAR Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 1967 as a charitable trust by Galen J. Roush, co-founder and chief executive officer of Roadway Express, and his wife, Ruth.
For information, go to www.garfoundation.org.