Fall 2009

In This Issue:

GCEF receives special recognition award

The Association of Fundraising Professionals North Central Ohio Chapter will be honoring the Gay Community Endowment Fund at its National Philanthropy Day Awards luncheon Friday, Nov. 13.

The fund is receiving the AFP Special Recognition Award for its importance to the greater Akron community. As the AFP chapter noted, "this diverse group is dedicated to advancing programs and services that not only impact GLBT people, but serves as a catalyst for the full participation of GLBT people in our society. In the eight years since its inception, it has built a fund balance of over one half million dollars through gifts, fundraising and bequests."

The association also recognized the fund for its annual Sugar Plum Tour, calling it a "sell-out annual event" that welcomed more than 490 guests and netted nearly $30,000 in 2008. The award also acknowledges the fund's impressive grantmaking total, which exceeds $70,000.

Congratulations to all Gay Community Endowment Fund supporters, donors and volunteers on this honor. And thank you to Dr. Suzanne Allen, vice president of development at Akron Community Foundation, for nominating us for this prestigious award.

ACF Has Many Investment Tools

Did you know that Akron Community Foundation has a Planned Giving Design Center for resources and information about charitable gift and estate planning?

Visit the center now and register to gain free access to the complete site and get access to [PhilanthroCalc], a calculator that provides easy-to-understand calculations for donors and compliance-ready deduction calculations to help you with your tax return.

WHO WE ARE

The Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent, philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation.

Akron Community Foundation

To learn more about Akron Community Foundation, please click the headline above.

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Contact Us

news@gaycommunityfund.org

2009 Sugar Plum Tour

Six of the area's finest historic and contemporary homes will open their doors Sunday, Dec. 6 for the eighth annual Sugar Plum Tour. Participants will enjoy tours of residences in Fairlawn Heights, historic West Akron and Silver Lake.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Nov. 9 and are available for purchase at www.sugarplumtour.org or by calling 330-761-6426. This exciting event draws a sell-out crowd, so don't wait to reserve your tickets.

There are three levels of tickets available for the tour. General admission is $25 and includes a five-home tour from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets at the patron level are $100 and include an exclusive sixth home and private party afterwards. A $150 grand patron admission includes the tour, a 5 to 8 p.m. cocktail reception, and a limited edition Leandra Drumm holiday ornament.

Many thanks to our event co-chairs, Kristine Mikolajczyk and Jeff Hicks, and to all our sponsors and volunteers, including lead sponsors Bricco and Judge Jerry Larson with support from Angel Falls Coffee Company, Westside Bakery and Moes.

All proceeds will support the philanthropic efforts of the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation. For further information or questions, please contact Akron Community Foundation at 330-376-8522.


Donor profile - Jeff Hicks and Scott Swaldo

Gay Community Endowment Fund donors Jeff and Scott have their hands full! They are proud to be deeply involved in their new family business, Gervasi Vineyard and Italian Bistro in Canton. Scheduled to open in the spring of 2010, Gervasi has already begun to ferment grapes shipped in from California, as their own 4-acre vineyard will not begin producing suitable grapes for three or four years. Scott serves as the general manager of Gervasi, while Jeff is the sales and marketing manager. Together, they are devoting almost all their time to establishing the vineyard.

When they are not working, Jeff and Scott spend much of their time volunteering in the community. Scott is board president of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in Canton, a music education organization made up of 150 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 22. The Bluecoats provide a music and performance training program for youth that emphasizes leadership, personal character and social development skills, all of which match Scott and Jeff's philosophies. Scott has a long history with the Bluecoats, dating back to 1981 when he began his involvement as a marching member.

In addition to being an ongoing donor to the Gay Community Endowment Fund, Jeff will also serve as co-chair of the eighth annual Sugar Plum Tour with Kristine Mikolajczyk. This year's tour will be more exciting than ever, featuring a patron party at a spectacular home in Silver Lake. Jeff said he believes the fund is a vital organization in northeast Ohio that coincides with his desire to better the GLBTQ community as a whole.

Jeff and Scott reside with their two dogs, Ellie and Izzy, in North Canton. We thank them both for their support, and wish them luck with their new business venture!

Recipient profile - Equality Ohio Education Fund

In 2008, the Gay Community Endowment Fund granted $2,000 to the Equality Ohio Education Fund (EOEF) for the "Safe Places, Safe Spaces" educational program in Summit County. The program targets direct-care providers and aims to develop a functional body of subtle, non-offensive visual aids that service providers can use to clearly mark "safe space" environments for LGBTQ youth.

As part of the program, coordinators planned four educational sessions in Summit County. The first two sessions were held Sept. 23 at Summit County Children's Services. A third session is planned for Nov. 6 at Child Guidance Family Services, while a fourth was planned in October with the Akron Health Department.

Kim Welter, EOEF program manager, shared a PowerPoint presentation that covered:

  • Understanding the risks and challenges of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning in a heterosexist culture;

  • Understanding the effects that discrimination has on LGBTQ youth, including suicide, substance abuse and hate crimes;

  • Increasing knowledge, awareness and skills when working with LGBTQ youth.

    • We congratulate Kim on the successful launch of this new educational program. The Gay Community Endowment Fund is confident it will make a positive impact in our community.

    Mark your calendar for GCEF's annual meeting

    Exciting changes are under way for the Gay Community Endowment Fund's 2010 annual meeting. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010.

    This year, guests will meet in the beautiful Beatrice Knapp McDowell crystal lobby of the Akron Art Museum. It's an afternoon tea (of the Long Island variety) with hors d'oeuvres, followed by the annual meeting and a keynote presentation in the auditorium. Dessert and coffee will follow in the lobby. After the event, guests may continue the annual celebration at an after-party held at Bricco. Drink and dinner specials begin at 5 p.m.

    Guests may also arrive at the museum early to visit the new "Pattern Identification" exhibition in which artists show how pattern and dress inform cultural, ethnic, gender and sexual identity. Included in this exhibition is a major painting titled "Girlfriends and Lovers" by New York artist Mickalene Thomas. Gay Community Endowment Fund supporters will be among the first to see this spectacular work of art.

    Tickets for the annual dinner will go on sale in mid-December at [www.gaycommunityfund.org]