About Witan
WITAN Corp’s giving shows a strong preference for practical, locally used support, with a standout $75,000 grant to CORE Furniture Bank for vehicle expenses tied to picking up donated items. That same pattern appears across smaller awards for operational costs, ID documentation help, weekend meals, and children’s services, suggesting a funder that backs service delivery rather than broad, undefined programs. The organization also maintains a scholarship line for non-traditional senior women at the University of Akron, linking its civic mission to higher education for women. In its nonprofit grantmaking, WITAN Corp supports 501(c)(3) organizations serving the greater Akron area, and its recent grants include repeat support for groups working on hunger relief, shelter-related services, and child-focused programming. The recent record also includes general operating support and project-specific awards, with requests reviewed through a committee process and membership vote for competitive grants over $600. Across the file, the foundation’s work centers on women, children, health, hunger/nutrition, education, and related human services in the Akron community.
What Witan Funds
A core theme is hunger and basic needs. WITAN Corp gave $8,000 to Blessings in a Backpack for weekend meals for students, $7,500 to Good Samaritan Hunger Center for vehicle expenses for Mobile Pantry pickups, and $6,000 to Family & Community Services for home delivered meals and supplements. Child and youth support is another thread: Vincent House received $7,500 for after-school programs, Crossings Akron got $6,336 for two tutors, and Limitless Ambitions received $7,000 to expand the purposely chosen 360 program. The foundation also funds shelter-adjacent and family stability work, such as $7,725 to Family Promise for welcome clothes kits and $10,000 to Battered Womens Shelter for ID documents and interpreter fees. Health-related grants appear as well, including $10,000 to Open M for clinic expenses and $6,000 to Project Ed Bear for a children’s camp for patients.
How Witan Gives
WITAN Corp’s typical grant size is concentrated in the low thousands, with a p25 of $6,168, a median of $7,500, and a p75 of $9,000. The recent record includes both one-time project support and repeated support to the same organizations across 2023 and 2024, including Open M, CORE Furniture Bank, Blessings in a Backpack, Battered Womens Shelter, and Project Ed Bear. The grantmaking structure mixes competitive grants over $600 with smaller allocations of $600 or less, and it also includes a named endowment fund. Applications for competitive grants are submitted online and reviewed by the Civic Committee, with site visits and a membership vote.