Announcing Our 2025 Grant Recipients

The GPD Employees’ Foundation recently approved 191 grants for K-12 public schools and non-profit organizations across the country as part of our annual Spring Grant Cycle. In total, more than $765,000 in grants was awarded to a combination of non-profits that work with children with special and/or medical needs or who are at-risk and K-12 public schools.

Our Spring Grant Cycle awards are in addition to the $175,000 awarded through our new GAME CHANGERS program. This program allows us to strengthen our commitment to our communities by creating partnerships with 12 select non-profits who are true embodiments of our Foundation’s mission.

Northeast Ohio – $538,940

A Kid at Art for the Heart, Inc. (Chardon, OH) Bilingual Preschool art Education Programming for Low Income ESL Learners, $3,000
Access the Arts (Wadsworth, OH) Art for At-Risk Youth at the Medina Cups Café and Juvenile Detention Center, $4,310
Access, Inc. (Akron, OH) Feed the Future, $8,000
Akron Children’s Hospital (Akron, OH) Providing Hygiene Resources at Akron Children’s Hospital’s Food Farmacy, $5,000.
Akron Children’s Museum (Akron, OH) Canalway Corner Educational Water Table Exhibit, $30,000
Akron Cooperative Farms (Akron, OH) Dig In! Summer Camp: Pilot Urban Farming & Sustainability Exploration for North Hill Youth, $2,500
Alchemy, Inc. (Akron, OH) Developing Heroes: Group Mentoring for Urban Adolescents in Akron, $5,000
Art Sparks, (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) Dynamite Duos, $5,000
B Brave Foundation (Cleveland, OH) Medical Assistance and Comfort Carts for Children with Rare, Fatal Neurological Disorders, $5,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina and Stark Counties (Akron, OH) Community and Site-Based Mentoring Programs for Youth, $2,500
Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (Cleveland, OH) Academic Success/ Life & Workforce Readiness programs, $5,000
Building for Tomorrow (Akron, OH) STEAM Club, $3,500
CASA Board Volunteer Association, Inc. (Akron, OH) Trauma-Informed Training Toolkit for Volunteers Who Serve Abused and Neglected Children $5,000
CASA of Portage County Associate Board (Ravenna, OH) Supporting At-Risk Youth Through Positive Social Experiences and Activities $5,000
Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center (Cleveland, OH) 2025 Stuttering Together – Program for Youth you Stutter $3,000
Cleveland Book Bank (Cleveland, OH) Well Read, Well Fed Book Distribution at Feeding Sites ($5,000)
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (Cleveland, OH) Healing Therapeutic Services for K-12 Survivors of Rape and Sexual Abuse $2,500
Connecting for Kids (Westlake, OH) 2025 Adapted Programs in Westlake for Children with Disabilities and/or Mental Health Issues, $3,500
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma, OH) Student Success Programs 2025, $3,000
Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Ohio (Independence, OH) The Lifelong Learning Academy – Education Programs for Families and Toddlers to Teens, $5,000
Down Syndrome Association of the Valley (Boardman, OH) 2025 Speech, Language and Communication Programs, $3,000
Empower Sports (Cleveland, OH) Inclusive Sports for People with Disabilities, $3,500
Fairhaven Foundation (Niles, OH) Community Experiences and Events, $5,000
Footpath Foundation (Cleveland, OH) 5^th Grand Outside Discovering Me, $2,500
GiGi’s Playhouse Canton (Canton, OH) Amina Grace Speech and Language Program, $2,500
Girls on the Run Central Ohio (Canton, OH) The GOTR Program Funding Initiative for Alliance, Louisville & Plain Local, $2,500
Girls on the Run of Northeast Ohio (Brecksville, OH) Empowering Healthy & Resilient Youth, $5,000
GOALGETTA ACADEMY (Akron, OH) 5^th Annual Success is the Only Option Teen Career Day, $5,000
Good Samaritan Hunger Center (Akron, OH) Good Samaritan Hunger Center Kids Bag Program, $3,000
Habitat for Humanity of Summit County (Akron, OH) Twinsburg Safety Town, $2,500
Highland Robotics and Technology Boosters (Medina, OH) Steel Stingers Robotics Team 2603, $3,000
Inspiring Monds (Warren, OH) 2025 Inspiring Minds Summer Enrichment Program, $5,000
Lake Erie Council, Scouting America (Cleveland, OH) Lake Erie Council Great Lakes Adventures, $5,000
LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland (Cleveland, OH) School-Based Wellness and Life Skills Programming for Underserved LGBTQ+ Public School Students, $2,500
LifeAct (Chagrin Falls, OH) Suicide Prevention and Stress Management Programs for Ohio Youth, $2,500
Limitless Ambition (Stow, OH) Purposely Chosen Teen Programming for Girls in Akron Public Schools, $5,000
Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation (Warrensville Heights, OH) Clubs Fore Kids, $5,000
Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning (Perrysville, OH) Project Summer Camp! A Nuhop – AnaZao partnership for Wayne County Kids, $5,344
Open Arms Adoption (Kent, OH) Keeping Siblings Together by Adoption – Cuyahoga & Summit County Programming, $5,000
Pathway Caring for Children (Canton, OH) Pathway to Connection: Nurturing Foster Children Through Shared Moments, $2,500
The Dancing Wheels Company (Cleveland, OH) Dancing Wheels’ Community Outreach for 2025, $3,000
Project Outrun (Fairlawn, OH) Empowering Kids as They Battle Life Threatening Illnesses Through Shoes, Swag, and Support, $6,000
Rainey Institute (Cleveland, OH) Rainey Institute 2025 Summer Camps, $5,000
Rayl Charitable Organization (Green, OH) The Debbie Rayl Kindness for Kids Program, $2,500
Rec2Connect (Cleveland, OH) Recreational Therapy Programming Welcome Bags, $5,000
Sawyer’s Wish (Akron, OH) Deck the Hospital with Sheets from Sawyer, $5,000
Stewart’s Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center (Akron, OH) Programs and Services for Children Impacted by Cancer, $4,000
Students Motivated by the Arts SMARTS (Youngstown, OH) SMARTS Free Public Programming for PK-12 At-Risk Students, $2,500
Summit Education Initiative (Akron, OH) Barberton Preschool Collaborative to Support Kindergarten Readiness, $5,000
The Kelly Reeves Memorial Foundation (Munroe Falls, OH) Kelly’s Grief Center/In School Counseling Program, $5,000
The Well CDC (Akron, OH) Akron Hope: Supporting Students, their Families & Teachers at Mason & Helen Arnold CLCs, $3,000
United Disability Services (Akron, OH) Toy & Resource Center (TRC) to Promote Child Development and School Readiness, $2,500
Women’s Auxiliary Board (Akron, OH) Beds for Kids Program, $5,000
Youth Challenge (Westlake, OH) Creative Arts Programs for Young People with Physical Disabilities, $2,200
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Cleveland, OH) Youth Opportunities Unlimited School Based Programming, $2,500
Akron Public Schools (Akron, OH) Math Reasoning in Action: Real World Connections, $4,500
Akron Public Schools (Akron, OH) Amplifying Student Voice through a Recording Studio, $4,546
Akron Public Schools (Akron, OH) Community Based Recreation Programming (CBRP), $8,872
Akron Public Schools (Akron, OH) Firestone CLC Robotics, $5,000
Amherst Exempted Village Schools (Amherst, OH) School Supplies, $387
Amherst Exempted Village Schools (Amherst, OH) Inclusive Learning, $7,000
Berkshire Local School District (Burton, OH) STEMin’ Up Technology at Berkshire Middle School, $5,000
Boardman Local Schools (Youngstown, OH) Art Display Panels and Privacy Dividers, $8,055
Boardman Local Schools (Youngstown, OH) Carey’s Closet, $1,000
Brecksville Broadview Heights City Schools (Brecksville, OH) Building the Future: Empowering Students through 3D Printing Innovation, $2,360
Brecksville Broadview Heights City Schools (Brecksville, OH) BBHMS Library Book Refresh, $2,500
Brecksville Broadview Heights City Schools (Brecksville, OH) Connection Quest, $2,000
Clearview Local Schools (Lorain, OH) Cooking with Lesh, $2,880
Clearview Local Schools (Lorain, OH) Reading Intervention Program, $4,800
Clyde-Green Springs Schools (Clyde, OH) RoboQuest: Building Tomorrow’s Engineers with Robotics, $5,000
Copley Fairlawn City School District (Fairlawn, OH) Classroom Emotion Regulation/Sensory Kits, $5,000
Crestwood Local (Mantua, OH) One Book, One School Math Night, $1,500
Cuyahoga Falls City School District (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) Black Tiger Family Center, $5,000
Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools (Cuyahoga Heights, OH) Inclusive Elementary School STEM Lab, $5,000
Durling Middle School (Lorain, OH) STEAM Success: Enhancing Science Learning Through Labs and Activities, $3,500
Eastlake City Schools (Eastlake, OH) EMS Sensory Room Update, $3,249
Edison Local Schools (Milan, OH) Edison Elementary Sensory Room/Playground Equipment, $8,000
Edison Local Schools (Milan, OH) Edison Middle School Career Awareness Initiative, $5,000
Field Local Schools (Mogadore, OH) Enhancing Audio Support in Multimedia Learning Environment, $2,409
James A Garfield Local Schools (Garrettsville, OH) Inclusive Preschool Playground Equipment, $5,000
Kent City Schools (Kent, OH) Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip, $500
Lake Local Schools (Hartville, OH) Lake Elementary Robotics Club, $5,000
Lakeview Local Schools (Cortland, OH) Adaptive Abode, $5,000
Lakewood City Schools (Lakewood, OH) ROX Student Group – Harding Middle School
Lakewood City Schools (Lakewood, OH) Empowerment Through Inclusion, $7,000
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) 2nd/3rd Grade Cross Categorical Classroom – Louisville City Schools, $1,500
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Art and Game Experiences, $1,500
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Kylie Ray- Cross Categorical Classroom- Grades 3-5 Louisville City Schools, $1,500
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Daily Living Skills and Classroom Support, $1,800
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Daily Living and Working Experiences, $1,700
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Daily Living and Working Experiences, $1,700
Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) Louisville Elementary Backpack Program, $10,000
Maplewood Local Schools (Cortland, OH) Learning on the Go!, $2,500
Maplewood Local Schools (Cortland, OH) Transformation Central!, $4,500
McDonald Local Schools (McDonald, OH) Group Piano Project $1,080
McDonald Local Schools (McDonald, OH) Growing a Reading Garden!, $1,370
McDonald Local Schools (McDonald, OH) Enhancing Ensemble Performance with Individual Tuners and Tuner Caddies for Students, $3,162
Medina City Schools (Medina, OH) Makerspace Madness!, $3,000
Medina City Schools (Medina, OH) Claggett Makerspace, $3,000
Newton Falls Exempted Village School District (Newton Falls, OH) CNC Machine for Expanding STEM Programs, $5,000
North Canton City Schools (North Canton, OH) Viking Forge: Crafting the Future of Innovation, $4,500
North Canton City Schools (North Canton, OH) Building Community Connections in North Canton, $5,000
Orange City Schools (Pepper Pike, OH) Empower Threads: Building Skills, Breaking Barriers, $6,000
Perry Local Schools (Massillon, OH) Watson Elementary school Life Skills Curriculum, $1,200
Polaris Career Center (Middleburgh Heights, OH) Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators: 3D Printing for Emerging Learnings, $4,000
Ravenna School District (Ravenna, OH) Field Trips for Student, $8,000
Revere Local Schools (Richfield, OH) Revere High School Sensory Room, $750
Shaker Schools Foundation (Shaker Heights, OH) Mercer Mindfulness and Yoga: Building Resilience for our Elementary Students, $3,200
Shaker Schools Foundation (Shaker Heights, OH) Take-Home Libraries for At-Risk Readers, $4,500
Shaker Schools Foundation (Shaker Heights, OH) Horseback Therapeutic Riding Experiences for Extended Standard Students, $4,520
Southeast Local Schools (Ravenna, OH) Maker Space Implementation Expansion with Community and School Projects, $3,500
Southeast Local Schools (Ravenna, OH) Pirates Building Coding Skills with LEGO, $4,000
Southeast local Schools (Ravenna, OH) Southeast Pirates Serve, $5,500
Streetsboro City Schools (Streetsboro, OH) SES Rockets Read Together, $7,575
Strongsville City Schools (Strongsville, OH) Community Based Instruction (CBI) for SHS Life Skills Program Strongsville City Schools, $1,491
Strongsville City Schools (Strongsville, OH) Mustang Inclusive Learning Environment Café, $2,500
Strongsville City Schools (Strongsville, OH) Voices of Tomorrow: Empowering Students Through Podcasting, $5,000
Tallmadge City Schools (Tallmadge, OH) Robotics Blue Devils, $1,500
Tallmadge City Schools (Tallmadge, OH) The Next Frontier: Passion Projects Phase II, $3,650
Tallmadge City Schools (Tallmadge, OH) Let the Games Begin: Second Grade STEAM, $3,930
Waynedale Local Schools (Apple Creek, OH) Individualized ELA Curriculum Across Entire Middle School, $4,900
Woodridge Local Schools (Peninsula, OH) Akron Children’s Museum Field Trip, $1,050
Woodridge Local Schools (Peninsula, OH) Student Council Continued Social Responsibility, $3,150
Woodridge Local Schools (Peninsula, OH) Safe Spaces, Stronger Futures: Woodridge’s RESET Vision, $2,500
Wooster City Schools (Wooster, OH) Wooster City Schools Best Buddies Programs and Coffee Carts at Middle and High School, $14,500

Central Ohio – $40,032

Brown Girls Mentoring (Columbus, OH) The B.O.L.D. Girl Collective, $3,500
Concrete Orkidz Foundation (Columbus, OH) Youth Summer Camp 2025, $3,500
Dublin Special Olympics (Dublin, OH) Dublin Special Olympics, Shamrock Games 2025, $2,500
NC4K (Columbus, OH) A Top Golf Outing for Teens Impacted by Pediatric Cancer, $4,500
Seeds of Caring (Columbus, OH) Seeds of Caring Kindness Corps, $5,000
Gahanna Jefferson Public Schools (Gahanna, OH) Accessible and Inclusive Outdoor Learning Space, $11,026
Westerville City Schools (Westerville, OH) Themed Language Materials, $676
Westerville City Schools (Westerville, OH) Materials for Life Skills Classroom, $805
Westerville City Schools (Westerville, OH) Sensory Exploration, $6,000
Westerville City Schools (Westerville, OH) Recharge Room Update, $2,525

Atlanta, GA – $56,050

Bearings Bike Shop (Atlanta, GA) Frameworks Advanced Job Training Program, $6,000
Briarlake Elementary School (Decatur, GA) Write Score Literacy Grant, $4,000
Camp Twin Lakes (Atlanta, GA) Camp Twin Lakes Camper Scholarship Program, $7,500
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation (Atlanta, GA) Camp No Limb-itations, $5,000
Creating Connected Communities (Atlanta, GA) STEAM Education Program for Students Experiencing Hardship 2025, $3,500
Fulton Education Foundation, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) Fulton Student Basic Needs), $6,000
Kincaid Elementary – Cobb County School District (Marietta GA) Help Me Help Myself: Increasing Students’ Self-Regulation During Behavior Storms, $3,000
Sandy Springs Education Force (Sandy Springs, GA) Sandy Springs Education Force Book Club, $6,500
SATB2 Gene Foundation (Lilburn, GA) SATB2 iPads for Communication, $2,800
The Center for Children and Young Adults (Marietta, GA) Critical Teen Center and Volunteer Center Flooring, $6,000
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (Smyrna, GA) The Becca Sue Klein All Kids Fish, $3,750
Mill Creek Middle School Theatre Program (Woodstock, GA) Amplifying Every Voice: Wireless Microphones for Mill Creek Middle School, $2,000

Indianapolis, IN – $50,000

A Kid Again – Indiana Chapter (Indianapolis, IN) Support for Republic Airways 2025 Plane Pull Adventure, $3,000
Avon Intermediate School West (Avon, IN) Transforming The Room, Transforming the Learning, $750
Avon Intermediate School West (Avon, IN) Classroom Encouragement!, $2,000
Bunker Hill (Indianapolis, IN) Special Education Resources, $2,340
GiGi’s Playhouse Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) GiGi’s Playhouse Early Learner Programs, $7,550
Indianapolis Public Schools (Indianapolis, IN) Lawson’s Classroom of Possibilities, $7,500
League of Miracles INC. (Camby, IN) Spring/Summer Recreation, $3,400
Mill Creek Community School Corp (Clayton, IN) Let’s Get Interactive, $2,000
Raymond Park Science Olympiad (Indianapolis, IN) Raymond Park Science Olympiad, $6,460
Red Alert Robotics (Greenwood, IN) Red Alert Robotics, $2,000
The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. (Carmel, IN) Children’s TherAplay Technology Updates and Assessment Tools, $4,000
Western Wayne Schools (Pershing, IN) Robotics, $4,000
William Tell Elementary School (Tell City, IN) William Tell Elementary STEM Education, $6,000

Houston, TX – $25,000

Alief ISD Education Foundation (Houston, TX) Alief ISD Education Foundation Teacher Grants, $3,500
Alvin ISD Education Foundation (Alvin, TX) Mobile Wlding Lab: Forging Skills, Fueling Futures, $4,305
Fort Bend ISD Education Foundation (Sugar Land, TX) FBISD Education Foundation – Grants to Teachers and Schools, $3,500
Katy ISD Education Foundation (Katy, TX) Inspiring Imagination Teacher Grants, $3,500
Pasadena ISD Education Foundation (Pasadena, TX) Classroom Mini Grants, $3,500
Sheldon ISD Education Foundation (Houston, TX) Sheldon ISD Educator Grants: Innovate and Engage, $3,500
Stafford MSD Education Foundation (Stafford, TX) The Rockin’ Spartans Stafford Elementary Music Program, $3,195

Phoenix, AZ – $15,000

A New Leaf (Mesa, AZ) A New Leaf’s La Mesita Children’s Services – Sensory/STEAM Resources, $2,000
Arizona Helping Hands (Phoenix, AZ) Birthday Dreams, $1,500
Biltmore Preparatory Academy (Phoenix, AZ) Enhancing Student Success Through Student Agenda Implementation, $2,000
Child Crisis Arizona (Mesa, AZ) Early Education Services for Children of Low-income Families, $2,000
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona (Scottsdale, OH) Bringing Wish Boosts to Arizona’s Critically Ill Children, $1,500
New Pathways for Youth (Phoenix, AZ) FY2025 Healthy Meals Project, $2,000
Ryan House (Phoenix, AZ) Sponsor a Stay, $2,000
Sojourner Center (Phoenix, AZ) Children and Youth Programming – Child Development Center, $2,000

Louisville, KY – $15,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana (Louisville, KY) Youth Mentorship and Mental Health, $2,650
Boys and Girls Haven (Louisville, KY) Support for BGH Music Therapy Program Through 2025 for Older Teens, $5,000
Down Syndrome of Louisville, Inc. (New Albany, IN) Support for Down Syndrome of Louisville Summer Education Enrichment Camp, $5,000
Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY) Louisville Lightning Adapted Sports 0 Throws Upgrade, $2,350

Dallas, TX – $14,225

Dallas Education Foundation (Dallas, TX) Advancing Literacy in Dallas ISD Through a Book Vending Machine at Anderson Elementary School, $9,225
Music Movement (Keller, TX) Music Therapy and Instrument Donation, $5,000

Pittsburgh, PA – $8,500

Angels’ Place, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) Enhancing High Quality Early Childhood Education Opportunities for Children Who Are At Risk, $3,500
Jeremiah’s Place (Pittsburgh, PA) STEAM Program, $5,000

Seattle, WA – $2,500

Kiwanis Camp Casey (Seattle, WA) Kiwanis Camp Casey, $1,250
WestSide Baby (Seattle, WA) Basic Needs Items for Children, $1,250

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Announcing Our 2025 Grant Recipients