Community Foundation of Lorain County Celebrates Making More Possible at 2026 Annual Meeting
Celebrating a Year of Impact, Connection, and Community
The Community Foundation of Lorain County gathered community partners, donors, nonprofit leaders, volunteers, board members, and neighbors for its 2025 Annual Meeting at the beautiful Elyria Performing Arts Center, celebrating another year of making more possible across Lorain County.
The afternoon reflected the heart of the Foundation’s work: connecting people who care with causes that matter. From grantmaking and scholarships to affiliate fund leadership, neighborhood projects, and community-wide giving, the program highlighted how Lorain County continues to grow stronger when people come together around shared purpose.
This year, the Foundation awarded more than $7 million in grants and scholarships, supporting nonprofits, students, families, and community-led ideas across all 34 municipalities in Lorain County. The Foundation also celebrated a strong year for its portfolio, with a 15.1% return on assets in 2025 and a 10-year average return of 8.3%, helping ensure long-term support for the people and organizations entrusted to its care.
The program also recognized the remarkable impact of Ann Schloss, Superintendent of Elyria City Schools and former Community Foundation board member, as she announced her retirement. Ann’s lifelong commitment to education, students, and the Elyria community represents the kind of leadership that helps make more possible for generations of Lorain County residents.
Throughout the event, the Foundation celebrated its four Affiliate Funds: the African American Community Fund, Hispanic Fund, Women’s Fund, and Youth Fund. Each fund continues to respond to community needs through grants, scholarships, leadership development, cultural celebration, advocacy, and service. From the Women’s Fund distributing more than 745,000 period products through Change the Cycle, to the Youth Fund supporting youth-led climate action, to the African American Community Fund and Hispanic Fund creating spaces for celebration, representation, and belonging, the Affiliate Funds continue to show what community-led philanthropy can make possible.
The Annual Meeting also marked a historic announcement: the creation of the LGBTQ+ Affiliate Fund of Lorain County, the Foundation’s first new Affiliate Fund since 1999. The new fund will focus on advancing equity, fostering inclusion, and creating opportunities for connection and support across Lorain County, ensuring LGBTQ+ residents and families feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Honoring Gary Stevenson’s Connection to Elyria
A special moment during the program featured a video message from Gary Stevenson, an Elyria High School graduate whose career has reached the global stage of professional sports.
As Deputy Commissioner of Major League Soccer, Gary has helped shape one of the fastest-growing sports leagues in the country. Yet even with his national and global impact, his connection to Elyria remains deeply rooted in the community that helped shape him.
Through the Dr. Robert and Eleanor Stevenson Scholarship Fund, Gary honors the legacy of his parents and their lifelong commitment to education and community service. The fund supports well-rounded Elyria students through a $10,000 annual scholarship as they pursue higher education and the dreams ahead of them.
The Community Foundation was grateful to share Gary’s message during the Annual Meeting and to recognize the way his generosity continues to connect his hometown to bright futures for local students. His story is a reminder that no matter how far someone’s path may take them, giving back to the place that shaped them can create opportunity for the next generation.
The Annual Meeting also welcomed Dr. Helen Bond as keynote speaker, bringing a global perspective to the Foundation’s local work. Dr. Bond, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Education at Howard University, has dedicated her career to advancing equity, opportunity, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals through education, research, and advocacy.
Her remarks helped frame an important conversation about how global goals can be understood and applied at the local level. The Sustainable Development Goals may be global in scope, but many of their priorities are already reflected in the work happening every day across Lorain County: quality education, reduced inequalities, climate action, health and well-being, gender equity, economic opportunity, and strong community partnerships.
Following Dr. Bond’s remarks, a panel discussion invited local voices to explore how these goals connect to the work of the Foundation’s Affiliate Funds and community partners. Panelists included Development Associate, Grace Broome, AACF President, Kionna McIntosh-Pharms, Leadership Lorain Intern at El Centro, Solomon Peterson, and Youth Fund President, Owen Belamy. The conversation emphasized that making more possible requires both vision and action. It means listening to community needs, including voices that have historically been left out, and building solutions that ensure no one is left behind.
Together, Dr. Bond’s keynote and the panel discussion helped connect the Foundation’s work to a broader movement for equity, sustainability, and shared responsibility. They also reminded attendees that meaningful change does not happen in isolation. It happens when people, organizations, donors, volunteers, and community leaders come together around the belief that a stronger Lorain County is possible.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Annual Meeting and to all who continue to help make more possible in Lorain County. You can find the e-version of our 2025 Annual Report below, titled, “Making More Possible for Lorain County.”
