AKRON, Ohio – Summit County announced this week the creation of the Summit Health and Safety Innovation Fund to address new and emerging health and safety concerns.

The fund is a separate, tax-exempt charitable organization from the Akron Community Foundation, according to a news release. The fund was launched with $45 million from county funds Opioid Litigation Fund.

“When we filed our lawsuit in 2017, we did not expect to receive a single cent. We did this to send a message to the opioid manufacturers and distributors who have wreaked havoc on our community and many others. We were fortunate to be chosen as a barometer, and our tireless advocacy efforts resulted in a significant financial settlement. Since then, we have been diligent in funding needed grassroots programs and organizations. This support organization ensures that these funds are available, in perpetuity, to respond to any future health and safety crisis that arises in our community,” County Executive Ilene Shapiro said in the release.

The fund was established to support innovative approaches to improve health and safety outcomes for county residents. The objective is to attract other financial partners to further strengthen the fund. The fund will be permanently endowed and invested in accordance with the Akron Community Foundation’s investment policy, which focuses on minimizing risk and maximizing grant distributions while promoting long-term growth, according to the release.

“I am confident that the Summit Health and Safety Innovation Fund will support the community for generations to come. I am extremely grateful to the Akron Community Foundation and its President and CEO, John Petures Jr., for being incredible partners,” Shapiro said.

Although the fund exists within the Akron Community Foundation, it will operate as its own nonprofit corporation in Ohio, with a board of directors that will manage the organization and grantmaking. The board will have 13 members (seven members will be appointed by the Akron Community Foundation and six by the county). Board members will provide fiduciary expertise and be subject matter experts in the areas of substance use, mental health and public safety, according to the release.

“As our community has changed and evolved over time, so have the needs of its residents,” Petures Jr. said in the release. “We are very pleased that Summit County Executive and Ilene Shapiro had the vision to create this historic support organization.

It will take several months to officially create the fund and select board members, according to the release.

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