Ohio · Nonprofit
DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP
DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP (Ohio) receives grants from 8 organizations whose IRS filings report $3,626,895 to it, the largest being JOHN S AND JAMES L KNIGHT FOUNDATION ($2,993,170). 5 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $2.0M
- Funders on record
- 8
- Grants received
- $3.6M
- Net assets
- $1.2M
What Downtown Akron Partnership does
Mission
Promote and build a vibrant and valuable downtown akron
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Clean, safe & welcoming:dap provides cleaning and safety ambassadors through our $494,734.00 contract with block by block. Dap's clean & safe ambassadors enhance the downtown quality of life with foot and bike patrols throughout the 49-block district and adjacent business member properties. Ambassadors patrol the neighborhood to remove trash, graffiti and safety hazards, report environmental issues and provide hospitality assistance including jump starts and lock outs. The team power washes sidewalks, maintains ash urns, pulls weeds and checks in with local business owners. Ambassadors also clean and disinfect high touch areas as needed. (continued on schedule o)clean, safe & welcoming, continued:dap funds an apd nighttime shift supervisor thursday-saturday in downtown to coordinate police presence at nightlife venues, communicate concerns to dap staff, and provide dedicated service to the district. The total for contracted officers was $26,448.00. Dap collects crime data from weekly apd reports and the online lexis nexis community crime mapping system to look for patterns, revise the deployment of ambassadors or contracted officers, and send advisories to the district.with help…
$691,750 spent$616,081 earned by the program49% of program spendingKnight initiatives: knight foundation funds were deployed toward tactical improvements, planning, programming and capacity support when and where needed. The work successfully inspired new public realm investments, enhanced investments in progress, activated public space and cultivated civic engagement through our partnership. By co-deciding when and where opportunities for this work were best suited for dap involvement, we maximized the public benefit of knight support. We were able to accomplish more initiatives through partnerships and matching funds that increased dap capacity to convene stakeholders and work as an ally across sectors.(continued on schedule o)knight initiatives, continued: key outcomes include:1. Support six signature events to bring people to downtown, including akron latin fest, downtown fall fest, smells like snow coffee festival, lunar new year, sakura celebration, juneteenth. 2. Create and maintain public space placemaking improvements with community partners in cascade plaza , love the wall and northside green.3. Program cascade plaza and other spaces with wellness, concerts and skate nights with a focus on mixing in place.4. Support downtown planning…
$259,827 spent18% of program spendingMember outreach & support: as the center of our urban core, the success of downtown plays a critical role in the economic recovery of our region. Storefront businesses support the downtown ecosystem through employment, improving safety, retaining talent, adding character and vibrancy to the neighborhood, and contributing to the local economy. Dap works with members to celebrate downtown as a valuable place. Through strategic marketing and management of downtown resources, dap promotes the district as the premier place to live, work and play in the center of our city.(continued on schedule o)member outreach & support, continued:dap also worked with baker media group to create the 2024 downtown residential guide. Dap worked with several local photographers to demonstrate in a vibrant, engaging way that downtown akron is a place where all people are welcome. The guide supplemented the october 2024 edition of akron life magazine, and 2,000 3,000 additional copies were distributed throughout the district and in select hotels and rest areas in northeast ohio. Website users: 470kwebsite pageviews: 1mfacebook followers: 20kx followers: 8,986instagram followers: 12.1klinkedin followers:…
$215,331 spent$150,586 earned by the program15% of program spendingVibrancy and economic development:downtown dora - the city of akron launched its first designated outdoor refreshment area (dora) in downtown in october of 2020. The dora allows customers to take alcoholic beverages outside within the boundaries of the designated area. Dap continues to support the dora through ambassador safety tours, programming, and management of the dora cup program as part of our commitment to downtown vibrancy. Downtown business development has evolved as a critical dap service since 2007. Dap meets with businesses for retention and expansion visits as a proactive approach to growing the number of jobs downtown, as well as assisting businesses with direct services and connections to address any challenges they face. Dap strives to meet with retailers quarterly, and with professional services at least biannually. Dap also conducts bre visits through the new bre effort within elevate greater akron. Dap tracks statistics on this work by calendar year. Within this effort in 2024, dap participated in all bre committee meetings and attended 45 ega bre outreach visits. Our individual nps score in this work in 2024 was 70% (team goal is 50%) with 50% of interviewees…
$176,253 spent$153,783 earned by the program12% of program spendingEngagement & strategy:dap represents and advocates for downtown across a number of local and regional partnerships designed to drive equity, economic growth and placemaking.elevate greater akron - elevate greater akron (ega) is an economic development plan for the greater akron area designed to create a transformative, high functioning and collaborative economic development system for greater akron. Dap serves the partnership as a member of strong downtown strong region, new fundamentals (bre & spark), opportunity akron, and ega core working group. Ega's work is based on a collaborative approach that is both necessary and fundamental to building long-term, sustainable economic development in akron. For more on elevate greater akron, visit elevategreaterakron.org.consensus and strategy are imperative to successful community building. Dap routinely engages board members and stakeholders in the design, planning and implementation of our work. Established and ad hoc committees met in 2024 to guide business development, marketing, board nominations, residential services, beautification, finance, programming and governance. Dap is honored to attend the monthly downtown operations group…
$62,331 spent$30,923 earned by the program4% of program spendingCivic commons:reimagining the civic commons demonstrates that transformative public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more resilient communities. Dap continues to participate in this national, multi-year initiative funded by the rockefeller, kresge, knight and jpb foundations. Notable downtown projects include planning and programming of lock 2, lock 3, lock 4, the sakura/ cherry blossom festival in april, the management of the dora, and roller skating on cascade plaza. Newly renovated lock 3 opened in november 2024. Visit ohioeriecanal.org/akron-civic-commons for more on the coming transformation of lock 3.
$4,547 spent$198,637 earned by the program0% of program spending
The 6 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $1,410,039.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2024 to 2025, from $1.0M to $2.7M (+160%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2024 1% · 2025 1%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
39% of DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (60% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Kimberly Beckett
President and CEO
Board chair
Julie Wesel
Chairman
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base held at 3 funders, grant income fell $94k → $68k.
Left out of every figure on this page: $966k from 5 payers (the payer shares this organization's board, largest Akron Community Foundation). These are real filings, and they are not money DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP raised.
From the IRS filings of DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP leans on a few funders — its largest provides 83% of grant income and the top three 95%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 85% · 2018 92% · 2019 55% · 2020 87% · 2021 100% · 2022 92% · 2023 62% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
38% of DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 63% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP draws 92% of its grant income from funders outside Ohio, across 4 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP runs a healthier operating margin than three-quarters of the 2,299 community improvement nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 2,299 community improvement nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2025
Organizations like DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Ohio
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
90% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
97%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP?
- DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP (Ohio) receives grants from 8 organizations whose IRS filings report $3,626,895 to it, the largest being JOHN S AND JAMES L KNIGHT FOUNDATION ($2,993,170). 5 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP have?
- IRS filings report 8 organizations giving $3,626,895 in grants to DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP, 5 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP?
- JOHN S AND JAMES L KNIGHT FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $2,993,170 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like DOWNTOWN AKRON PARTNERSHIP find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Ohio. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Downtown Akron Partnership →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 8 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing