Akima Grant Program

The Akima Grant Program, managed by Akima Club Inc, provides essential financial support to local nonprofit agencies. This year, over $86,000 was awarded to more than 50 diverse organizations, enhancing community services in the fields of arts, culture, science, and social support. The program's mission emphasizes compassion and respect for the community, aiming to assist agencies that directly impact clients. Funding is generated through community-driven events, showcasing a long-standing commitment to local betterment.

The Akima Grant program provides financial support to several local nonprofit agencies. Since we are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, funding for our grants program is raised through Akima’s popular Cabaret event held every other year. Thanks to the community support of our 2023 Cabaret, Akima Grants gave over $94,000 to 50 different agencies which was the largest sum that Akima had given in their over 75-year history! This year, 2024, we were again able to grant another sizeable amount to the community with over 50 different agencies receiving over $86,000! These community agencies are very diverse - covering programs for people of all ages involving the arts, culture, science, medical services, and social services.
Akima’s mission is:

• To be a friend to the community by giving of ourselves and our resources with respect, dedication and compassion.

Eligibility

We support agencies who directly support clientsBoundaries - typically Knox County, but does encompass the (865) area codeWhen we only partially fund a grant, we do require notification of where the remaining amount will come from to fulfill the requestAgency should notify us if the grant money is used for something other than what was requestedAgency should be very specific in the line item asks

Ineligibility

We do not provide grant funding for staff salaries or staff trainingWe do not provide grant funds for agencies’ rent or utilitiesWe do not provide funds for capital improvements to an agency's structureWe do not provide funding for K-12 schools - government funded or private