Craig Covey LGBT and Diversity Pride Fund Grant

The Craig Covey LGBT and Diversity Pride Fund Grant, established by Stark County activist Craig Covey, aims to support local nonprofits adopting non-discrimination policies. With a total funding of $5,000, it will provide ten mini-grants of $500 each to organizations that prioritize inclusivity for marginalized communities, including racial, cultural, and sexual minorities. This initiative reinforces Covey's lifelong commitment to advocacy and aims to foster a more engaged and inclusive community in Stark County.

Our Focus Areas
Our major focus areas concentrate our attention on these essential ingredients.
Stark County native and activist Craig Covey has dedicated his life to advocating for marginalized communities. Now, he’s awarding non-discrimination grants to local organizations as a way to continue to support racial, cultural and sexual minorities in our community.
Through the recently established Craig Covey LGBT and Diversity Pride Fund at Stark Community Foundation, he plans to award $5,000 to Stark County nonprofits that have or plan to adopt non-discrimination clauses in their staff, board, volunteer and program policies. At a minimum, these existing or new policies must prohibit discrimination based on age, race, gender, gender status, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status. A total of 10 mini-grants of $500 will be awarded to nonprofits that have adopted these policies or can demonstrate their immediate plans to adopt.
Covey’s activism dates back to 1981 when he co-founded the first off-campus gay and lesbian rights organization in Columbus, Stonewall Union (now Stonewall Columbus), and helped organize the city’s first Pride parades. He directed a statewide LGBT rights group called the Michigan Organization for Human Rights and later became Michigan’s first openly gay elected mayor in Ferndale. He also designed programs for Black, Latinx, Asian and Arabic communities during the HIV pandemic while serving on Ferndale City Council and Oakland County Board of Commissioners. Covey returned home to Canton in 2017.

Eligibility

This fund is for nonprofits that have or plan to adopt non-discrimination clauses in their staff, board, volunteer and program policies.At a minimum, these existing or new policies must prohibit discrimination based on age, race, gender, gender status, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status.A total award of $5,000 will be given to Stark County nonprofits.A total of 10 mini-grants of $500 will be awarded to nonprofits that have adopted these policies or can demonstrate their immediate plans to adopt.