43 Greater Dayton Charities Receive $1.2 Million in Dayton Foundation Competitive Grant Awards

In Fiscal Year 2022, The Dayton Foundation reinstituted its discretionary grantmaking and Greenlight Grants℠ processes after two years of allocating funding to help nonprofit organizations respond to COVID-19. Since July 1, 2021, discretionary and Greenlight Grants totaling $1,218,506 were awarded by the Foundation’s volunteer Grants Committee and approved by the Foundation’s Governing Board to address emerging needs and opportunities in the region. These grants promoted efforts in the areas of arts and culture, health, education, human services, philanthropy and other community-building endeavors.

Discretionary grants totaling $1,141,625 were awarded to the following organizations.

Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice ($25,000) to support the construction of a bike and walking trail connecting Agraria with the Village of Yellow Springs and the existing network of bike paths in Ohio.

Beaver Creek Wetlands Association ($50,000) to create a regional trail system connecting the parks and reserves along the Beaver Creek Wetlands corridor.

Boys & Girls Club of Dayton ($21,250) to hire its first resource development professional to help strengthen the organization and its programming.

Clothes That Work ($12,500) to help construct a vehicle to house an inventory of work-appropriate clothing, two dressing rooms and a client meeting space for its new mobile outreach initiative that seeks to eliminate barriers to employment.

The Co ($25,000) to support construction-related costs at its new location in the Dayton Arcade, which will help the organization double its exhibition space.

Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra ($13,953) to help purchase percussion instruments for this all-volunteer group.

Co-op Dayton-Greater Dayton Union Cooperative Initiative ($75,000) to help launch the Westside Makerspace cooperative located in the West Branch Dayton Metro Library that will offer a range of hands-on, project-based courses.

Dayton Art Institute ($70,000) to assist in creating a life-sized sculpture of Paul Laurence Dunbar to educate and inspire visitors at the West Branch Dayton Metro Library.

Dayton Society of Natural History ($125,000) to create a visual storage exhibition at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, enhancing both its educational impact and research value.

East End Community Services ($125,000) to aid in the renovation of two new warehouse spaces that ultimately will strengthen services to children and families.

The Foodbank ($75,000) to purchase a new freezer unit to increase the organization’s ability to respond to future emergencies.

Friends of Aullwood ($25,000) to aid in renovations that will make Aullwood more accessible to the public.

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio ($75,000) to construct a Green Program Shelter, including sustainable energy features, a community garden and a green careers learning station at Camp Whip Poor Will.

Good Neighbor House ($75,000) to expand its current space to include six exam rooms, a lab, dispensary, wellness and physical therapy room, and counseling office.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Dayton ($62,500) to assist in replacing the roof on its downtown facility.

Learning Tree Farm ($11,375) to build an equipment barn so the organization can hold programs and events in the bank barn, thereby increasing accessibility for people with mobility disabilities.

Montgomery County Ohio College Promise ($100,000) to support the Extend the Promise campaign to help an additional 500 students, over the next 10 years, attend college at little or no cost to them or their families.

Miami Valley Meals ($39,000) to purchase a new walk-in freezer for additional meal storage.

Overfield Tavern Museum ($25,000) to repair and preserve the historic log building to improve its structural integrity, protect irreplaceable artifacts and safely offer historical programming and services.

YMCA of Greater Dayton ($100,000) in partnership with CountyCorp, CareSource, Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley, The Homeownership Center, Premier Health, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area and Wright State University, to build a one-stop-shop health and wellness center in Northwest Dayton.

WYSO Public Radio ($25,000) to assist in building a satellite location at the Dayton Arcade for broadcasts and educational opportunities.

The Foundation’s Greenlight Grants program assists organizations seeking quick, small grants for special projects, program expansions, capital improvements or capacity building. In recent months, $76,881 in Greenlight Grants were awarded to the following organizations.

Brukner Nature Center ($2,847) to improve fencing that separates visitors and program participants from Wildlife Ambassadors.

Dayton Peace Museum ($4,000) to digitize the Peace Heroes Stories in a permanent exhibit and create an interactive experience at the museum’s new location.

Family Violence Prevention Center of Greene County ($3,000) to expand and update the organization’s current phone operating system to provide services at current and additional locations.

First Dayton Little League ($4,000) to aid in upgrading the dugouts, restrooms, parking lot, concession stand and playing field.

Fisher-Nightingale Houses, Inc. ($4,500) to construct a storage building for supplies and equipment.

Gem City Kitties ($4,239) to replace and upgrade equipment in the Gem City Vet office located in Trotwood, helping the organization to ultimately reduce energy bills.

4C for Children ($5,000) to furnish and equip its new location to offer training and services to childcare providers and to continue helping families find quality childcare.

The Historical Society of Germantown ($3,000) to help repair and preserve the building’s exterior walls.

Isaiah’s Place, Inc. ($1,984) to purchase books and sensory items that can help the foster children it serves to self-regulate when in a heightened state of emotion.

League of Women Voters of the Greater Dayton Area ($960) to increase the capacity and efficiency of its data storage system.

Miamisburg Historical Society ($3,500) to help obtain a state-of-the-art scanner to read, scan and print all film styles and convert and digitize old film reels.

OneFifteen ($1,195) to provide fitness programs for people recovering from addiction.

Operation 2000 Cherry Trees ($2,580) to purchase and plant cherry trees for a cherry blossom trail spanning from the Dayton Art Institute to Carillon Historical Park.

Places Inc. ($7,500) to purchase appliances and furniture for adults living with mental health challenges.

Planned2Give ($2,000) to upgrade to an all-in-one fundraising and data management tool, enabling the organization to support more nonprofit fundraising events.

Rebuilding Together Dayton ($2,500) to purchase a work truck to provide services that help seniors stay in safe, healthy housing.

Rehabilitation Center for Neurological Development ($532) to support neuroeducational classroom activities for clients with disabilities.

Senior Resource Connection ($5,000) to purchase insulated food bags that hold temperatures during route delivery.

St. Anne’s Hill Historic Society ($6,844) to purchase disability friendly playground equipment for Bomberger Park.

Trinity Community at Miami Township ($3,000) to help decrease isolation and increase social interaction through interactive programming for residents of this senior living community.

ventureLINX ($1,200) to purchase equipment that will help train students with disabilities to become more employable after graduation.

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. ($2,500) to hire an accounting and consulting firm, which will enable the organization to evaluate strategic options for building long-term sustainability as a growing nonprofit affordable housing development agency.

YES! For Youth ($5,000) to purchase a network server system to securely back up data, access data from remote locations, increase capacity for data storage and virtual training content, as well as provide GED tutorial and IT training certificate programs.

Funding for these two competitive grants programs is made possible by individuals who have established unrestricted or lightly restricted charitable funds, enabling the Foundation to act on opportunities for the community and address pressing needs throughout the region.

More information about The Dayton Foundation and its competitive grants programs is available at www.daytonfoundation.org or by calling (937) 222-0410

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