Ask any Daytonian what their favorite local activities and restaurants are, and you’ll get a wide range of recommendations. But did you know that some of the most popular suggestions for go-to local experiences are inspired, founded or operated by Dayton Foundation fund holders?
Looking for a place to eat? Old Scratch Pizza, a fast-casual, wood-fired pizza eatery founded in 2016 by Dayton Foundation donors Stephanie and Eric Soller, is renowned for its house-made dough, creative pies and lively beer hall atmosphere. The pizza chain quickly has become a Dayton staple, along with its popular charitable initiative, Cones for a Cause, which offers ice cream cones to customers in exchange for a charitable donation.
Stephanie Soller (middle), co-founder of Old Scratch Pizza, poses with staff from The Foodbank, a recent grant recipient of Cones for a Cause.
“Giving back is natural to us and has always been a meaningful part of our lives,” said Stephanie, co-owner of Old Scratch Pizza and administrator of Cones for Cause. “Today, the Cones for a Cause program generates around $6,000 per month, which we reinvest directly into the region. It has evolved into a community-powered, micro-grant foundation dedicated to driving social change in Greater Dayton.”
To help manage the program, Stephanie established a Dayton Foundation Charitable Checking Account,℠ which has granted more than $202,000 to local nonprofit organizations since 2021.
“Our job is to help all boats rise by giving what we can to ensure a safe, healthy place to live and do business.”
– Josh Stucky, co-owner of Square One Salon & Spa and Dayton Foundation Governing Board member
“Initially, we managed donations through our business accounts, but as the program expanded, we needed a more efficient system. The Foundation provided us with structure, transparency and trusted support,” Stephanie said. “Most of the nonprofits we support already have funds with the Foundation, which makes awarding grants fast and easy. I’ve even set up automatic monthly transfers from our four restaurants. It’s seamless and allows me to stay focused on making an impact, not on paperwork.”
Another Dayton favorite – Skyline Chili – also is connected with The Dayton Foundation. Mark Keilholz, a United States Navy veteran, began his post-military career in 1973 as a Skyline employee. In 1984, he partnered with a friend to open their franchise in Miamisburg, which moved to its current location in Miami Township in 2003. In 2016 they established the Dayton Mall Skyline Fund, which has granted more than $30,000 to nonprofit organizations to address food insecurity and other local needs.
Mark Keilholz, co-owner of the Miami Township Skyline Chili, gives back to the community he serves through his Dayton Foundation Charitable Checking Account.℠
“From searching charitable organizations through the website to processing our grants quickly, the Foundation makes giving back so easy!” Mark said. “We want to be an asset to the community while doing business here, and we’re always ready to help. Our CCA makes it easier for us to do this.”
In the mood to be pampered? As one of Greater Dayton’s premier destinations for personal care, relaxation and rejuvenation, Square One Salon & Spa has deep ties with The Dayton Foundation. Two of its co-founders, Josh Stucky and Brent Johnson, are longtime fund holders, and Josh has served on the Foundation’s Governing Board since 2022. In addition to establishing several CCAs for their current giving and founding the RubiGirls Scholarship Fund to help area students attend college, Josh and Brent have created three deferred funds to carry out their charitable wishes after they are gone. A combined total of $170,000 has been awarded from their funds since 2017.
Longtime Dayton Foundation donors Josh Stucky (left) and Brent Johnson, co-founders of Square One Salon & Spa, believe that the key to success lies in helping others.
A sense of gratitude and the inspiration of so many people in their lives are what drive them to do what they can, while they are able.
“When I was young, my father took us to a Thanksgiving dinner for children with developmental disabilities as part of his rotary service,” Josh said. “It made me realize how fortunate I am and what I can do to make others’ lives better.”
Josh believes that giving back benefits everyone involved, and that the key to success is helping individuals find their own success. Through his work with The Dayton Foundation, he has seen how working together can make a greater impact for all.
“Helping others is how communities find connection and foster happiness and personal growth,” Josh said. “Since becoming involved with the Foundation, my whole perspective has changed. Our community’s needs are great, and, collectively, we’re finding ways to reach through the needs and fulfill people’s dreams of a better future.”
These examples are just a sample of the generous Dayton Foundation donors who created these and many other “Dayton Originals.” Going on a picnic? Make sure to pick up some Mike-sell’s potato chips in honor of the company’s founder, whose daughter established a Designated Fund in her parents’ memory. The fund has awarded nearly $465,000 to support vocal activities for youth since 1985.
Want to hear live music? Enjoy a concert at Fraze Pavilion, the popular venue named in honor of famed local inventor Ermal Fraze. His family established a Donor-Advised Fund in his memory in 1989 that has granted more than $230,000 to area charities.
These funds and thousands of others are the culmination of a shared desire by individuals, families and businesses to help the charitable causes locally and nationally important to them and the community that has been so good to them.
“We have been blessed by the community, and we want to give back to the community,” Mark Keilholz said.
“We’re not just here to do business. We’re here to be part of the community. That’s always been at the heart of what we do,” Stephanie Soller added.
“We are only as healthy as the community we serve,” Josh Stucky said. “Our job is to help all boats rise by giving what we can to ensure a safe, healthy place to live and do business.”