Summer/Fall 2018

Thank You, Craig J. Brown

Craig Brown’s 18-month term as chair of The Dayton Foundation’s Governing Board came to a close at the end of June, and we would like to thank him for his outstanding leadership during his tenure.

Under Craig’s chairmanship, the Foundation made significant strides in its mission to empower others through philanthropy and community leadership. These included the awarding of more than 23,000 grants totaling $70 million from all Foundation funds to nonprofit organizations locally and across the country. Of this amount, $1.2 million was awarded in Board-directed discretionary grants and Greenlight Grants℠ that helped local organizations to assist with the Dayton Riverfront Master Plan; develop literacy programs; aid in building a full-service cooperative grocery store in an identified Dayton food desert; build a new, state-of-the-art music pavilion and expand creative art space, among other efforts.

Additionally, the Foundation added 262 new Charitable Checking Accounts℠ and 166 new endowed and non-endowed funds to assist individuals, families and organizations in furthering their charitable goals. Included among these funds were 15 new unrestricted and lightly restricted funds that help the Foundation address the most pressing community needs and opportunities today and long into the future. A record dollar amount for new contributions combined with sound investment management added nearly $100 million in charitable assets, bringing the Foundation’s community resources to almost $600 million.

Under his chairmanship, the Foundation announced plans to relocate to a new building, giving the Foundation a shingle for the first time and boundless opportunities for collaboration and partnership with community-building organizations (see page 1). The Foundation also made great strides in leadership initiatives, including the Del Mar Encore Fellows Initiative focused on encore careers for the region’s older adult population. Thanks to a $1 million gift from Del Mar Healthcare and its DMH-Fund of The Dayton Foundation, this pilot program is engaging highly talented and experienced older adults to help advance community efforts in areas such as literacy, afterschool homework programs, diversity and inclusion education and training, and senior access to healthcare through technology.

Further strides also were made on Learn to Earn Dayton, a cradle-to-career education initiative, as well as Miami Valley Works, a workforce development and self-sufficiency program in partnership with Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley.

We are deeply grateful to Craig for his dedicated leadership during a robust growth period at The Dayton Foundation. He has led the Foundation through many significant accomplishments on behalf of the community and given generously of his time and wisdom since he joined the Foundation’s Finance Committee in 2004 and as a member of the Board in 2009. We are pleased to welcome his continuation on the Board. Thank you, Craig! ❧

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