Twenty-three discretionary and Greenlight GrantsSM totaling $496,975 were awarded by The Dayton Foundation’s volunteer Grants Committee and approved by the Foundation’s Governing Board to address emerging needs and opportunities in the region. These grants, made possible thanks to individuals who have established unrestricted or lightly restricted charitable funds, promoted efforts in the arts and culture, health, education, human services, philanthropy and other community-building endeavors.
Discretionary grants totaling $438,991 were awarded to the following organizations.
Culture Works ($50,000) to help raise matching funds for a National Endowment for the Arts grant to invest in Greater Dayton’s arts community.
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company ($64,000) to rebuild Dayton audiences and address lingering post-pandemic impacts by strengthening and developing organizational skills and resources.
Dayton Live ($75,000) to address critical facility needs for the Arts Garage, Metropolitan Arts Center, Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center and Victoria Theatre.
Dayton Metro Library ($75,000) to purchase a new Bookmobile to help enhance school-based and community engagement, as well as enable more children and their families to read more books.
Fisher Nightingale Houses, Inc. ($25,000) to install a generator to power the Dayton VA Medical Center Fisher House in the event of an electrical outage.
Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley ($24,991) to assist individuals who are blind or have low vision by providing assistive equipment and services, such as cane training and workplace accessibility.
The Human Race Theatre Company ($50,000) to purchase new equipment and address long-term artistic needs that will allow the organization to reduce production costs, limit waste and enable artists to expand their creativity.
North Star Community Association ($50,000) to expand and renovate North Star Community Park, providing a larger, more accessible and easier-to-maintain facility for community gatherings.
ThinkTV ($25,000) to support Brick by Brick, a new solutions-driven, community affairs program to address regional issues, such as affordable housing.
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, $57,984 in Greenlight Grants was awarded to the following organizations.
Caesars Ford Theatre, Inc. ($4,000) to create website photos and marketing materials for the promotion and development of the Shawnee Living History Tour.
Diabetes Dayton (LifeCare Alliance) ($2,100) to provide translation services for clients who are living with diabetes and experiencing language barriers.
Emerge Recovery and Trade Initiative ($5,000) to construct a greenhouse for horticultural therapy, a proven method to help individuals who are battling addictions.
For Love of Children ($2,000) to provide Christmas gifts for Greene County children who are fostered or have insufficient resources.
House of Bread ($4,000) to purchase a new furnace for the organization’s receiving area and kitchen.
K12 Gallery for Young People ($4,000) to purchase a pug mill for the ceramics studio.
The Learning Tree Farm, Inc. ($1,500) to build storage space and closets in the Bank Barn.
Pink Ribbon Good ($7,000) to upgrade financial software to help support infrastructure growth and the increased demand for services.
Preschool Promise ($7,500) to hire a consultant who will help identify new philanthropic and government funding opportunities.
Preservation Dayton, Inc. ($5,000) to establish a revolving fund that will enable the organization to acquire and renovate vacant properties in Dayton’s historic neighborhoods.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc. ($2,884) to help supply beds for children in need in Northeast Dayton and East Dayton.
Specialized Alternative for Families and Youth of Ohio ($4,500) to help emancipated foster youth gain access to driving education and licenses for enhanced mobility in order to achieve employment and self-sufficiency.
Think Tank, Inc. ($2,000) to build the capacity of community members who have experienced poverty but lack power and resources so they may serve on leadership teams and community boards.
Valor Therapeutics, Inc. ($6,500) to develop a five-year strategic plan, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its mission to support active-duty military personnel, retired veterans and first responders.
More information about The Dayton Foundation and its competitive grants programs is available at https://www.daytonfoundation.org/ or by calling (937) 222-0410.