The Dayton Foundation is a community foundation headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Founded in 1921, the Foundation serves as a philanthropic intermediary providing charitable giving services, grant opportunities for nonprofit organizations, scholarships for students, and community leadership initiatives. The organization operates with approximately 67 employees and maintains more than 4,400 charitable funds.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$649.6M
+11.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$34.0M
-29.5% YoY
Grant Count
497
+7.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$68K
-34.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: We help you help others℠ through philanthropy and community leadership.
Core Values:
- Excellence — striving to exceed expectations through exemplary service and fiscal stewardship
- Collaboration — working together with staff, Board, and community for collective good
- Integrity, Honesty and Respect — acting with transparency, accountability, and respect
- Opportunities for All — creating opportunities for all in the communities served
Program Areas:
- Designated and advised grants to 501(c)(3) organizations
- Discretionary grants determined by The Dayton Foundation grants committee
- Scholarship grants to colleges and universities
- Donor-advised funds
Funding Interests: Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services
Grantmaking
| Fiscal Year | Amount |
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $5,075 to $15,132,606
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation primarily serves the Greater Dayton Region, with grantmaking extending to Ohio, New York, and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets Under Management:
| Fiscal Year | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $639.6M |
| 2019-20 | $652.7M |
| 2020-21 | $818.7M |
| 2021-22 | $1.04B |
| 2022-23 | $1.09B |
| 2023-24 | $1.17B |
| 2024-25 | $1.3B |
Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $649,636,891
- Total Revenues: $65,553,692
- Total Expenses: $49,661,162
- New Contributions: $67.5 million
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since December 1926; EIN 31-6027287
Financial Oversight: Annual independent audits conducted by professional accounting firms; audited financial statements available for review
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $649,636,891 | $583,453,329 | $550,779,259 |
| Revenue | $65,553,692 | $59,281,429 | $86,220,290 |
| Expenses | $49,661,162 | $71,402,673 | $42,041,360 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $25,817,318 | $17,573,943 | $30,769,992 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
70 open opportunities from The Dayton Foundation
African-American Community Foundation - Charles and Pat Meadows Scholarship Grant
THE DAYTON FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
African-American Community Foundation - CJ McLin, Jr. Scholarship Grant
THE DAYTON FOUNDATION
Amount
US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
African-American Community Foundation - Colbert Family Scholarship Grant
THE DAYTON FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President: Michael M. Parks
Finance: Steve Darnell, Vice President of Finance
Communications: Christine Smith, Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| L TONY ORTIZ | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| DAVID T MILLER | CHAIR GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| ART HARLAN | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| J NORMAN ECKSTEIN | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| RAKESH ARORA | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| VALERIE LEMMIE | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| ALLICE MCCOLLUM | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| MARTHA SHAKER | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| JOSH STUCKEY | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| THOMAS J BECKER | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| GEORGE E FOREST | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| CASSIE BARLOW | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| JANICE L CULVER | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| JAMES VAUGHN | GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| MICHAEL M PARKS | PRESIDENT/SECRETARY | 40 | $861,130 |
| STEPHEN D DARNELL | V.P. FINANCE | 40 | $149,690 |
| JOSEPH B BALDASARE | CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER | 40 | $40,718 |
| S TRACIE BOSHEARS | ASSISTANT TREASURER | 40 | $72,969 |
| MICHELLE LOVELY | VP DEVELOPMENT AND DONOR SERVICES | 40 | $209,477 |
| JEANNE S HOLIHAN | ADMINISTRATION VP | 40 | $210,623 |
| CHRIS SMITH | VP MARKETING & PUBLIC RELA | 40 | $133,607 |
| BARBRA STONEROCK | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 40 | $152,711 |
| AMY WAGNER | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS | 40 | $65,811 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has approved grants in basic human needs and expanded scholarship opportunities through ScholarshipConnect℠ for 2026. The organization continues to actively fund local charitable organizations across multiple sectors and maintains an active press release program documenting grant awards and initiatives.
Several local charity organizations receive funding from Dayton FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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