The Dayton Foundation would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to David Miller for his unwavering commitment and exceptional leadership as chair of the Foundation’s Governing Board for the last two years.
“Under David’s leadership, we were able to make impressive strides in the Foundation’s mission to help individuals and organizations help others through charitable giving and community leadership,” said Mike Parks, CFRE, president of The Dayton Foundation. “This included the awarding of more than 50,000 grants totaling $247.6 million from all Foundation funds in the last two years to assist nonprofit organizations locally, nationally and internationally.”
“We are deeply grateful for the gift of David’s time, talent and treasure to grow The Dayton Foundation and make it a stronger, more dynamic philanthropic resource for the Greater Dayton region.”
– Mike Parks, president
Included in the grantmaking total, $2.7 million was awarded in Board-directed discretionary and Greenlight GrantsSM that helped local organizations develop programs and services for individuals with disabilities; create afterschool programs to empower young men; increase access to healthy food for low-income families; provide safe and welcoming housing for victims of domestic violence and the LGBTQ+ community; and offer enhanced arts-based programming, among other efforts. Additionally, the Foundation reached a new milestone in giving with more than $124 million awarded in fiscal year 2023 alone. This was the first time in the Foundation’s history that grantmaking in a single year exceeded the $100 million mark. This extraordinary accomplishment shows the compassion that Foundation fund holders have for causes important to them, as well as their confidence in The Dayton Foundation to steward their funds.
During David’s chairmanship, the Foundation assisted individuals, families and organizations in furthering their charitable goals through the creation of 536 new endowed and non-endowed funds and Charitable Checking Accounts.SM Included among these were 26 new, unrestricted and lightly restricted funds that help the Foundation address pressing community needs and opportunities today and long into the future. Additionally, new contributions combined with sound investment management added $140 million in charitable assets, bringing the Foundation’s community resources to an all-time high of $1.16 billion.
“Under David’s leadership, we were able to make impressive strides in the Foundation’s mission to help individuals and organizations help others through charitable giving and community leadership.”
– Mike Parks, president
Thanks to David’s thoughtful guidance, the Foundation’s collaborative work on community leadership initiatives is driving purposeful and transformative solutions for the region’s benefit. Current initiatives include the Del Mar Encore Fellows Initiative, which harnesses the talents of skilled, older adults to address community needs; the Brain Health Collective, a partnership with the University of Dayton to coordinate care, education and community outreach for individuals inflicted with traumatic brain injuries; the Nonprofit Capacity-Building Partnership, a collaboration with the Mathile Family Foundation to strengthen Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits in Montgomery County; and the Dayton Workforce Coalition, a collaboration of community STEM-based partners and employers to fill workforce gaps.
His insights and leadership also helped the Foundation make great strides in adding robust services through technology, including an online grant application portal for nonprofits to apply for the Foundation’s competitive grant opportunities and a new website, with simplified navigation and a modern, user-friendly design.
“We are deeply grateful for the gift of David’s time, talent and treasure to grow The Dayton Foundation and make it a stronger, more dynamic philanthropic resource for the Greater Dayton region,” Mike said. “We welcome his continuation on the Board for the remainder of his term and look forward to what he will continue to give to further the Foundation’s work in strengthening the Greater Dayton community today and for future generations.”