The Dayton Foundation is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of the 2024 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships, a national award issued annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Council on Foundations.
The award, now in its 12th year, honors grantmakers and public-sector collaborators who together create innovative, placed-based initiatives that have led to measurable benefits in housing and community development. The Dayton Foundation was recognized for The Pathways to Homeownership Program, which was established to address the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes’ impact on affordable housing in Dayton. The Foundation worked alongside 30 other public and private partnerships, including the Long Term Recovery Group, the City of Dayton, County Corp, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Land Bank, to establish this program that not only creates new, affordable owner-occupied housing but also invests in and stabilize underserved, disaster-impacted neighborhoods. To date, more than 19 storm-resistant, energy-efficient homes have been completed.
“The Memorial Day tornadoes in 2019 disproportionately affected low-income neighborhoods where many residents already were uninsured or underinsured. In the wake of that tragedy, our community collaborated to create this unique program which is helping tornado-impacted renters become first-time home buyers,” said Mike Parks, CFRE, president of The Dayton Foundation. “The Dayton Foundation is honored to share this prestigious award with all of the partners who had the vision for making homeownership possible for the affected individuals and families.”
Other recipients of this year’s award include the John T. Gorman Foundation, Lincoln Community Foundation, Rochester Area Community Foundation, Seattle Foundation and Yampa Valley Community Foundation. The awards were presented on July 11 in Washington, D.C., by HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman and the Council on Foundation’s President and CEO Kathleen Enright.
“To ensure that families can access housing they can afford, we need all hands on deck – nonprofits, governments, and private partners alike,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “We honor this year’s awardees and thank them for working with local partners to revitalize our communities and connect our people to affordable housing and critical services.”
“This year’s awardees collectively demonstrate that we can achieve greater impact and real change when we work together,” said Council on Foundations’ President and CEO Kathleen Enright. “We’re proud to recognize these innovative initiatives that are transforming communities across the country through public-philanthropic partnerships.”
About The Dayton Foundation
The Dayton Foundation has been the trusted charitable giving resource for thousands of individuals, families and organizations since 1921. Ranked among the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.37 billion in grants since its founding, with current assets from all funds exceeding $1.12 billion. For more information about The Dayton Foundation, visit daytonfoundation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook, X or LinkedIn.