2017-18 was The Charles H. Dater Foundation’s 33rd year of grantmaking, awarding 138 grants totaling $3,509,826.
 
Since 1985-86, the Foundation has made nearly 3,000 grants totaling more than $47 million to over 400 organizations.  In the fiscal/grant year (September to August) of 2017-18, grants to nonprofit organizations ranged from $1,000 to $250,000.  The average grant was $25,434, up from $15,685 the previous year.  The median was $25,000, up from $15,000. 
 
Grantmaking increased …
significantly as the Foundation’s assets increased from $52 million to $114 million.  The growth in assets came from a large distribution from a trust set up by Charles H. Dater before his death.  The Foundation does not generate revenues through programs or gifts.  Grantmaking is funded solely by the contributions of Charles Dater and the investment growth of its assets.  In general, the Foundation’s grantmaking is slightly above the required distribution level in keeping with its long-term goal of protecting and growing the asset base in order to exist in perpetuity to preserve the philanthropic commitment and the memory of Charles Dater and four generations of the Dater family.
 
The Foundation’s focus …
remained on supporting many long-time grant recipients, and its increased assets allowed for increased of support to many of them.  The Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s mini-grants programs that benefit children received $250,000 and support over the years exceeds $2 million.  Besides supporting youth education programs at the Taft Museum of Art, the Foundation made a $125,000 grant for physical enhancements to the Dater Education Room.  A multi-year commitment was made to Children Inc.’s Scaling for Impact capital campaign for expanded programming.  A new five-year commitment to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center continued $50,000 annual support for gene and cell therapy research that benefits young people.  CCHMC recently received a large government grant and attributed the support of local funders as an important factor. 
 
CISE (Catholic Inner-city Schools Education) joined the ranks of organizations having received over $1 million
in Dater Foundation support.  Others include Greater Cincinnati Foundation (Learning Links and Summertime Kids mini-grant programs), Cincinnati Zoo (capital projects),  Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation (scholarships to Gilbert Dater High School graduates), Taft Museum of Art (youth education), Cincinnati Children’s (research), Children’s Theatre (school performances), and Cincinnati Public Radio (programming on WGUC and WVXU).
 
Eight grants were made to first-time recipients.  Almost all grants supported cost-effective programs and projects, and they were often made to small organizations that leverage their resources well, make good use of volunteers, and benefit under-served populations. 
 
Promoting its grant recipients …
and the work that they do remained a priority for the Foundation.  Foundation grants to Cincinnati Public Radio (WGUC & WVXU) and CET (WCET-TV) provided the opportunity to use broadcast announcements to salute grant recipients, thereby helping them increase their visibility and attract additional support.  The Foundation’s web site featured success stories and photos of grant recipients, helping to further spread the word about these nonprofit organizations.  News releases announcing new grants were posted regularly.  A new annual report section on the web site now allows for expanded descriptions of the grant recipients and the programs or projects funded by the Foundation.  Given the Foundation’s increased grantmaking, it became impractical to continue the printed annual report in its previous format.
 
Grant applicants continued to give high marks to the Foundation’s web-based, online grant application process.  The user-friendly system is designed to reduce time spent by applicants in preparing and submitting requests and evaluation reports.  The process also allows Foundation directors to be more thorough and effective in reviewing applications, evaluations and other documents, which applicants may attach to their submissions.  The Foundation’s web site features detailed information about its grantmaking process.
 
Enriching Young Lives …
is what the Foundation is all about.  The mission: to make grants to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to carry out projects and programs that benefit children, teens and young adults, focusing in the areas of arts/culture, education, healthcare, social services and other community needs.
 
Charles H. Dater (1912 to 1993) …
businessman, philanthropist a fourth generation Cincinnatian, established the Foundation in 1985 to ensure that funding for worthwhile community programs would continue after his death.  The Foundation honors the memory and preserves the philanthropic commitment of Charles and his ancestors, whose hard work and business acumen over 150 years provided them with the opportunity to share their success with their community.

Directors and officers play an active role in the work of the Foundation, which has no full-time staff members.  Besides typical board oversight duties, they perform the work of staff, which includes: reviewing hundreds of grant requests each year, making site visits to current and potential grant recipients, monitoring how grant dollars are spent, seeking new grant applicants whose goals coincide with those of the Foundation, and overseeing the management, growth and preservation of the Foundation’s assets.