2022-2023 Year in Review
2022-23 was The Charles H. Dater Foundation’s 38th year of grantmaking, awarding 158 grants totaling $5,750,000 to area nonprofit organizations.
Since 1985-86, the Foundation has made 3,632 grants totaling $72,336,318 to over 450 organizations. In the fiscal/grant year (September to August) of 2022-23, grants ranged from $15,000 to $250,000. The average grant was $35,392 and the median grant was $25,000. Assets increased from $112 million to $116 million (3.6%), reflecting the prevailing investment climate as well as continued Covid-related grantmaking.
Grantmaking increased ...
..
$415,000 in 2022-23 and the grantmaking total represented the largest amount in the Foundation's history. The conclusion of a gradual phase-in of the impact from a large 2017-18 contribution from a trust of Charles Dater grew the Foundation's asset base and allowed for continued additional contributions made in response to increased community need as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Covid challenges remained ...
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but the general theme for nonprofit organizations seemed to be seeking the path to return to normalcy. When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, some organizations furloughed or reduced staff when traditional programming was not possible. Others worked to stay on mission and deliver programs in alternative ways. “Pivot” became the operative word. Many shifted to virtual programming. Some did drive-through or outdoor events where social distancing was possible. As the Covid climate shifted with vaccination and the availability of staging accommodations, some traditional programming became increasingly possible. The road was not smooth, but it was improving.
The Foundation’s focus ...
remained on supporting many long-time grant recipients. After two years of Covid Relief Special Grants, the Foundation returned to its traditional grantmaking approach last year. Efforts were made to reward organizations that had creatively and effectively dealt with Covid challenges.
The Foundation's two largest grants were $250,000 each … one to the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for its Learning Links and Summertime Kids mini-grant program and the other a capital grant for programmatic expansion to The Children’s Theatre for its acquisition and renovation of the historic Emery Theatre in Over the Rhine. $100,000 grants were made to ProKids and Santa Maria Community Services for facility expansions. Also receiving $100,000 grants were Bloc Ministries and WCET-TV (CET Public Educational Television).
When no grant applications had been received from a number of longtime grant recipients as the end of the Foundation’s fiscal-year neared, the Foundation made 45 “renewal grants.” Often the delay or failure to apply for a grant was the result of staff changes.
Eleven grant recipients have now topped the $1 million plateau:
Greater Cincinnati Foundation (mini-grants programs Learning Links and Summertime Kids)
Cincinnati Zoo (capital projects)
Cincinnati Public Radio (programming on WGUC and WVXU)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (research)
Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation (scholarships to Gilbert Dater High School graduates)
Taft Museum of Art (youth education)
CISE (Catholic Inner-city Schools Education Fund)
Children’s Theatre (school performances)
FreestoreFoodbank (food insecurity)
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (youth education programming)
Starfire (Community building programs for children and young adults with developmentally challenges young people)
Grant Summary:
$10,000 - $24,999 28 $ 555,000
$25,000 - $49,999 101 2,920,000
$50,000 – $99,999 23 1,375,000
$100,000 or more 6 900,000
Total 158 $ 5,750,000
The Foundation’s assets were at $116 million at fiscal year-end (August 31, 2023). Grantmaking is funded solely by the contributions of the late Charles Dater and the investment growth of assets. The Foundation does not generate revenues through programs or contributions. 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. This also serves to preserve the philanthropic commitment and the memory of Charles Dater and four generations of the Dater family.
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 Public Media Connect (WCET-TV) provided the opportunity to use broadcast announcements to salute grant recipients, thereby helping increase their visibility and attract additional support. The Foundation’s web site continued to feature 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. The annual report section on the web site allowed for descriptions of the grant recipients and the programs or projects funded by the Foundation.
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.