ProKids exists because of the nearly 4,000 children in Greater Cincinnati who have suffered such severe abuse and neglect that they have been placed into Hamilton County’s child protection system, most into foster care.  CASA Volunteers advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children, ensuring that each child receives the services and support they need to heal from their traumas, and, ultimately, guide them into a safe, permanent, and nurturing home where they can thrive.

Grants awarded in September:

Arthritis Foundation, $20,000.  Kids Get Arthritis Too is a program that includes a JA Days, Fall Family Camp and the JA Power Pack filled with educational materials and other information about resources and support for children with arthritis and their parents.  In-person and virtual program delivery will be dictated by prevailing Covid protocols.

Assistance League of Greater Cincinnati, $60,000.  Operation School Bell is a back-to-school program that provides school clothes including uniforms, jackets, pants, shirts, underwear, socks and shoes along with hygiene supplies to about 4,500 children in need at 40 area public and parochial schools.  As last year, items will be boxed and delivered to schools for distribution rather than using the pre-Covid distribution at the Assistance League.  

Beech Acres, $50,000.  Beyond the Classroom provides full, wrap-around mental health support as service providers work with school staff to understand the needs of each student and all school families.  The program will expand to six inner-city schools in the current school year.

Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, $50,000.  The MainStage season returns to feature its usual four productions and about 60 performances that will be seen by an expected 100,000 students, children and families at the Taft Theatre.  Students from low income families attend weekday school performances free or at a nominal charge.

Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, $20,000.  The Community Engagement and Education Program includes partnerships with MY Cincinnati, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Children’s, Ronald McDonald House, Joseph House, CAIN Ministries in Northside, City Gospel Mission and Mindful Music Moments. 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, $50,000 (fifth of five $50,000 grants 2018-2022).  The Hematology/Oncology Research Department’s Translational Core Laboratory is actively involved in moving cell and gene therapies into clinical trials.  The Foundation has made annual grants of $50,000 in this area since 2000.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, $30,000.  Education outreach tours will take three productions and present 100 performances at area elementary schools, impacting over 25,000 students in grades K through 6.  The focus is on schools that provide little or no access to the arts.  Anticipating a gradual return to normalcy, a fall production will be streamed live in school and winter and spring shows will be in-person in schools

Elementz, $25,000.  A Creative Futures Initiative features hip hip cultural art forms to expand the organization’s impact on at-risk, inner city children and teens and encourage creativity, character building, and improvements in self-esteem.  

Epilepsy Alliance Ohio, $20,000.  A free-of-charge counseling service for children and adolescents strives to identify specific problems that limit overall independence and teach coping and problem-solving skills.

Fernside: A Center for Grieving Children, $25,000.  After using a virtual evening program and a remote grief peer support group program last year, Fernside expects to return to its traditional school, evening and crisis programming in 20212-22.  

Learning Grove (Children Inc.), $50,000 (fifth of five $50,000 grants 2018-2022).  Scaling for Impact is a $5 million capital campaign aimed at expanding the organization’s number of programs, projects and services that benefit low income children and families.  Early childhood classrooms will double, scholarships will be available for the neediest families, and an Innovation Lab will focus on research-based tools and practices to enhance programming.

Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC), $20,000.  Begun in 2009, a free early childhood literacy program includes School Day, After School, Family Literacy Night and Summer Literacy Camp and impacts hundreds of Pre-K to Grade 3 children and their families.

Music Resource Center, $25,000.  MRC is an after school music and recording studio for teen in Grades 7-12.  Members pay a nominal $2 monthly fee and have access to music education, studio recording, radio broadcasting, leadership training and mentorship.

New Leaf Kitchen, $30,000.  Root-Up Cooking brings in-person, hands-on food and cooking education to underserved schoolchildren who in turn can take their learning home to impact their families.

ProKids, $50,000.  CASA University is a year-round recruitment, screening and training program for volunteers who serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children involved in child protection situations.

Redwood School & Rehabilitation Center, $50,000.  Redwood serves children and adults with severe and multiple disabilities helping them reach their highest potential with enriching educational, vocational and therapy services.  A campus improvement program will mean better service to every participant.

Santa Maria Community Services, $50,000.  The Dater4Kids program fosters social skills development and service learning activities that teach youth to contribute to the improvement of their neighborhood.  While the program has been limited and scaled back due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Foundation continued its support to Santa Maria by designating part of the grant for general operating expenses.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, $25,000.  Two AmeriCorps volunteers work with students at Corryville Catholic Elementary School, where inner-city students in a Choices for Children mentoring program excel.  Almost all student graduate and attend college preparatory high schools.

SOS Art, $25,000.  Free weekly art workshops for youth ages 8-16 will trigger artistic creativity and expression as they produce artworks for public exhibition and online posting on themes of peace and justice. 

Taft Museum of Art, $50,000.  Educational programs for student, youth and families include school tours, Artists Reaching Classrooms, Third Sunday Funday, a Girl Scout program, and Summer Art Day Camp.  Activities impact more than 5,000 children and many programs take place in the Taft’s Dater Education Room, a part of the museum’s current renovation for which the Dater Foundation provided funding.

U.C. Med Mentors, $15,000.  University of Cincinnati - Med Mentors, $15,000.  Medical students volunteer to mentor young people through outings to local cultural venues and special events that the youngsters would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.  Nearly 200 medical students, about one-fourth of the medical student population, participate.

The Dater Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to carry out programs that benefit young people and focus in the areas of arts/culture, education, healthcare, social services and other community needs.  Information about the grantmaking process and guidelines and links to an online grant application website are available at www.DaterFoundation.org.

The private foundation was established by fourth-generation Cincinnatian, businessman and philanthropist Charles Dater (1912-1993) to ensure that his resources would continue to fund worthwhile community programs after his death.  The foundation has made more than 3,400 grants totaling over $60 million since its inception in 1985.

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