COVID-19 EMERGENCY GRANTMAKING SUPPORT

Crushing financial demands are growing around us, caused by the economic shutdown of COVID-19. Two hometown nonprofits reached out to the Tipp City Foundation for immediate help in responding to those demands. Here’s how the foundation helped, and here’s how you can help, too.

A total of $15,000.00 has been awarded by the distribution committee.  These dollars may be leveraged by the nonprofits to grow matching gifts. Donor Advisors from foundation funds will be invited to contribute towards these grant requests. 

ECONOMIC RELIEF

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $10,000.00, seeds the Coronavirus Relief Program. Emergency aid to employers in the downtown, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, is now available.  Applications for relief, and the link to contribute, are found at www.downtowntippcity.org, or call (937) 667-0883.

The goal of the program is to maintain community vibrancy and economic prosperity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to assist in limiting its economic impact on the residents of Tipp City.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Tipp Monroe Community Services, $5,000.00, replenishes the year-round Community Relief Program. This emergency fund assists families with rent, prescriptions or utility costs. Residents of Tipp City, Monroe Township and Bethel Township are eligible to apply. If you need help, or if you would like to contribute to this program, contact TMCS at (937) 667-8631.

Since 1969, TMCS has identified the needs and wants of the community and found the resources to provide them. This is an August Henke Comfort for the Needy Fund grant.

The distance between people to stay safe from coronavirus is 6 feet.  The grantmaking distance between community need and reaction time is the length of a telephone line.  Other nonprofits in need of emergency economic assistance may contact Jim Ranft at (937) 528-2482 or email info@tippfoundatin.org. 

The deadline for 2Q grant submissions is June 1. Grant application forms are found at www.tippfoundation.org.

Since 1943, the Tipp City Foundation has awarded $2,311,765.44, through December 31, 2019. Members of the Foundation are Heather Bailey, Mary Bowman, Diana Featherstone, Dee Gillis, president, Dave Grim, treasurer, Melissa Keller, Bruce McKenzie, Jim Ranft, vice president and distribution chair, Nathan Rentz, Pete Schinaman, Claire Timmer, Jackie Wahl, secretary, and Sarah Worley.

The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

For more information visit www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We'd love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor - Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors - Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors - Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor - Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

The Tipp City Foundation board is welcoming a new president whose face and works are known not only to the board, but to the community overall. 

Dee Gillis is taking the reins as president from Heather Bailey, who will remain with the board working on fundraising and handling writing and the media for the foundation.

Gillis is a former Tipp City mayor and member of the city council. She also is active in the Tipp Monroe Seniors organization as treasurer and the Eastern Star organization.

She has been on the foundation’s board since 2016 and has been learning about the president’s role from Bailey. 

“For a year now, Heather has had me under her wing, taking me to different meetings, sharing different emails with me so I get up to speed on what I am getting into,” Gillis said. 

The transition was part of the strategic plan the foundation board initiated in fall 2018, Bailey said, adding, “It has been mindful and purposeful.”

The board holds a strategic planning session every two years. The purpose is to “look at the big picture and say, ‘What should we stop doing, what should we start doing and what do we need to reinvigorate that we might currently be doing?’” Bailey said 

A strategic plan will be on the board’s agenda for this year, Gillis said. Her responsibilities will include running board meetings, serving as the face of the board, public relations activities and making sure committees are functioning, which usually isn’t an issue, Gillis said.

Bailey said the role would be similar to when Gillis served as mayor. “You were already involved in the ongoing working of the city but then when you became the mayor you elevated the city’s presence,” Bailey said during a joint interview with Gillis. “This was a way to bring additional positive light on the city.” 

Gillis said she expressed interest in being on the foundation board. “It is an organization that I have admired. I felt like I wanted to learn more about it. I wanted to see how it worked from inside,” she said.

Her term as president will be for two years. She has no specific plans. “I hope to continue to take the foundation forward, as Heather has done,” Gillis said.

The board wants to look at challenges in the community and see what role it can play, Bailey said. “The conversation always comes to how do we make the best impact on the community because we want to be the barometer for addressing pressing, changing needs,” she said.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. You can make a difference with your dollars in our community by:

• Donating online here.
• Making your check payable to the Tipp City Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 626, Tipp City, OH 45371.
• Setting up a fund or legacy plan by contacting Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

STAY CONNECTED
We'd love to stay in touch. Stay connected with the Tipp City Foundation by:

• Following us on Facebook or
• InstagramVisiting our
• WebsiteSending us an Email

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
All marketing activities of the Foundation is 100% underwritten by generous sponsors. Please contact us at info@tippfoundation.org for information on how your business or organization can become our partner in philanthropy. 

• Silver Sponsor - Thrivent Financial (Matt Buehrer)
• Bronze Sponsors - Advanced Machinery Companies; Dunaway Family Foundation; Dungan & LeFevre; Ever-Green Turf & Landscape; Gibson Law Offices; Monroe Federal Savings and Loan; New Carlisle Federal Savings Bank; Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling; Unity National Bank
• Friend Sponsors - Captor Corp.; Edward Jones (Neil Nehring); Frings & Bayliff Funeral Home; Minster Bank; RSM US; Turnstone Financial; US Bank
• Media Sponsor - Tippecanoe Gazette

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH SHARING
Use the links below to share the TIPPing Point with friends and neighbors. Not a subscriber? Sign up here! If there is something you would like to see in future installments, please email news@tippfoundation.org. Your input is welcome and appreciated!

Have you ever noticed there are certain events, items or people, that are synonymous with towns all around the area, and for that fact, all around our country? Cities have become associated with a “particular” entity and will forever be tied to it. For instance, with the mention of the Golden Lamb restaurant, people immediately think of the city of Lebanon, or The Wooden Shoe and Minster comes to mind. Closer to home, a reference to Coldwater Café or Sam & Ethel’s and people think of Tipp City. With events, it’s the same. We have all become familiar with the “Troy” Strawberry Festival, the “Bradford” Pumpkin Festival and our own “Tipp City” Mum Festival. 

This kind of association, even more importantly, applies to those notable individuals who have helped bring a city to prominence. In fact, no matter where you travel, many cities even boast on signs at the entrance of their community of renowned personalities who once called that city home. Some really famous names quickly come to mind such as the Wright Brothers and their association with the city of Dayton, Neil Armstrong with Wapakoneta or Annie Oakley and the city of Greenville. Regardless of how well these people are known, they define a community and make it what it is. There’s one such name who helped make Tipp City what it is today and whom people still fondly remember. That person was a great advocate for Tipp City. Her name is Katherine Anne Greer Lobo, or whom most called “Kitty”. 

Kitty grew up as a lively young girl in Paris, KY - a place affectionately known as bluegrass country. Among the rolling meadows and sunny skies, she lived there with her parents and four brothers. Kitty was fond of her roots and enjoyed being out in the big countryside. The father of her childhood best friend was big into thoroughbred racing and farming, and the farm soon became part of Kitty’s life. 

Fast forward, to January 24, 1970, Kitty married Dave Lobo and then in 1977, the family moved to Tipp City. It was here where Tracy, Erin, and David, Kitty’s three children, helped round out the family. Kitty was attracted to Tipp City because of the high-quality schools, the love of tree-lined streets, and the thought of being part of a small community. Living in an old house with big stairs and sloped ceiling bedrooms, situated a block away from Broadway Elementary with a great playground, was a perfect setting for the Lobo family. This felt like the center of things in small-town America.

Kitty’s main focus was her family and the rearing of her children. She had a passion for her children doing their best and loved being a mother. She was genuinely interested in connecting with all children on a personal level. This led her to open her home as a daycare center where she could spend quality time with not only her children but other children in the community. She was an inspiration throughout our town.

Kitty’s husband, Dave, was an insurance broker, and family was important to him as well. He made it a priority to be home by 5:30 every day so he could be involved in family activities. As one might suspect, family was the central focal point for the Lobos. Drew Eberle, a family friend and Tippecanoe alumnus, summed it up well by saying: “She was so amazing with young people that she made them [me] feel like we had something important to say. I try to listen to my students today with the same kind of kindness and enthusiasm which Kitty possessed.” That’s the way Kitty treated all with whom she came in contact.

As her children grew and expanded in community activities, Kitty felt the desire to be just as involved in the community as when her children were young. After a stint writing a column for the Dayton Daily News, she heard about the Communications Coordinator for Tipp City Schools position. The rest is history as the fit was perfect and it added that “community” part back into Kitty’s life. 

Kitty was proud to work with Tipp City Schools and loved sharing her vision of the school district within the community. Her favorite part of the job was interacting with students. She was inspired by seeing young people engrossed in their passions. 

Kitty held an English degree from Wright State University, and words, ideas, and books gave her much joy. Even late into the evenings, she nourished her soul by staying up late reading. Kitty’s daughter, Tracy, reflects on a quote from Maya Angelou, which summed up one of her mother’s many qualities: “'I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' Kitty had a heart for people, was known for her kindness and is remembered as someone who made them feel seen, valued, and loved.”

With Kitty’s passing, the family knew they needed to give back to the community in a way that would honor their mother. One such way was the establishment of The Katherine G. Lobo Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund is directed toward Tippecanoe High School graduating seniors who plan on attending a 4-year college or university, centered with Kitty’s ideologies in mind. These beliefs, which are the impetus in students’ lives today, push all to be their best, promote engagement throughout the community, and provide encouragement by things that are deeply meaningful. This is exactly what Kitty would have wanted.

Tara Dixon Engle, editor of the Tippecanoe Gazette at the time of Kitty’s passing, wrote these words in tribute.  “A talented Communications Coordinator of the Tippecanoe School System, Kitty’s presence in the schools helped to forge and promote the district’s reputation for excellence. Her ready smile and gentle approach were familiar and comforting to students, teachers, and parents alike -- and her gift with the written word was both impressive and inspiring.”

Kitty is remembered for her love and care for others and dedication to serving Tipp City Schools and the community. So, the next time you stroll through town, be grateful for Kitty’s contribution while remembering the legacy each of us are leaving. Whether it’s through helping fund an endowment, being involved in activities or boards to support our city, or simply eating at a local diner, we’re all part of building a stronger and more vibrant small town community whether we realize it or not. Just ask any of Kitty’s children.

Thanks to Tipp City Foundation Board Member, Bruce McKenzie, for crafting this lovely tribute to Kitty Lobo!

After 50 Years of Involvement, Chamberlain Stepping Away From Tipp City Foundation

Jesse Chamberlain saw the Tipp City Foundation grow from giving hundreds to thousands of dollars a year and expand its influence from primarily assisting the schools to touching nonprofit organizations across the community.

"The foundation has been a catalyst for the town," said Chamberlain who joined the foundation as its secretary on Feb. 25, 1970, shortly after coming to town to work as a bank branch manager.

He will say goodbye to the foundation board service in March, marking 50 years of foundation involvement.

“Jess is a quiet man. He is also a student of the community around him. Don’t let his quiet demeanor bely his quick understanding of how the foundation’s impact has changed in those years,” said Heather Bailey of the foundation board.

Chamberlain’s foundation involvement began when he was asked by former foundation president Penny Finch to fill a vacancy in the foundation secretary position. As a newcomer to the community, he was looking for ways to meet people and develop the new bank branch.

“He said, ‘Would you like it?’ I said, ‘I have never been a secretary in my life. I don’t know how to start.’ He said, ‘We have one meeting a year,’” Chamberlain recalled.

He saw accepting the position as a way to meet people in the community.

The foundation at the time was “pretty small” with a few thousand dollars under its responsibility. “It was a real nice organization. It was kind of like a little family,” Chamberlain said.

“One of the nice things we did was we never had much money to delegate for grants so we would have a meeting one day and another day we would have a get together and take pictures of the check distributions,” he said.

The foundation primarily made grants to the schools for projects for several years. The scope of its involvement changed following the death of Helen Timmer, a foundation board member, who in 1987 left the foundation a check for $1 million. Miss Timmer directed that her money be used “to do the best for Tipp City and help its people,” according to meeting minutes prepared by Chamberlain.

“We became a different type of organization,” he said during a February interview. “Instead of hundreds, we could give thousands of dollars. We also diversified over the years where that money goes.”

The foundation board now meets quarterly to conduct the business of the foundation with about $6 million and a growing number of funds. Grants in 1970 totaled $1,500. This year, they will exceed $118,000.

The grants benefit nonprofits at work in Tipp City as well as Monroe and Bethel townships.

“I think we’ve made Tipp City a little more of a city because we did a lot of things for the school and we did a lot of things for community services and its work,” Chamberlain said. “It (the foundation) is one more thing that helps glue the town together.”