By Kevin Tucker

Regional Town Hall from Local Roots

A recently cultivated partnership between the Tipp City Foundation (TCF) and local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station ThinkTV/CET is designed to help foster a workforce readiness initiative in Southwest Ohio. The collaboration is an effort to help train a competent local work force in the ways of emerging careers and technologies and keep them rooted in the local community.

The Foundation has granted $18,000 to ThinkTV’s production of “Workforce Ready: The Future is Now,” a one-hour public television Town Hall focused on workforce development across Southwest Ohio. This is the first Town Hall in a series of four in the “Brick by Brick: Solutions for a Thriving Community” program with a total budget of $75,000 and anticipated completion date of June 30, 2027.

Costs for the first episode were fully covered through the Tipp City based grant awards, with $10,000 coming from the Foundation itself, $4,000 from the Walter Caton Fund advisors and $4,000 from the Lucky 13 Fund advisors. Grants usually stay local according to the Foundation’s Heather Bailey, but grantmaking will reach beyond the 45371-zip code when the impact touches the residents of Tipp City and Bethel Township, she said.

“Southwest Ohio has long been a place defined by innovation, ingenuity and a strong work ethic,” said Rodney Veal, TV host and community liaison with ThinkTV. “Today, those qualities remain as important as ever. While the Dayton and Cincinnati regions continue to experience economic growth and attract new investment, employers across multiple sectors report ongoing challenges in finding the skilled talent needed to sustain that growth.”

The project is intended to educate the public about workforce readiness, highlight collaboration among education, business and workforce organizations and promote awareness of career opportunities and workforce development efforts throughout the region, including communities served by the TCF.

“We felt it was important to support public broadcasting in our region; ThinkTV provides a valuable community resource,” Jim Ranft, TCF distribution chairman, indicated was the reason behind the collaboration between the two entities. “Second, the workforce development theme was a great fit with a number of the grant requests we’ve been seeing recently. We’ve supported projects involving career exploration, nursing, technical education and manufacturing, so ‘Workforce Ready: The Future Is Now’ connected naturally with work we were already supporting.”

Finally, Ranft said the Foundation saw an opportunity to bring some of its nonprofit partners into the collaboration.

“We already had relationships with Edison State and the Miami County ESC (Educational Service Center), so we could make those introductions and help ThinkTV connect with people doing this work locally,” he continued. “At the same time, ThinkTV could give those organizations a broader platform to tell their stories and spread the word about the good work they’re doing in our community.”

Workforce development has historically occurred in two forms: place-based strategies that attempt to address the needs of people living in a particular community, and sector-based strategies that focus on matching workers' skills to needs in an industry already present in the region.

“Bottom line is that workforce readiness is a hot topic in the entire region and the Tipp City Foundation is fortunate to be in the position to match ThinkTV with educators at Edison State and MCESC so that local footage will appear in the regional broadcast,” Bailey said.

During the past five years, the Foundation has awarded nearly $100,000 to projects connected in different ways to workforce development. Recent workforce readiness awards include $6,097 to Edison State Community College to update equipment in its Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Lab; $8,829 to the MCESC to underwrite a student assessment tool and $25,000 to Edison State to update nursing school facilities.

With one program already in the books (the Town Hall’s first airing on the local PBS station was Oct. 15), the focus now is on completing the series.

“Our goal is to produce four Brick by Brick Town Halls over the course of the season, with two originating from ThinkTV in Dayton and two from CET in Cincinnati,” according to Veal. “Each town hall takes a deeper look at an issue that has a real impact on people throughout Southwest Ohio.

“We started with workforce readiness because whether you’re a student thinking about your future, an employer looking for skilled workers, or someone considering a career change, it touches all of us. Our next town hall will originate from Cincinnati and focus on housing affordability, which is another issue affecting communities across our region.”

The productions are substantial, Veal indicated.

“We tape them in front of a studio audience, bring together experts and community voices, and then turn those conversations into a television broadcast,” he said. “It really is an all-hands-on-deck effort, with our production crews and staff across the organization helping bring these programs to life.”

Each program includes professionally produced field segments highlighting workforce development initiatives, career pathways and regional employment opportunities. In completed form, all programs will be distributed through ThinkTV/PBS broadcast and digital platforms.

“More than a discussion about employment, this Town Hall examines the interconnected systems that help individuals build meaningful careers and businesses thrive,” said Veal. “Through informed dialogue and personal storytelling, we move beyond statistics and headlines to explore the human impact of workforce development and its vital role in shaping the long-term prosperity of our region.”

The Town Hall series is not something new to the realm of PBS.

“Community engagement has always been part of the DNA of public media,” Veal said. “So, bringing people together for conversations like these isn’t necessarily new for ThinkTV.”

Veal said he is appreciative of the partnership that has been forged between his organization and the Foundation.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Tipp City Foundation for being an early supporter of this new series,” he said. “Their support is a wonderful example of what community partnership looks like.”

By Kevin Tucker

“Every grant has a story and every story takes us farther.”

That tagline both commences and culminates each of the brand new “So Far, So Good” podcasts hosted by Tipp City Foundation (TCF) board members Jim Ranft and Sarah Gillenwater in their attempt to demystify a community foundation.

“The Foundation is the connector, not the story,” said Gillenwater. “The people are the story and without the people, the Foundation wouldn’t have a future.  We want to peak curiosity in our listeners so that they want to continue to learn more about what is happening in our service area.”

TCF’s podcasts debuted Sept. 17 during the foundation’s 83^rd birthday party that celebrated the money at work in the community and recognized local and corporate donors. Gillenwater likened it to a “live annual report” of sorts.

In short, the launch of the platform new to the Foundation is its attempt to communicate across different generations.

“The podcast exists to connect people, celebrate community partners and strengthen philanthropy throughout our service area,” said Gillenwater.

Recording two to three, 20-25-minute episodes a month, the duo hopes to release two episodes monthly moving forward.

Episodes are recorded at Clock Tower Media located in the cozy, subterranean depths of the historic Dolly Packaging building, featuring décor that can best be described as garage sale chic and serves to create a “homey” aesthetic.

Each podcast also is accompanied by a folksy, bubbly music intro/outro paying homage to Miami County’s little ‘burg titled “My Tipp City,” that as legend has it, was written by New York City resident James Keppel in the 1950s after having visited family in Tipp City. The hope is that the infectious little ditty resonates across the generations as a compliment to the podcasts themselves.

Most recently, Ranft and Gillenwater sat down with Deb Tschirhart, Senior Director of Education, and Rodney Veal, community liaison, of ThinkTV in a role reversal that had the guests acting as interviewees as opposed to being the interviewers, in an episode titled, “Building Ohio’s Workforce – One Story at a Time.” ThinkTV broadcasts local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations Channels 14 and 16. The guests took to their unfamiliar roles naturally as the session swimmingly unfolded.

According to Veal, whose familiar face may be recognized by many loyal PBS viewers from his having hosted several local broadcast programs, the organization to trying to make greater inroads in the northern Miami Valley region.

“We want the station to be connected and engaged with all communities,” he said. “And we are going to make a concerted effort to connect with Tipp City.”

A partnership between the TCF and ThinkTV coalesced during a recent event sponsored by the broadcast group.

“We realized that the Tipp City Foundation had never received a grant request from ThinkTV even though we are in their broadcast area,” Ranft said. “We just started talking about ways to connect the northern viewing area more closely with ThinkTV.”

Admittedly, Gillenwater and Ranft launched their foray into the world of podcasting flying somewhat blind. Buoyed by their individual strengths, the pair have relied on one another in their concerted effort to make things work.

“With no past background (for either of us) in anything like this, it was hard to know what to expect,” said Gillenwater. “I think Jim and myself hold to very different perspectives. He is a seasoned board member and I am new to the organization. Because of that, it has become easy to roll with the interviews organically. He has background knowledge that I don’t have. I have the ‘new kid’ curiosity that asks questions he may not think to ask.”

Although interview questions are meticulously scripted for each episode prior to recording, improvisation still manages to prevail throughout as slight deviations from what is scripted allows for some extemporaneous interplay between the hosts and their guests.

Looking ahead, some future podcast topics include: strengthening philanthropic partnerships, corporate sponsors as community partners, future donor stories, grant recipient conversations, why donors choose to create endowments, what 45371’s future looks like with foundation grants and community history.

Judging by their completed work product to date, it appears the neophytes to podcasting may have just found their niche.

“I think I can speak for Jim as well here, these interviews have been an absolute joy to do,” Gillenwater beamed. “It’s one thing to read about grants in action, it’s another thing to talk with the people and hear the actual stories. I am always surprised at the raw goodness of the humans in our community.”

TCF podcasts can be accessed at: https://so-far-so-good-presented-by-the-tipp-city-foundation.captivate.fm/listen and with this QR code.

CONTACT: RICHARD BENDER

(937) 524-8493
TIPP CITY, OH- 

At 83, Tipp City Foundation Moves Towards Independence

On Monday, August 31, 2026, The Tipp City Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously voted to take steps toward becoming an independent nonprofit organization, including the retention of legal counsel and working collaboratively with The Troy Foundation to best position both organizations for future success.

Currently, the organization exists as a component fund of The Troy Foundation. The Tipp City Foundation is led by a volunteer, 15-member board. All public-facing efforts such as grantmaking, events, communication and fundraising are handled by these volunteers who know our community best.

“The arc of growth we have experienced with the support of The Troy Foundation has been explosive,” said Richard Bender, Tipp City Foundation President. “Their administrative support, combined with our volunteer efforts, have been nothing short of remarkable.”  Our organization evolved from a $1,300 initial donation in 1943 to 70 endowment funds and over $13 million in endowed assets. Board-led grant-making exceeds $200,000 annually and additional community impact is evidenced through scholarships and giving from donor advised funds.

The ability of The Tipp City Foundation to make this important step towards independence is a direct byproduct of the incredible support and tutelage provided by The Troy Foundation, for which The Tipp City Foundation is grateful.

“For the past 18 years, The Troy Foundation has been honored to support and nurture the growth of the Tipp City Foundation. Through a partnership grounded in trust, shared vision, and a commitment to community philanthropy, the Tipp City Foundation has grown its own strength, capacity, and identity. Today, we celebrate the dedication of its board as it takes this exciting next step toward becoming an independent nonprofit organization. We are proud to have been a part of helping the Tipp City Foundation carry its mission forward to create a lasting impact on the Tipp City community for generations to come,” said Melissa Kleptz, President and CEO of The Troy Foundation.

The Tipp City Foundation’s mission to support philanthropy in Tipp City, Monroe Township, Bethel Township, and the organizations who serve our geographic area through grantmaking, will stay the same.  We look forward to providing our community with updates regarding these important steps towards independence and the remarkable gifting opportunities available at both the Tipp City Foundation and The Troy Foundation in the near future.

CONTACT: HEATHER BAILEY
(937) 478-3400

TIPP CITY, OH-

Stepping into the Spotlight Broadens Impact

Chances to serve the community in new ways continue to land in the Tipp City Foundation’s mailbox. These can become partnerships helping magnify the good work of both a nonprofit and the foundation. Though it is the foundation’s habit to lead from behind the scenes, sometimes stepping into the spotlight can do more good for the community overall.

That is where the foundation finds itself with one of this quarter’s grants. ThinkTV PBS comes into every home in southwest Ohio with content that makes us think. Thanks to a grant, the new documentary series, “Workforce Ready: The Future is Now”, launches this fall and begins with a focus on our Northern Miami Valley region. More on the award is below.

The board is proud of every nonprofit relationship it nurtures. Since 1943, $3,407,425.02 has been awarded to nonprofits serving our community. Ultimately, this quarter, 12 organizations received 12 awards totaling $43,546.

The following is a list of recipients, award levels and the impact these grants will have. Donor advised funds support given towards requests is noted with an asterisk (*).

ARTS & CULTURE

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $2,436, draws attention to the importance of preserving historical homes through a 40-page printed guide for each visitor attending Tippecanoe and Christmas Too. This year’s featured homes are on First and Second Streets, some being the earliest homes in the region. A Century Milestone Fund iho The Lantz Family award.

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, award*, launches “Tipp the Halls”, a new Holiday tradition in Downtown Tipp City in an imaginatively decorated public gathering space on the corner of Main and Third Streets. People will experience community engagement events all  Holiday season. *The Lucky 13 Fund supported the full $5,221 request.

ThinkTV, $10,000*, produces a 4-part documentary exploring the opportunities and challenges shaping workforce development throughout Southwest Ohio. *Additional support from Walter E. Caton and Lucky 13 Funds rounds up this request for a total of $18,000.

Tipp City Public Library, $7,500, preserves history by professionally scanning and digitizing editions of the Tippecanoe City Herald (founded circa 1869) and all subsequent newspapers. Editions will be found in a free, fully searchable online archive.

Vandalia Youth Theatre, $2,500, casts every Tipp City or Bethel student who auditions into a production of this regional youth theatre through a scholarship stipend.

EDUCATION

Child Care Choices, $4,500*, tackles kindergarten readiness head-on through targeted programming in conjunction with the Tipp City Library. Only 36% of incoming Tipp City kindergarten students were identified as “on track” for the 2024-2025 school year. That is 10% below the State average.*Additional support from Robinson-Walters Family Fund rounds up this request for a total of $5,000.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $2,000, flips ON the curiosity switch for reluctant 5^th grade readers with First Chapter Friday. As a class, only the first chapter of a classic book will be read aloud leaving listeners with the question, “What happens next?” Through a variety of genres, students will be exposed to the joy of books and will be encouraged to explore the library more deeply.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Zion Lutheran Church, $605, recertifies users of AED equipment originally purchased through a grant in 2024. Centrally located downtown, the church opens its doors to community events year-round.

Seeds of Hope OH, award*, removes practical barriers, keeping potential foster families from saying “yes” when they receive a placement call. At least 26 car seats and 40 sets of bedding will be purchased with this grant. Last year, 37 children were served in Tipp City and Bethel Township. *The Edward C. & Sherry S. Hartwell Memorial Fund supported the full $4,000 request.

RECREATION

Camp Honor, $2,500, combats PTSD with outdoor recreation for area veterans. This award will be used towards an UTV purchase, ensuring vets can fully participate in outdoor experiences, regardless of physical limitations.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Isaiah’s Place, $3,000, aligns Child Safety Matters age-appropriate child sexual abuse prevention curriculum for Tipp City students.

LifeCare Alliance, $2,233*, delivers daily Meals-on-Wheels to homes of 19 Tipp City and 4 Bethel Twp seniors. An August Henke Comfort for the Needy Fund Award. *Additional support from the Lucky 13 Fund rounds up this request for a total of $10,000.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton, award*, aids families as they grapple with their child’s illness during their stay at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Last year, Miami County families were served with 92 nights of lodging. *The Tipp Giving Fund supported the full $3,000 request.

NATURE

Tipp City Parks Department, $3,772, continues the partnership with Tipp City to plant a tree grove in Kyle Park to honor donors. A Lucille L. Milner Trees for Tipp Fund award.

Tipp Kitty Refuge, $2,500*, rescues the stray cats roaming Bethel Twp. and Tipp City. Once caught, cats receive veterinary care, including vaccines, and are spayed/neutered before being placed for adoption. *Additional support from Lucky 13 Fund rounds up this request for a total of $5,000.

Discretionary grants are made possible because of contributions, of any size, from the public. A full list of the foundation’s 70 endowment funds is available at tippfoundation.org.

Quarterly grant deadlines are February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 each year. Jim Ranft is available for your grant-related questions at 937-528-2482. Applications are available online at www.tippfoundation.org.  

Members of the Foundation are Heather Bailey, Richard Bender, president, Bryan Blake, Sarah Gillenwater, Kelly Gillis, Cameron Haller, Joellen Heatherly, Susan Kuntz, Renee Matsunami, Glen McMurry, Jim Ranft, distribution chair, Julie Taylor, treasurer, Julia Watson, Bill Wendel, secretary / vice president, and Carolyn Wright.

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

For more information visit tippfoundation.org or TippCityFoundation on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

By Eiliana Wright

Tipp City Foundation gifted a local Scouting America troop $500 for new cooking equipment. The money upgraded kitchen equipment for Scouting America Troop 586, chartered by Robinson Family YMCA, to sell cobbler at the 67th Annual Tipp City Mum Festival.

Each September at the Mum Festival, for about  the past 20 years, folks line up in front of Troop 586’s tent to wait for plates of sticky cobbler. Until more recently, scouts baked the yummy dessert in Dutch ovens over a live fire. According to Jim Ridgeway, Scoutmaster since 2011, this will be the third year they’ve tried a different system.

The first year with no fire was an experiment—and it went well, despite concerns that their cobbler flavor would change. “It tastes exactly the same, and it was cheaper on our end,” Rideway said.

The next year, it went even better, so finally, Ridgeway said, “Let's get some money and let's buy the right stuff, and do this right.” This will be the third year with no live fire, and with the grant money, the troop has purchased two new electronic broilers, updated their booth sign, and added on some cooking equipment like spatulas, spoons and whips for making the cake.

“I love them and they're awesome, but they're so hard on equipment,” Ridgeway said while laughing. “Imagine a 12-year-old having full run [of] your kitchen, right?”

Kyle Stump, a freshman entering Tipp City High School this year, and a Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 586, said recruitment has been “really good” the past two years. There are now 41 scouts in Troop 586, according to Ridgeway.

“It's been a little bit difficult to manage, but we're figuring it out,” Stump said. “I bet some new equipment might help.”

Scouting America has 12 points of Scout Law, which are 12 values all scouts must agree to abide by. “Thrifty is a part of that, and so we try to pay our own way for everything.” Ridgeway said. 

A fraction of the Mum Festival fundraiser profit will fund overall scout expenses like patches and merit badges, Ridgeway said. The rest go into “scout accounts.”

Monthly Scouting America camping trips cost individuals about $30-$50 each, and just the annual summer camp individually costs scouts $400. These individual scout accounts, held with the Robinson Family YMCA, help scouts pay to participate.

“It really helps us out a lot. I know for me working the Mum Festival and doing other fundraisers paid for half of the summer camp last year,” Stump said. Ridgeway also said the money can go toward new hiking boots or camping equipment.

The main fundraiser for Scouting America is popcorn sales. However, as Ridgeway laughed, he said that when scouts get to him, it’s a bit harder for popcorn sales to turn a profit. “When you're six to nine [years old], you can sell popcorn to anybody because you're the cute little kid,” Rideway said. “By the time I get them, I mean they're older and they're uglier, right? So they have a much harder time selling popcorn. Not little cute kids anymore, right? And it just didn't work. It just… it didn't work.”

Cobbler, however, is a treat scouts regularly enjoy on their camping trips. Ridgeway also found out that for mere cents a plate, he could provide boxes of yellow cake and cans of pie filling and turn a much larger profit. According to Rideway, the cobbler proceeds of 2025 brought in about $2,500.

The cobbler sale at the end of September is also just the finale of the troop’s month-long fundraising.

“Basically, all eyes turn to the Mum Festival starting in August,” Ridgeway said.

That’s when scouts paint the famous mum motifs that dot the pavement throughout Tipp City. Twenty years ago, the painted mums were done by a small group of folks. After realizing that this was a perfect job for scouts, the Mum Festival committee struck a deal with the troop where the committee pays for materials, and the troop gets 60% of the profit.

 For the month of August scouts go door to door to advertise stenciled mum motifs, then try to finish it all one week before the Festival. Just last year, Troop 586 painted over 900 mums on pavement throughout the City, priced at $25 each. “It’s a huge fundraiser,” Ridgeway said. “10s of 1000s of dollars.”

Scouting America Troop 586 will be at the Mum Festival again this year in Tipp

City near the roundhouse in City Park. Cobbler is $6 a plate, and scoops of ice cream are available for $1.

Folks can also visit the website of Troop 586 to inquire about their own stenciled mum motif at https://tippcitymumfestival.com/adopt-a-mum-boy-scout-troop-586/.

Rideway said the fundraiser is about what’s best for the kids. “If turning out cobblers is the answer, let's turn out some cobblers,” he said.