Summer and Safety prominent in Grant Requests

Through the 19 grant requests received in the Q2 Tipp City Foundation gifting cycle, a couple of themes stood apart. Summertime fun and community safety were broadly represented in the requests.

Grants are made possible because of contributions of any size from the public. Donations are held in an endowment and only the interest is spent.

As is often the case, more grant dollars were requested than the amount available. The variety and innovation represented in the applications speaks to the broad visions area nonprofits.

Awards support the quality of life in the spheres of arts and culture, health and safety, recreation, social services, nature, and education.

Ultimately, 12 organizations received 13 awards totaling $37,841.66. Since 1943, $2,982,356.68 have been awarded to local causes through grantmaking.

The following is a list of recipients, award levels and the impact these grants will make. Any additional support that donor advisors gave through their grantmaking is noted.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Bethel Hope, $2,500, adds summer safety and recreation supplies to 25 families receiving ongoing nutrition support from this agency. Additional support from the Robinson-Walters Family Fund rounds out this request for a total of $3,000.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami Valley, $1,750, matches local youth on a waiting list with mentors.

Connections of Tipp City, $2,000, supports an after-school program for middle and high school students.

We Love Birthday Parties, $1,245, supports children in foster care or in struggling homes by throwing them each a small birthday party. Summer parties needed for affected Tipp City children are expected to be over 70. Parties include healthy food and an age-appropriate gift.

ARTS & CULTURE

Brukner Nature Center, $1,368, purchases technology updates in the Heidelberg Auditorium and Meeting room. Once updated, this room will be appealing for public rental, which will help the nature center become more self-sufficient.

Tipp City Public Library, $5,400, offers Freegal ad-free streaming music service to the menu of items that patrons can check out of the library.

Tipp Monroe Community Services, $5,083, updates music stands and chairs for the growing Tippecanoe Community Band. The band plays up to 10 public concerts each year.

RECREATION

Miamibucs, $1,901.47, provides two adapted tricycles for individuals who cannot ride a typical tryke. A William’s Gift Fund grant.

Tipp City Enrichment Program, $3,000, enhances the summer activities offered to more than 70 children attending this extended care program. This year’s activities will include goat yoga, a magic show and a trip to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.

EDUCATION

Tipp City Exempted City Schools, $3,334.22, buys classroom book bins to store next year’s ELA curriculum. 

HEALTH & SAFETY

Health Partners Free Clinic, $2,500, pays for the first year of VolunteerHub software and training, which will improve operation efficiency. Volunteers are one of the clinic’s greatest assets; in 2023, over 1,500 volunteer hours supported this county-wide agency.

Tipp City Exempted City Schools, $5,159.97, improves building safety for injured persons in times of an emergency by purchasing Evac+Chairs. Each chair reduces the number of adults needed for a safe exit. A Safety First Fund grant.

Tipp City Fire and Emergency Services, $2,600, instills a culture of citizen readiness before emergencies hit. Through public programs, the EMS will roll the Emergency To Go Bags program. A Safety First Fund grant.

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, Mary Bowman, Diana Featherstone, treasurer, Dee Gillis, Joellen Heatherly, vice president, Bruce McKenzie, Glen McMurry, Jim Ranft, distribution chair, Julie Taylor, Andrew Venters, Jackie Wahl, Bill Wendel, secretary 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 www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

The Tipp City Foundation recently awarded over $24,000 in scholarships. These awards went
to graduating high school seniors. Of the 63 endowment funds within the Foundation,
18 represent scholarships.

Often these funds commemorate inspirational values of the scholarship founder; when this is the case, applicants are measured against those standards. Winners are determined through a vetting process led by an independent body of judges. To read more about the stories behind each of the scholarship funds or to apply for future scholarships, visit www.tippfoundation.org.

Graduates from Tippecanoe, Bethel, Miami East and Lehman Catholic are represented.

Ernest Clay Back Scholarship for History – Ava Brooks

Lester & Cleon Bowers Family Scholarship – Fletcher Harris

Marlene E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship – Ava Longo

Jeanette C. Gaston Memorial Music Scholarship – Molly Dunn

Gilmore Family Scholarship – Keenan Melton

Sarah Gross Scholarship for Sportsmanship – Megan Landis

Life is a Journey - Don't Stop Believing Scholarship – Daria Lee

Katherine G. Lobo Memorial Scholarship – Roman List

McKee Family Matthew 5:16 Scholarship – Emmily Morando

Sarah Merritt Memorial Scholarship – (not awarded for 2024)

John and Louise Miller Memorial Scholarship – Daisy Horner

Robert E. Nessle Memorial Scholarship – Jenna Herzer

Elizabeth Spano Scholarship – Laney Cleckner

Tipp City Rotary Club Scholarship – Leda Anderson, Allison Cartwright, William Riehle

Tippecanoe Alumni Scholarship – Ava Longo

Wenzlau Family Scholarship – Evan Liette

Willhelm Family Scholarship – Landon Luginbuhl

The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to establish an endowment fund or 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.

Carolyn Wright, Andy Venters join City Foundation Board

By Nancy Bowman

Two active community members have joined the board of the Tipp City Foundation.

Andrew Venters and Carolyn Wright were welcomed by the board at its March meeting. During that meeting, the foundation board also saw the advancement of Richard Bender to president, replacing Jim Ranft, and Joellen Heatherly to vice president. Dr. Ranft will remain as chairman of the foundation Distribution Committee, overseeing grant making.

Wright grew up in Bethel Township. and graduated from Bethel High School in 1990. Following college, the family decided to move back to the community to raise their children.

“I value my community and want to represent Bethel by supporting innovation, creativity and connection” through the foundation’s work, she said of her interest in serving on the foundation board.

“I appreciate the value our community places on our school, and the way that neighbors take care of neighbors.  I love the beauty of our backroads and the sense of rootedness I feel here,” Wright said.

A social worker, she said she thinks she brings compassion, curiosity and a systematic approach to problem solving to the foundation’s volunteer board.

She is a clinical social worker with a private therapy practice in Troy and a cofounder of the Therapy Collaborative, a group of mental health providers serving the county and surrounding areas.

Wright has been married to Todd for 32 years. They have two children, Benton and Eiliana, who graduated in the Bethel classes of 2016 and 2018, respectively. Both live in Asheville, N.C. Her mother, Mary Walsh, lives across the street from Wright and remains her biggest supporter, she said.

Wright has served as a Bethel Township trustee, Bethel varsity swim coach, created and organized the Bethel 5K from 2012-2016, has worked as a poll worker, worked on multiple school levies and is a volunteer for the National Conference of Community and Justice.

Venters and his wife, Heather, moved to Tipp City in summer 2007. Born and raised in Somerset, Ky., he attended Miami University and went to law school at the University of Kentucky.

“I've long admired the foundation as an institution that gives people an outlet for their generosity, and which helps make Tipp City a great place to live.  It's an honor to be a part of it,” Venters said.

One of the first things he and his wife noticed about the community was “what a generous and friendly place Tipp City was,” he said. “It has been a wonderful town to raise our kids in, full of people who provide great examples to them to follow. Like every town, there are things that can be improved, but those first impressions have mainly held true over the years.”

Venters said he thinks he brings to the foundation good judgment and has a good grasp on the community’s needs. “I hope to help the foundation make sound decisions,” he said.

He is a magistrate in the Miami County Probate and Juvenile Court. He previously was an attorney with firms in Troy and Sidney for about 15 years and served as a public defender in Shelby County.

Heather Venters is an occupational therapist, working for the Montgomery County Educational Service Center. She has worked through the ESC in the Trotwood school district for 11 years. They have three children, ages 14, 12 and 10.

Venters served on the Tipp City schools board of education for four years and on the board of zoning appeals. He teaches Sunday School at Tipp City Global Methodist Church.

Bender is a graduate of Columbus Business University and worked in the banking industry before joining the United Way of Troy in 2010 as executive director. After retirement, he has remained active in the community including joining the foundation board.

He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Tipp City.

Heatherly is a Tipp City native, who said an interest in local philanthropy helped lead her to service on the foundation board.

She focused her career in the area of public service, specifically adults with disabilities. She is a former member of the Tipp City schools board of education.

By Nancy Bowman

The second floor of a downtown Tipp City building is like a second home to at least one girl and a place to be safe and be themselves for any interested local youth. Connections is housed on the second floor of 135 E. Main St. The nonprofit youth outreach was started by the Rev. Barbara Cooper in 2018, first in one downtown location and then at 135 E. Main St. It continues to offer an afterschool place for students primarily in grades six through 10.

“I want Connections to be a place where the kids feel loved and accepted and are nurtured so that they grow to be all that God designed them to be. That is my goal,” Cooper said. “They know they can come here and be safe, that I am going to stand up for them.”

Connections is open weekdays after school until 6  p.m. with Friday being the busiest day. The center is for students in middle school and high school with most attending being middle school age and early high school.

The center is funded “by grants and nice people and lots of hopes and prayers,” Cooper said.

Among supporters has been the Tipp City Foundation, which supported Connections with grants including one in 2018 to help launch the program and others in 2022 and 2024 for general expenses.

Cooper teaches music lessons, leasing part of the upstairs space for that purpose. She is a pastor through the United Methodist Church and appointed to the program through the church as well as playing music on Sundays and filling in as pastor at area churches, as needed.

Students come in to buy snacks, play board games, do homework, undertake art projects, talk, hang out, play darts and pool and once a month participate in an open mic evening with presentations on poetry, music and other interests. They also have access to a vinyl records collection for music.

“This gives them a place to belong, and to get connected,” Cooper said. The rules are simple with emphasis on respecting self and others.

“I want them to build each other up, not tear each other down. We don’t need ugly language. I tell them to be more creative than that. They hold each other accountable. They call each other out all the time (for language, etc.),” she said.

Asked by Cooper what they like about Connections, one young girl attending the program last week said it is a second home to her while a boy said it is a place where he can hang out with friends.

Among newer projects at Connections is a Miami Valley Youth Choir open to those age six through 18. Participants come from Tipp City, Bethel Township, Vandalia, Piqua and several other area communities. Cooper is assisted with the choir by co-director Julie Collins of Troy and Caitlyn Hood, an intern studying composition at the University of Dayton.

More information on Connections events can be found at Miami Valley Youth Choir. The Connections website contains other information on the program. Donations are accepted with PayPal, at Connections of Tipp City, the most used format for donations.

-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --

March 13, 2024

CONTACT:  HEATHER BAILEY
(937) 478-3400

TIPP CITY, OH-

Record-Breaking Grant Year Ahead

During 2024, grants nearing $175,000 will be awarded by the Tipp City Foundation. All grants impact residents within 45371. This will be the largest grantmaking year in the foundation’s 81-year history.

Grants are made possible because of contributions, of any size, from the community. Donations are held in an endowment and only the interest is spent.

In the first quarter, the grant dollars requested were the highest ever considered by the group for a single quarter. The variety of innovation represented in the applications speaks to the visions of those leading area nonprofits.

Awards support the quality of life in the spheres of arts and culture, health and safety, recreation, social services, nature, and education.

Ultimately, 13 organizations received 17 awards totaling $63,854.82. Since 1943, $2,945,983.68 have been awarded to local causes through grantmaking.

The following is a list of recipients, award levels and the impact these grants will make. Any additional support that donor advisors gave through their grantmaking is included.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Connections of Tipp City, $700, supports an after-school program for middle and high school students.

Eagles’ Wings Stables, Inc., award, builds brain / body connections for people using this equine-assisted therapy program. With the purchase of an electric horse stall cleaning machine, more volunteer hours can be focused on the clients instead of shoveling out 10 stalls six times each week. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

New Path, Inc., award, aids residents struggling to make ends meet through emergency rent support. The majority needing this support are the elderly and disabled, including grandparents raising grandchildren. Awarded through the Robinson-Walters Family Fund and the Lucky 13 Fund.

Seeds of Hope OH, award, provides mattresses and bed frames for children coming into foster care. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

Tipp City Church of the Nazarene, $2,500, expands existing daycare and preschool options to include special needs children. This grant supports the remodeling of the building to accommodate the specialized equipment required. Awarded, in part, by the Hidden Picture Puzzles by Liz Ball Fund. Additional support from the Walter E. Caton Fund rounds out this request for a total of $5,000. This is the first of a 2-year commitment to the project, for a total of $10,000.

ARTS & CULTURE

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $6,226.52, nods to the vibrant gathering space that the downtown is becoming through the purchase of stacking tables and chairs. These party staples will be available for borrowing by area nonprofits.

Downtown Tipp City Partnership, $2,196, spruces up the exteriors of downtown properties identified through the Partnership’s Façade Improvement Program. An Urban Stewardship Fund grant.

Tipp City Area Arts Council, $2,286, rebuilds the plein air arts weekend that was lost during COVID. A Tiny & Emma Drewing Fund grant. Additional support from the Lucky 13 Fund rounds out this request for a total of $3,500.

Tipp City Public Library, $876.20, engages small children in learning with the addition of a light table, a surface designed for creative play and developing fine motor skills. Additional support from the Walter E. Caton Fund rounds out this request for a total of $1,385.20.

Tippapalooza Music Festival, $3,451, encircles a city block of revelry with stanchions needed to keep a party safe. These alcohol-on-premises party staples will be available for borrowing by area nonprofits.

Project T.I.P.P. (Teens Impacting and Promoting Philanthropy), $5,000, gives teens grantmaking responsibility in conjunction with the Tipp City Chamber of Commerce’s Teen Leadership Academy.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $2,000, promotes the two-week Stagecrafters Summer Theatre Drama Camp in 2024. Awarded, in part, from the Jim and June Kyle Family Fund.

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Edison Foundation, $5,000, supports the building of classrooms dedicated to the field of nursing at this community college. This is the 1^st of 5 payments, which will total $25,000. Awarded, in part, from the Bethel Community Fund.

Miami County Dental Clinic, award, supports human resources compliance for this agency, which serves over 600 residents of 45371 annually. A Walter E. Caton Fund award.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $649, purchases LifeVac Airway Clearance devices, which will be placed in each school cafeteria. A Safety First Fund grant.

Tipp City Fire and Emergency Services, $7,000, keeps first responders fit for duty by replacing current workout equipment. A Safety First Fund grant.

RECREATION

Bethel Local Schools, $5,000, honors our commitment to help build a new stadium at Bethel Schools. This is the 4^th of 5 payments, which will total $25,000. Awarded, in part, from the Bethel Arts Fund and the Bethel Community Fund.

Tipp City Parks Department, $6,500, contributes towards a Lillie Dog Splash Pad coming to Kyle Park. This will be the first of its kind in Miami and Montgomery Counties. Awarded, in part, from the Warren E. Miltenberger Parkland Fund and the Outdoor Experiences Fund iho Abby Kessler Bowling.

Tipp Pride Association, $7,500, honors our commitment to help build a new stadium in City Park. This is the 7^th of 10 payments, which will total $75,000.

EDUCATION

Bethel Local Schools, $5,000, grows math fluency for 2^nd graders through the purchase of Reflex, an online teaching tool. A Radle Family Fund for Science Education and Bethel Community Fund grant.

Bethel Local Schools, $1,970.10, accelerates reading fluency and comprehension for 3^rd – 5^th grade, about 450 learners. Many of these students are recent immigrants to the United States and are in the early stages of learning English. The Read Naturally tool gives students the reading essentials they need to build their new lives. A Bethel Community Fund grant.

Miami County Educational Service Center, award, meets the sensory needs of some preschool students with the purchase of a swinging chair. A Lucky 13 Fund award.

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, Mary Bowman, Diana Featherstone, treasurer, Dee Gillis, Joellen Heatherly, vice president, Bruce McKenzie, Glen McMurry, Jim Ranft, distribution chair, Julie Taylor, Andrew Venters, Jackie Wahl, Bill Wendel, secretary 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 www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

# # #

By Nancy Bowman

Those behind the Downtown Tipp City Partnership (DTCP) have a lot to be excited about in 2024 including a revamped Community Events Resource Card.

The card already has been distributed via the U.S. mail and is available at downtown businesses.

An events card is not new to the downtown community. This year’s version was revamped by Tasha Weaver, who joined the DTCP last year as executive director. When she sought feedback from the community after starting the job, Weaver said she received a lot of comments about what was called “the refrigerator card” because it was placed by recipients on their refrigerators to serve as a reminder.

She looked at the previous card and decided a larger version would be appropriate, as would the use of space on the card for events versus sponsors, whose information was on the back of the card, facing, at least on the refrigerators, the door and not the recipient.

Instead of seeking out sponsors, Weaver instead applied to the Tipp City Foundation for a grant to pay for this year’s Community Events Resource Card.

The foundation distribution committee liked the idea, approving a $5,588 grant for design and printing of the card that contains a year’s worth of events along with key contact information for those called often. They include the schools, the city, DTCP, the arts council and Tipp Monroe Community Services. A small portion of the grant also will be used by the partnership to pay its website provider to update the online version of the calendar as more events are added and as occurs once in a while, a date change is needed.

Many calls received at the DTCP offices were seeking information not only on downtown activities but contact information for the schools and others, Weaver said.

Merchant Terri Bessler of Midwest Memories agreed saying many who visit the community on weekends would come into the business and ask questions not only about events but also the schools and community in general. “We always consider ourselves a face of the community on weekends. To be able to hand them this (card) that tells them so many things is really valuable,” Bessler said.

The events calendar also is used by merchants in their planning, she said. “It’s valuable to us, too,” Bessler said. Feedback on the Community Events Resource Card has been positive, Weaver said, “Everybody loves it.

"Tipp as a whole is a great community, a great downtown,” Bessler said. “This card really put information in your hands, not just at your fingertips online.”