About the Della B. Gardner Fund of The Dayton Foundation:

The Della B. Gardner Fund of The Dayton Foundation will provide grants for the care and aid of worthy aged, sick, and needy persons residing within the City of Middletown. Once per year, The Dayton Foundation will issue an RFP to senior-serving organizations in the Middletown area and will award up to $12,000. For more information, please contact Beth Geiger, associate program officer for The Dayton Foundation at (937) 225-9964.

To Be Eligible for this Grant, Your Organization Must

  • Be recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, according to the Internal Revenue Code;
  • Serve Senior citizens in the Middletown area;
  • Have a diversity/inclusion policy; and
  • Address needs that are not met fully by existing organizational or community resources

Projects We Particularly Are Interested in Are Those That:

  • Provide for more efficient use of community resources, promote coordination, cooperation and sharing among organizations and reduce the duplication of services in our community;
  • Test or demonstrate new approaches and techniques for solving important problems in the senior service sector;
  • Promote volunteer participation and citizen involvement in senior service affairs;
  • Systemic, long-term partnering projects

What We Look for in a Project

  • Comprehensive program design;
  • Realistic expectations;
  • Appropriately trained staff and/or volunteers;
  • Financial resources to start and continue project;
  • Capacity to do what the organization says it will do;
  • Unique and unduplicated opportunity that will affect a substantial number of Senior Citizens;
  • Size and potential impact of the project
  • Additional committed funders; or track record.

What We Generally Fund

  • New projects or initiatives or an expansion of an existing project or initiative;
  • Projects that build organizational capacity to help the charity to work more efficiently and effectively and to raise more dollars;
  • Capital campaign projects, including the purchase of real estate, construction, renovation and furnishings; and
  • Software for development/fundraising programs.

Examples of FundedGrants

  • Hard goods (equipment, bus, truck);
  • Office relocation expense;
  • Marketing of new products, services or programs;
  • Educational efforts;
  • Marketing studies and surveys;
  • Amenities planning;
  • Community needs assessment;
  • Impact studies;
  • Technology upgrades;
  • Immunization programs;
  • Computer literacy programs; and
  • Diversity projects.

What We Generally Do Not Fund

  • general organizational operations;
  • ongoing programs;
  • scientific, medical, or academic research projects;
  • operational deficits or reduced or lost funding;
  • sectarian activities of religious organizations;
  • scholarships and travel grants;
  • annual fundraising drives, ceremonies, special or one-time events;
  • public or private schools; and
  • endowment funds.

To Apply for a Grant

The Dayton Foundation’s regular discretionary grantmaking guidelines do not apply to this RFP and organizations may apply to this fund and the regular discretionary process concurrently. Please submit your proposal via email attachment to Beth Geiger’s attention using the attached Letter of Intent form. Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 15th. In addition to the Letter of Intent, please submit a one-page project budget and the organization’s 501(c)(3) letter via email, hand delivery or mail. The grant will be awarded on Friday, January 22nd.

Deadlines

  • Friday, January 15th: LOI submission deadline
  • Friday, January 22nd: Awards announced

Whom to Contact for More

Information

If you have any questions concerning the Della B. Gardner Fund of The Dayton Foundation please contact Beth Geiger at 225-9964.