AACF Annual Report
Generous Roots
2022 - 2023 Annual Report
Dear Supporters and Friends,
As the incoming president of the African-American Community Fund, I am honored to share my recap of the year with you. Through the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our volunteer Advisory Board and the
hard work of The Dayton Foundation’s staff, we have been able to initiate and support numerous programs and initiatives that uplift and empower individuals and families throughout our community, including:
• expanding our scholarship programs and providing not only financial assistance to deserving students pursuing higher education, but also partnering with local schools and organizations to offer mentorship opportunities and tutoring services,
• investing in initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, workforce development and financial literacy within the African-American community, and initiatives aimed at narrowing the racial wealth gap,
• prioritizing funding initiatives that promote physical, mental, emotional well-being and access to healthcare initiatives designed to address the unique needs of African Americans in Dayton, and
• supporting local artists, cultural institutions and community events that highlight the contributions and experiences of African Americans in Dayton.
In addition to these efforts, AACF’s Advisory Board implemented a new focus this past fiscal year to prioritize its grantmaking to local, African-American led and serving grassroots organizations, hence this year’s annual report theme – Generous Roots. This new funding priority enables AACF to assist more organizations that may not have the capacity or resources to generate the funding they need to advance their programming and missions.
This year’s cover features the first grouping of nonprofits benefitting from the AACF’s new funding priority. We invite you to learn more about the impact these 12 local nonprofits were able to make after being funded during AACF’s 2022 grant cycle on page 14 and 15 of the report. Thank you, and enjoy the stories
and highlights of our impact in this year’s report.
Sincerely,
Eric Walker-Mabry,
President, African-American Community Fund