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History

Established in 1974

Five local business people carried a spark ignited in 1968 and created the YSCF to help alleviate competing opportunities by supporting their local nonprofits: Dorothy Mitchell, widow of the former president of Miami Deposit Bank; Perry Stewart, president of Miami Deposit Bank; George Asakawa, president of Vernay Laboratories; Hardy Trolander, president of Yellow Springs Instrument Company; and Philip Aultman, Village of Yellow Springs Solicitor. Together, they formed the first Board of Trustees of the Yellow Springs Community Foundation.

They agreed to pool their funds and engage a committee to decide where these funds would make the most impact. The first gift of the YSCF was $10,000 in memory of Jim Mitchell. Jim Mitchell died unexpectedly in January 1974, just as he had begun to develop support for a community foundation. His wife, Dorothy, saw an opportunity to put Jim’s ideas into action – even if she wasn’t sure exactly how it would work. She asked four other people to help figure it out.

The YSCF hired its first staff member in 2002 – Virgil Hervey – as a financial administrator. Virgil passed unexpectedly in 2019 and is greatly missed by all. In 2016, Jeannamarie Cox was hired as executive director and became the YSCF’s first full-time employee.

Today, the YSCF manages over $20 million in assets, provides funding/grants to over 30 nonprofits/organizations, and manages over 200 funds.
The challenge of competing opportunities is still valid today.

Contact Jeannamarie Cox

Contact Brianna Ayres

Contact Melissa Heston

Contact Chloe Manor

Contact Mychael Roberts

Contact Sara Miller Gray

Contact Kim McCarthy

Donate with ACH Electronic Transfer

Please fill out the form below to contact YSCF or call 937-767-2655.

Contact the Yellow Springs Community Foundation