Yellow Springs Community Foundation

What Yellow Springs Community Foundation does

Yellow Springs Community Foundation (YSCF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1974 and headquartered in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It manages more than $20 million in assets across over 200 named funds and serves as the central philanthropic infrastructure for Yellow Springs and Miami Township, a community of approximately 4,000 residents with more than 100 local nonprofits. Its core activities include grantmaking (Standard Competitive Grants up to $15,000, Rapid Response Grants up to $3,000, Miller Intergenerational Staffing Grants at $4,000 per position, Charlotte Drake Youth Philanthropy Grants up to $500), administration of 30+ scholarship funds for Yellow Springs High School students, fiscal sponsorship for emerging local organizations, and direct community programs including YS Equity (a guaranteed income initiative) and a Food Relief resource directory. In February 2026, YSCF signed a Letter of Intent to purchase Tom's Market, the village's primary grocery store, with the intent to stabilize operations for two years before transitioning it to community ownership.

YSCF's revenue model is threefold: it accepts donations (cash, securities, cryptocurrency, real estate) from individuals and organizations, earning $4,446,427 in total income in 2024; it charges tiered administrative fees on managed funds ranging from 0.50% to 1.50% annually assessed quarterly; and it generates investment income through pooled accounts managed by US Bank Wealth Management and a socially responsible option managed via Vanguard's Green Century Balanced Fund. Donor advised funds carry a $500 one-time setup fee plus 0.5% annual fee, pass-through funds a 7.5% processing fee, and scholarship endowments a $250 setup fee plus 1.50% annual fee. Distribution occurs through grantinterface.com portals, an online donation platform (Stripe-processed), phone/email direct contact, and annual campaigns such as YSCaringTuesday.

YSCF is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees with 16+ named members (President Joanne Lakomski, VP Rich Bullock, Treasurer Joshua Mabra, Secretary Todd Leventhal) and operated by an 8-person professional staff led by Executive Director Jeannamarie Cox, the foundation's first full-time employee (2016). Core strategic partnerships include US Bank Wealth Management (investment management), Yellow Springs Credit Union (SHOP LOCAL and Local Impact Investment lines of credit), Glen Helen Association (Miller Fellowship host), and Co-op Dayton (community ownership advisory). The foundation holds no patents, has no proprietary technology, and operates without any disclosed AI capabilities.

Name

Yellow Springs Community Foundation

Legal name

Yellow Springs Community Foundation

Website

https://yscf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yellow Springs Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation managing $20M+ across 200+ funds, delivering grants, scholarships, and direct community programs to 100+ nonprofits in Yellow Springs and Miami Township, Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation & Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Grantmaking programs
• Scholarship administration
• Donor advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Yellow Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Gifts: The foundation receives charitable donations from individuals, families, and organizations. Total income in 2024 was $4,446,427. Accepts various asset types including cash, securities, cryptocurrency, real estate, and more.
2. Administrative Fees: The foundation charges tiered administrative fees based on fund type and size, ranging from 0.50% to 1.5% annually for endowment funds. These fees support foundation operations.
3. Investment Income: Foundation funds are invested in pooled investment accounts with US Bank Wealth Management. Returns support grantmaking and fund distributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Yellow Springs Community Foundation manages over 200 charitable funds with $20 million+ in assets, providing grants to local 501(c)(3) nonprofits, scholarships to Yellow Springs High School students, and managing donor advised, endowment, and memorial funds for individuals and families. The foundation also runs direct community programs including a guaranteed income initiative (YSEQUITY), fiscal sponsorship for emerging organizations, food relief resources, and the SHOP LOCAL Cash Back Program in partnership with local credit unions.

Product overview

Yellow Springs Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a coordinated portfolio of grantmaking programs, scholarship funds, and community programs. Core offerings include: Standard Competitive Grants and Rapid Response Grants for local nonprofits; Miller Intergenerational Staffing Grants placing Student and Encore Fellows at nonprofits; Youth Action Board for youth philanthropy; Charlotte Drake Youth Philanthropy Grants for K-12 student projects; and Shop Local Grants for local food/supply purchases. Fund vehicles include Donor Advised Funds, Scholarship Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and Memorial Funds for donors. Direct community programs include YS Equity Guaranteed Income, Food Relief resources, the SHOP LOCAL Cash Back Program, Fiscal Sponsorship services, and the Yellow Springs Community Market/Springs Market grocery initiative. The Foundation manages over 200 endowment funds and has over $20 million in assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2024 Total Income: $4,446,427; Total Expenses: $2,945,135
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Co-op DaytoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Hosting community open houses about co-op ownership model for Yellow Springs Community Market. Three sessions scheduled to help form a steering committee for community ownership.
• Yellow Springs Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025SHOP LOCAL Cash Back Program partnership where Yellow Springs Credit Union contributes 1% of sales made in 45387 zip code to support local nonprofits. This innovative program turns everyday purchases into community benefit.
• Yellow Springs Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Partnership with Chamber of Commerce on SHOP LOCAL Cash Back Program. Three-way collaboration between Yellow Springs Credit Union, Chamber of Commerce, and YSCF to support local merchants.
• Bing DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing support for YSGivingTuesday website and campaign.
• Glen Helen AssociationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-time host of Miller Fellows since program began. Quote from Nick Boutis, Executive Director, praising program.
• Yellow Springs Federal Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Local Impact Investments, providing lines of credit to qualifying local nonprofits, secured by YSCF assets. Extends community-focused financial services.
• Sound Spring ProjectminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExample of fiscal sponsorship: Columbus Foundation's Johnstone Fund for New Music grant awarded to Sound Spring Project through YSCF.
• YS Dog ParkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFiscal sponsorship example: YS Dog Park works with YSCF to accept donations for services.
• Sister Trillium / Yellow Springs Creative Reuse CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNewly formed organization receiving comprehensive back-office administration from YSCF as it becomes a nonprofit.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Dayton Foundation: The Dayton Foundation is the regional community foundation serving the Greater Dayton area, including Yellow Springs-adjacent communities. Highly comparable as a community foundation offering donor advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and nonprofit capacity building in the same geography.
• Hamilton Community Foundation: Butler County, Ohio community foundation providing grants, scholarships, and donor advised funds in a similar Southwest Ohio/Northern Kentucky adjacent geography. Closely comparable scale and programmatic menu.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Greater Cincinnati Foundation serves Southwest Ohio/Northern Kentucky with grantmaking, donor advised funds, scholarship programs, and community impact initiatives. Directly comparable as a multi-county community foundation with a similar menu of programs.
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Michigan-based community foundation with similar programs including youth philanthropy, scholarship funds, and donor advised funds. Comparable small-team operating model serving a defined geographic community.
• Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine: Small-city community foundation offering donor advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship administration in a comparable community scale. Mirrors YSCF's operating model at similar AUM scale.
• Middletown Community Foundation: Ohio-based community foundation administering donor advised funds, community grants, and scholarships with comparable organizational structure to YSCF.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership association for philanthropic entities including community foundations. Comparable as an ecosystem participant connecting YSCF to peer foundation practice, training, and advocacy resources.
• CAF America: Charities Aid Foundation of America facilitates international grantmaking and donor advised fund administration. Comparable as a foundation services/infrastructure provider rather than a direct community foundation competitor.

Regional players

• The Springfield Foundation: The Springfield Foundation is a Clark County, Ohio community foundation providing similar grantmaking, scholarship, and donor advised fund services. Comparable in scale and mission to YSCF but serves a different geography within Ohio.

Broad incumbents

• The Columbus Foundation: The Columbus Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in Ohio, offering donor advised funds, competitive grants, fiscal sponsorship, and scholarship administration. The Sound Spring Project reference in YSCF's data references Columbus Foundation as a funder, indicating active peer interaction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YSCommunityFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChIq9NdEwikbmdC4Gq6Sppw
• Facebookfacebook.com/yscommunityfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/yscommunityfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yellow-springs-community-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yellow Springs Community Foundation