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Springfield Foundation
Founded in 1948, the Springfield Foundation operates as a community foundation pooling charitable capital from donors across Clark County, Ohio and the...
Springfield Foundation
Founded in 1948, the Springfield Foundation operates as a community foundation pooling charitable capital from donors across Clark County, Ohio and the surrounding region. The foundation manages permanent funds, distributes grants and scholarships, and catalyses local philanthropy under the oversight of a board currently led by President Amanda Lantz. Susan Carey, who formerly directed the grants and scholarships program, assumed the Executive Director role in 2022. The foundation's deployment model combines grantmaking with direct co-investments in regional economic development. Strategies span early-stage ventures, buyouts, special situations, and distressed debt, signaling an opportunistic, community-anchored mandate. Confirmed co-investment activity includes the SpringForward downtown revitalization project alongside the Turner Foundation, a partnership that channels philanthropic capital directly into physical Clark County assets. The foundation also maintains ties to regional economic strategy through the Greater Springfield Partnership and engages alongside former U.S. Congressman Dave Hobson, for whom it manages a charitable fund. The foundation holds an estimated $125 million in assets, which includes its headquarters at 333 North Limestone Street in Springfield and Springfield Foundation Realty One, LLC. Staff recognition points to specialized outreach capacity: Raphael Allen serves as Director of Community Outreach and has been acknowledged for contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in philanthropy. The foundation maintains professional memberships with the Council on Foundations (since 1998), Philanthropy Ohio, and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. The Springfield Foundation's structural differentiator is its dual identity as both a traditional grantmaking community trust and a direct, deal-level investor in the physical regeneration of its home region. Through vehicles like SpringForward, it channels endowed charitable funds into equity-flavored revitalization deals more commonly associated with private family offices or municipal development authorities, making it an unusual public-private operator in small-city American philanthropy.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1948
AUM
$125M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Springfield
Corporate office
333 North Limestone St., Suite 201, Springfield, OH 45503
Principals
Susan Carey
Executive Director
Amanda Lantz
Board President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment and grantmaking decisions at the Springfield Foundation?
Executive Director Susan Carey, appointed in 2022, oversees operations, grantmaking, and investment decisions after previously serving as the foundation's Director of Grants and Scholarships. The Board of Directors, currently led by President Amanda Lantz, provides governance and strategic approval. Day-to-day community outreach is managed by Director of Community Outreach Raphael Allen.
How does the Springfield Foundation source its deal flow and community investments?
Deal flow is deeply tied to Clark County's civic and economic fabric. The foundation co-invests directly through vehicles like the SpringForward downtown revitalization project and maintains strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Greater Springfield Partnership and the Turner Foundation. Its leadership is also embedded in regional professional networks including the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, which surfaces local investment opportunities.
Is the Springfield Foundation structured as a pure grantmaker or does it pursue market-rate investments?
The foundation operates a hybrid model. While its primary public identity is as a grantmaking community trust, its disclosed strategies include buyout, distressed debt, early-stage venture, and special situations investments. It also controls real estate through entities like Springfield Foundation Realty One, LLC, indicating an active balance sheet beyond traditional grant distribution.
What is the SpringForward project and how does the foundation participate?
SpringForward is a downtown Springfield revitalization initiative that the foundation co-invests in alongside the Turner Foundation and in collaboration with the Greater Springfield Partnership. The project represents a direct deployment of philanthropic capital into place-based economic development, blending charitable intent with physical real estate outcomes in the core of Clark County.
How is the wealth of the Springfield Foundation sourced?
The foundation's assets are built from permanent charitable funds contributed by local donors, families, and estates within Clark County and the surrounding region. Unlike a single-family office, it aggregates philanthropic capital from multiple community sources, including managed charitable funds like the Dave and Carolyn Hobson Charitable Fund, rather than being rooted in a single industrial or financial fortune.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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