Our 2020 Community Award Winners
2020 Philanthropists of the Year
Bill & Jenny McCloy
Nominated By: Melodic Connections, Community Foundation of West Chester Liberty, Down Syndrome Association of Cincinnati, Ken Anderson Alliance, and Beech Acres Parenting Center
Philanthropists of the Year Bill and Jenny McCloy are connection creators. They seize opportunities to bring people and organizations together to raise awareness, resources, and new realities that improve the lives of others. Bill and Jenny have been married 33 years on October 2, 2020. They have four children and reside in Liberty Township. Family is at the heart of all they do. “Our pride and our appreciation,” they say, “are the gift of family that God has bestowed on us”.
Bill and Jenny lead with their love of family, and with their hearts. Bill serves as President of the board of directors of Ken Anderson Alliance (KAA), an organization that seeks to change the lives of generations of families affected by developmental disabilities. Jenny serves as board chair for Melodic Connections, an organization that uses the power of music to connect people in community, and she has served as chair of the Reel Abilities Film Festival.
They also support/serve organizations such as Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati, Beech Acres Parenting Center, St Vincent de Paul, Stepping Stones, St. Joseph Home, DePaul Cristo Rey high school, LADD, Boys and Girls Club of West Chester Liberty, Life Town, The Learning Experience, and The OSU Fisher Business school alumni board.
Bill and Jenny’s impact goes far beyond the list of organizations they serve. Their ability to bring people together for a common purpose increases the impact of their work exponentially. Through encouraging collaboration among organizations that receive their support, and by asking of others, they have created amazing strength in numbers in our community. Bill and Jenny McCloy work joyfully to improve the lives of others, to connect those who need connection the most. Their philanthropic efforts reflect their values of family, community, and collaboration and their impact will be felt by generations.
2020 Volunteer of the Year
Gerald H. Greene, Jr.
Nominated By: Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, The Taft Museum of Art, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and ArtsWave
Gerry brings perspective from over five decades of business management and legal successes to his philanthropic endeavors. During His 33-year career at Procter and Gamble, he crisscrossed the globe managing engineering and construction projects. His military service, which included an assignment to participate in court-martial as an advocate, influenced his decision to go to law school at age sixty.
After law school, he joined Legal Aid’s Family Law practice group as a volunteer attorney. Eighteen years later, his dedication to provide effective representation to his victims of domestic violence clients, many of whom have experienced significant physical and emotional abuse, continues. In addition to his pro bono legal work, Gerry gives back to the community by serving on the boards of Purcell-Marion High School, ArtsWave, and The Taft Museum of Art, where he has been the Board Chair for eight years.
2020 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy
Camryn Morrow
Nominated By: Magnified Giving
Camryn Morrow is a third-year Human Development and Community Engagement student at the University of Cincinnati. As a Cincinnati native, Camryn prides herself on her commitment to youth advocacy in her city and has dedicated herself to teaching the next generation of leaders through Breakthrough Cincinnati as a Teaching Fellow and intern. Inspired by the power of a community and the importance of giving, Camryn acts as a Magnified Giving ambassador, a youth-centered philanthropy program that she was first introduced to in the eighth grade.
Her passion for advocacy extends itself to creativity and self-expression and has allowed her to create her own student-led book club for women of color on her university’s campus. Her club, which she named “Sister Outsiders” after her role model, Civil Rights activist, and writer, Audre Lorde operates as a safe space for women of color to converse on diverse literature and find community among one another. On-campus, Camryn is a University Honors Scholar and a Darwin T. Turner Scholar, a scholarship recognized for its promotion of academic excellence, diversity, leadership, and service. Camryn has held leadership positions in Undergraduate Student Government, the United Black Student Association, and the African American Cultural and Resource Center Leadership Team and enjoys supporting students on and off-campus.
2020 Outstanding Corporation or Foundation
R.C. Durr Foundation, Inc.
Wilbert L Ziegler, President & CEO
Nominated By: Redwood, Master Provisions, Center for Great Neighborhoods, Horizon Community Fund, Brighton Center
The R. C. Durr Foundation, Inc. was established and funded by R. C. Durr in September 1993 and was permanently endowed upon his death on May 21, 2007. There is no way to calculate the total impact, amount or number of R. C. Durr’s gifts while he was alive but since his passing and as of this writing in 2019, the Durr Foundation has made more than 1,100 grants with a total giving in excess of $25,000,000.
Beneficiaries of the Foundation include scholarship funds for educational institutions and funding to non-profit organizations providing food, clothing and shelter, transportation, medical and dental care for the indigent, and needs of the very young and very old and for persons with developmental disabilities. The Foundation also provides funding to assist in the development of liveable communities, business incubation, future leadership development, and public health. Although the Foundation Board of Directors may make exceptions, the primary funding of the Foundation is concentrated toward the non-profit educational, charitable and civic organizations located in and providing services to the people in the greater Northern Kentucky area composed of the counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Mason, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson.
2020 Lifetime Achievement in Fundraising
Mary C. Fischer
Nominated By: Bethesda Foundation
Mary C. Fischer, CFRE, has made a significant impact in the Cincinnati community through her outstanding work in philanthropy. A Cincinnati area native and a dedicated fundraiser with three decades of experience, Mary has worked tirelessly to help those in need through her fundraising and volunteer efforts. Mary has worked on numerous campaigns and fundraising projects for Bethesda Foundation where her skills as a fundraiser have helped to raise more than 25 million dollars in support of Bethesda North Hospital, Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside, A Center for Grieving Children.
Mary has a passion for service to others through her fundraising and volunteer work. She has served as President of the Springfield Council of the National Committee on Planned Giving, a member of the Kiwanis Club in Springfield, the Rotary Club in Blue Ash and served as a board member for the Ohio Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (OAHP) for many years. She was also a board member for Xtraordinary Women Inc., a Cincinnati non-profit that provided support for underserved women in the community. Since 2005, she has been a volunteer for Tender Mercies, preparing and delivering meals to support homeless adults with mental illness.
Mary is an exceptional fundraiser who, throughout her career, has continually demonstrated her love of and dedication to the profession of fundraising.