Photo of C.B. Kern THE CARL B. KERN FUND
of The Dayton Foundation
established 1987

1401 S. Main Street, Suite 100  *  Dayton, OH 45409
(937) 222-0410  * * *  FAX: (937) 222-0636

Dayton Foundation Logo
Looking for the former Friends of Kern, Inc. site? Click here to launch in new window.
September, 2022 - This past June, the 2022 distribution in the amount of $21,000 - the largest in the history of the Fund - was presented to YMCA Camp Kern. $11,000 will be used to provide financial assistance to those children who want to benefit from the camp experience but may otherwise be unable to do so. The remaining $10,000 will support staff housing renovations. From new Executive Director Todd Brinkman, "We are so blessed to have this donation from the foundation. Looking over the past years of donations it is truly remarkable how much great work has been done through this fund.... I am so grateful for this donation that will make a lasting impact on our camp."
 
 
Welcome to The Carl B. Kern Fund, one of over 4,000 donor funds administered by The Dayton Foundation, a non-profit community foundation located in Dayton, Ohio. This Endowment Fund pays tribute to a person and an institution through annual distributions.

The person is 'C.B.' Kern, Dayton Y.M.C.A. Boys' Work Secretary from 1909-1917, whose outstanding work with youth was evident from the many testimonials and resolutions made in his memory after he died tragically and unexpectedly on June 3, 1917 at the age of 37.

The institution is organized camping, which 'C.B.' recognized as one of those unique experiences that can have such a profound, positive impact on the physical, mental, and spiritual development of youth. More of permanent value can be accomplished with a week in camp with a boy than months of casual contact, he wrote in a 1915 one-page report describing the activities of his summer camp, Camp Ozone, which was subsequently renamed Camp Kern in his honor on September 17, 1917.

The continuity of distributions from the Fund has been particularly helpful during the pandemic. From YMCA Camp Kern Executive Director Chris Addison on 4/17/2020, "Thank you so much for the foresight and the gift. These special circumstances have created a different kind of need at camp, and this donation will help us fill those needs. You have all done an absolutely tremendous job with the Fund and should be so proud of the benefits it has brought to camp and our campers over the years. We are obviously facing some challenging times ahead, but gifts like these will make a big difference."

Please feel free to browse the Kern Fund web pages and learn more about the person and character of Carl B. Kern, the institution of organized camping which he embraced so strongly, and the activities of The Carl B. Kern Fund which serve to perpetuate the memory of 'C.B.' and support "the experience that lasts a lifetime".  

 
* * News and Announcements * *
  
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2022-06-07 - The 15-slide PDF presentation has been revised with updated Advisory Board and distributions information.

2022-05-31 - The Advisory Board is very pleased to announce that former Camp Kern Executive Director Chris Addison will be joining the Board effective June 2nd. Welcome, Chris!

2022-04-30 - The 2022 1st-quarter numbers are in. The Fund's balance as of 3/31 was $546,857.16. Although there was a drop in market value, this was partially offset by over $12,000 in donations. For details, see the 2022 Quarterly Summary Reports.

2022-03-07 - Very sad to report that Advisory Board member and great-nephew of C.B. Kern Thomas Kuhn passed away Feb 27th at age 64. Donations are being received in his memory. His obituary can be found here.

2022-02-09 - The Kern Fund's 2021 Annual Report has been posted online and will also be mailed to nearly 1,100 individuals.

2022-02-05 - The 2021 year-end numbers are in, and the Fund's balance soared to $580,099.37!! Thanks to all of our donors! See the 2021 Quarterly Summary Reports page for additional details.

2021-11-02 - The 2021 3rd-quarter numbers are in. The Fund's balance dipped slightly to $540,017.55 because of market performance, but it is still almost $30,000 more than the beginning of the year, even after the $20,000 distribution. For details, see the 2021 Quarterly Summary Reports.

2021-10-26 - The 'Beginnings' dropdown in the top navigation bar has been renamed 'About Us', and the latest PDF slide presentation about the Fund has been added to it.

2021-08-17 - Thanks to YMCA Camp Kern for the Kern Fund shout-out in the History Corner section of its recently posted alumni newsletter. The page has been added to the 'In The News' dropdown.

2021-08-04 - The Advisory Board is pleased to present an initial 15-slide PDF presentation summarizing the Fund's purpose, activities, and latest figures. Feel free to share at parties!

2021-07-30 - The 2021 2nd-quarter numbers are in. Even after distributing $20,000 to Kern in June, the Fund's balance increased from $531,392.37 to $543,431.52, thanks to your gifts and a positive market! For details, see the 2021 Quarterly Summary Reports.

2021-07-26 - For the historically-minded, a link to the Cliff Smith YMCA Postcard Collection has been added under 'Other Links'. The collection includes a few Dayton YMCA and Camp Kern postcards.

2021-07-03 - The "FAQs" page now has some content(!). Check it out to see if your favorite question(s) have been answered!

2021-06-02 - The Kern Fund was featured in a May 30th Dayton Daily News advertisement celebrating The Dayton Foundation's 100 Years. A PDF version has been added to the "In the News" dropdown.

2021-05-08 - The 2021 1st-quarter numbers are in. Thanks to an improved investment market and donations received in response to the Annual Report mailing, the Fund's balance as of 3/31 is $531,392.37! For details, see the 2021 Quarterly Summary Reports.

2021-03-08 - Time to remove the Foundation's toll-free number(!) from our site - (877) 222-0410 - as it doesn't seem to appear anywhere on the Foundation's site anymore. A relic of old!

2021-02-12 - The Kern Fund's 2020 Annual Report has been posted online and will also be mailed to around 1,000 individuals.

2021-02-08 - The 2020 year-end numbers are in, and the Fund's balance passed the half-million-dollar mark - $510,659.39!! Thanks to all donors! See the 2020 Quarterly Summary Reports page for additional details.

2021-02-03 - The Dayton Foundation paid tribute to Robert S. Neff, former Dayton Foundation Governing Board Chair who also contributed to The Carl B. Kern Fund and was a long-time supporter of YMCA Camp Kern. Mr. Neff passed away January 18th at age 89.

 

 

Developed by: Stuart T. Weinberg, MD; Founder, The Carl B. Kern Fund
First placed on the WWW: April 5, 1995