Greater Cincinnati Foundation

In 1963, a group of Greater Cincinnati area business people was intrigued by the success enjoyed by community foundations in other cities. They wanted to see a community foundation established in Cincinnati. At the same time, the board of the Fresh Air and Convalescent Aid Society, an organization which brought women and children out of the crowded tenement areas during the hottest months of the summer for two weeks of good food, comfortable living, and planned recreation in the country, realized that its mission had become outdated. The Fresh Air and Convalescent Aid Society decided to disband and needed an alternative charitable use for its $600,000 endowment. The business leaders and the Fresh Air Board came together and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation was born. The Fresh Air and Convalescent Aid Society’s endowment became GCF’s first unrestricted fund.