Five Million Dollar Fund to Fuel GreenLight Fund Cincinnati’s Next Phase of Work

GreenLight Cincinnati’s next phase of community-driven social impact work made possible by nearly 60 local philanthropic investors

Cincinnati, OH – September 10, 2026 –  GreenLight Fund, a nonprofit funder, announces the close of GreenLight Cincinnati Fund III. The organization has been partnering with the community since 2015 to find and fund evidence-based programs that work and bring them to Cincinnati to tackle unmet needs and open opportunities towards economic mobility. To date, GreenLight has invested in supporting the expansion to Cincinnati of six proven programs which have collectively reached nearly 20,000 children and families with measurable results. Now, nearly 60 local philanthropic investors have come together raising $5M to continue this work. This third fund represents a 47% increase over the $3.4M raised for Fund II and reflects growing support for GreenLight’s next phase of work in Cincinnati. Over the next five years, GreenLight Cincinnati will select and invest in four additional proven programs that open opportunities and result in positive outcomes for local children and families.

“We have so much to celebrate at GreenLight Fund Cincinnati: our first decade of serving our community and the closing of our third Fund, we are poised for success for the next 10 years and beyond. I am so deeply grateful for our investors, returning and new, who put their trust and passion into our work,” said Erin Saul, Greenlight Fund Cincinnati Executive Director.

The coalition of investors making up this third Fund include returning supporters like John F. Barrett, Chairman, President & CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group who reflected on GreenLight’s collaborative method as a key factor in their success,  “Western & Southern Financial Group is pleased to support GreenLight Cincinnati and its efforts to address important needs in our community. We have great confidence in its collaborative approach to bringing together local organizations and resources around promising solutions, and we look forward to seeing that work continue.”

Other returning GreenLight investors, including John and Jen Stein, have been inspired by GreenLight’s innovative approach and have expanded their involvement beyond supporting GreenLight Fund Cincinnati to engage with the organization at a national level. “Jen and I are thrilled to support bringing nationally proven, innovative solutions to Cincinnati to address some of our community’s most pressing social issues,” shared John Stein, returning Cincinnati investor, GreenLight Fund National Advisory Council member, and co-founder and Principal of Five Stones Investment Group.

GreenLight Cincinnati Fund III is made possible by a growing coalition of generous supporters including: Anonymous, Trishan & Carrie Arul, Sue & Steve Baggott, Bain Capital, Bank of America, Jeff & Lindsay Berding, Clare Zlatic Blankemeyer & Tony Blankemeyer, Clement and Ann Buenger Foundation, BuildStrong Foundation, Lee & Shannon Carter, David & Kay Clark, Dave & LeAnne Conway, Robin Davis, The Deaconess Associations Foundation, Deloitte, Andrew & Amy DeWitt, Ed & Karen Diller, Driven Brands, The Fifth Third Foundation, First Financial Foundation, Dan & Susan Fleming, Goldman Sachs Gives, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kim and Gary Heiman Family Foundation, Karen & David Hoguet, Sam Hubbard, The Ed and Joann Hubert Family Foundation, Dan & Karen Hurley, iHeartMedia, Interact for Health, Jason & Amy Jackman, The Jewish Foundation, Johnson Charitable Gift Fund, Robert W. Keith & Kathleen Thornton, Lair & Anna Kennedy, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, Dave & Cindy Knox, Kohler Family Fund, The Kroger Co. Foundation, Timothy and Lynn Mathile Fund of the Mathile Family Foundation, The Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, Holly & Louis Mazzocca, Bill & Jenny McCloy, Marylou & John McIlwraith, Carter McNabb, Laura Menge, The NFL, The Jenny and Jim Price Empower Fund, Procter & Gamble, The Ragland Family, Rhinestone Foundation, Sargent Family Foundation, Cathy Schloss, MacKenzie Scott, John & Susan Simon, Mu Sinclaire & Sinclaire Family Office, John & Jen Stein, Truist Foundation, Inc., Woodrow H. Uible, Beth & David Underhill, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 75, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, George & Kim Vincent, The Vora Foundation, Warm Construction, Western & Southern Financial Fund, Williams Foundation, The Woods Family, and James & Mary Zimmerman.

“We are incredibly grateful to GreenLight Cincinnati Fund III investors. Cincinnati has been a model for other sites in GreenLight’s network as it has delivered significant measurable impact over 10+ years. This Fund and the commitment of 60 investors will enable scaling additional proven solutions to Cincinnati that are needed and wanted by the community, open access to opportunities, and address economic disparities,” said John Simon, GreenLight Fund Co-founder and Board Chair.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which has supported GreenLight’s work locally from its launch in 2015 agrees, “Creating a region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive means bringing effective solutions to the challenges our neighbors face every day. Fund III builds on GreenLight’s impact, and we look forward to continuing our partnership to create economic pathways to success for families here,” said Matthew Randazzo, President & CEO, Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Procter & Gamble has also been a long-time supporter and doubled their commitment to GreenLight in Fund III. Brian Hodgett, Vice President Community Relations at P&G added, “Cincinnati is home for P&G, and renewing our support for GreenLight Fund means we’re committed to helping our community thrive. I’m impressed with Erin’s vision for this next fund and look forward to seeing the Cincinnati team invest in solutions that can make a real difference in our community.”

GreenLight Cincinnati has invested in six organizations to date, each selected based on needs identified by the local community. Investments in these organizations have leveraged an additional $32.6 million in both private and public follow-on funds to support their work. Collectively, they’ve reached nearly 20,000 individuals and families.

They include:

Fathers’ Uplift, implemented in 2025, is a program that empowers fathers by offering clinical mental health treatment and coaching to help them reengage with their children in a positive way.

HomeStart’s Renew Collaborative, an eviction prevention program operated in partnership with United Way of Greater CIncinnati, has reached 264 people this year with 100% of households in the program previously at risk of eviction having retained their housing following intervention.

Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship, a program strengthening early literacy and growing the early childhood educator pipeline in pre-K programs, reached more than 600 children last year with 66% of students at or near kindergarten-readiness standards by last spring.

At First Place for Youth, a wraparound housing program for youth aging out of foster care hosted by New Path,  all program graduates secured stable housing after one year of support and either earned or are actively working on their GED or high school diploma.

UpTogether, which has been in operation in Cincinnati since 2017, reached 164 families this past year towards obtaining greater financial stability.

Center for Employment Opportunities provides immediate employment and reentry services to individuals returning from incarceration. In Cincinnati, the average wage of participants has grown to over $17/hr, surpassing Ohio’s minimum wage by 63%.

Moira Weir, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Cincinnati shares more about the impact of this work, “GreenLight Cincinnati plays an important role in helping our community identify, alongside partners and families, where critical gaps exist — and where those gaps can best be addressed by bringing proven solutions to our region or testing promising new approaches. That work helps us respond to what families need while building on, rather than duplicating, the strong network of organizations and services already in our community.”

“Being part of GreenLight Fund’s Selection Advisory Committee has given me a firsthand look at the care and rigor that goes into identifying organizations with the potential to make a meaningful difference in our community. I’ve been especially impressed by the depth of conversation and the range of perspectives brought to the selection process,” said Roddell McCullough, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, First Financial Bank. “It has reinforced for me why First Financial Bank is proud to continue investing in GreenLight and its approach to finding and supporting the solutions that our community needs most when it comes to financial stability for families.”

The process to identify the seventh investment in partnership with our Selection Advisory Council is already underway with an expected launch in early 2027 under the leadership of Erin Saul, GreenLight Cincinnati’s Executive Director since 2023.