The five Philanthropy Awards celebrate outstanding Ohio philanthropists who have made significant contributions to philanthropy through diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; as emerging leaders; through innovation; public policy; or a lifetime of work. On September 29, we kicked off the Philanthropy Forward ’25 conference with the Philanthropy Awards ceremony, which recognized and honored outstanding achievements in philanthropy. We are delighted to announce the winners for 2025: Devontá Dickey, Julie Paxton, Dr. Raphael Allen, Rick Kellar, and Mike Parks. Their remarkable contributions and dedication to making a positive impact in their communities truly deserve this recognition.
Emerging Philanthropist: Devontá Dickey
The Emerging Philanthropist Award honors an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership in advancing philanthropy and achieves significant accomplishments within a short period of time. The 2025 Emerging Ohio Philanthropist is Devontá Dickey, the communications and marketing officer at the Saint Luke’s Foundation.
Devontá has redefined philanthropic leadership by centering community identity and equity in public storytelling, transforming how their foundation engages with the people they serve. Through initiatives like Lift Every Voice 216, he helped elevate the voices of 4,000 residents, influencing statewide policy and guiding over $20 million in community investments. His work spans regions and uses digital storytelling, grassroots communication and public forums to ensure lived experiences shape institutional decisions. Devontá’s leadership pushes philanthropy toward more transparent, community-anchored and culturally rooted practices, strengthening not only the field of philanthropy in Ohio but its ability to lead with authenticity and trust.
“Devontá demonstrates exemplary leadership, and we are so pleased to honor him as the 2025 Emerging Leader in Philanthropy,” said Philanthropy Ohio President & CEO Meghan Cummings. “In his role leading the foundation’s visibility and public narrative, he has transformed how philanthropy engages with the people it serves, centering community identity and equity. Devontá embodies what it means to lead with purpose, authenticity and a deep respect for community wisdom.”
Philanthropy Innovation: Julie Paxton
Julie Paxton received the 2025 Philanthropy Innovation Award for her work with the Fill the Freezer initiative. Through her volunteer leadership with the Community Foundation for Perry County’s committee, Julie helped develop and launch the Fill the Freezer initiative, which addresses food insecurity in Perry County.
Julie launched the Fill the Freezer initiative to combat food insecurity by encouraging livestock auction bidders to donate meat to local food pantries. In just its second year, the program supplied enough meat to stock every pantry in the county for the year, and last year delivered 11,000 pounds valued at nearly $49,000. Julie has since mentored leaders in other counties to replicate the model, resulting in nearly 25,000 pounds of meat distributed regionally this year. Amid rising demand for food assistance, her collaborative approach has not only fed thousands but also inspired a growing network of community-led hunger relief efforts.
As a dedicated member of the Community Foundation for Perry County and its partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Julie contributes to regional grantmaking and aligns local action with broader philanthropic strategies. Her work helps build a stronger, more connected network across the region.
The Michael G. Shinn Award for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in Philanthropy: Dr. Raphael Allen
The Michael G. Shinn Award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a significant contribution to DEIB in philanthropy, and this year’s winner is Dr. Raphael Allen, the director of community outreach for the Springfield Foundation. Named for Michael G. Shinn, founder of the Shinn Family Foundation, Mike served as secretary of Philanthropy Ohio’s Board of Trustees until his death in March 2015. A Cleveland-area resident, he chaired the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, taking on primary responsibility for guiding Philanthropy Ohio’s efforts in that arena. In addition to the philanthropy he did through the Shinn Family Foundation, Mike was an active and respected community volunteer who gave generously of his time, talent and treasure.
Under Dr. Allen’s leadership, representation has grown, barriers have been removed and new opportunities have emerged for historically marginalized groups. His cultural competency trainings during contentious immigration debates and initiatives like the Catalyst of Change Award demonstrate his commitment to equity, empathy and progress. A respected voice in local coalitions, Dr. Allen brings people together with purpose, helping to redefine philanthropy through both internal change and external collaboration.
“We are so very pleased to present this year’s award to Dr. Raphael Allen, recognizing his thoughtful leadership and unfaltering commitment to racial justice,” said Philanthropy Ohio President & CEO Meghan Cummings. “Dr. Allen has championed inclusion by transforming decision-making processes, scholarship access and grantmaking strategies through an equity lens. His commitment propels the foundation and its community partners’ justice-centered approach.”
Public Policy Award: Rick Kellar
The Public Policy Award recognizes a champion in public policy or advocacy work in philanthropy in Ohio who uses their voice with courage to advocate for equity, building stronger communities and building stronger philanthropy. The 2025 awardee is Rick Kellar, a longtime advocate for mental health. As president and CEO of Peg’s Foundation, Rick embodies Peg Morgan’s call to “think bigger,” inspiring others to do the same.
Rick has led local and national efforts to improve crisis response for individuals with mental health needs, including launching Clear Pathways in 2020 to align care systems during behavioral health emergencies. His work has informed long-term policy recommendations in Ohio and influenced national strategies through collaborations with organizations like Blue Meridian Partners, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the CEO Alliance for Mental Health, helping to shape a unified vision for transforming mental health and substance use care. Because of Rick, our philanthropic sector is stronger locally, and at the state and national levels.
“We are delighted to celebrate Rick Kellar and present him with our 2025 Public Policy award, recognizing his longstanding advocacy work to improve the health and well-being of our community,” said Philanthropy Ohio President & CEO Meghan Cummings. “Rick has spearheaded numerous local and national initiatives to develop lasting policy solutions for individuals in crisis. His influence also extends nationwide, advancing efforts to improve the lives of adults living with mental illness.”
Ohio Philanthropy Award: Mike Parks
The Ohio Philanthropy Award honors an individual whose longstanding commitment to service showcases exceptional leadership and creativity in tackling community challenges, leaving a lasting and positive impact on the philanthropic sector. This is the lifetime achievement award in philanthropy, and this year’s winner is Michael M. Parks, president of the Dayton Foundation.
Since becoming president of The Dayton Foundation in 2002, Mike has transformed philanthropy in Ohio’s Greater Dayton region. Under his leadership, the foundation has nearly doubled its charitable funds, exceeding 4,000, and increased its assets sixfold to more than $1.17 billion, placing it among the top community foundations in the nation and the third-largest community foundation in Ohio. Mike is also a catalyst for bold ideas, including the groundbreaking merger of Dayton’s major arts organizations, which created the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance – the first of its kind in the nation. And in times of crisis, Mike has championed community resilience by leading disaster response efforts following the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes, the Oregon District Mass Shooting and the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding the foundation’s response and overseeing the distribution of millions of dollars in relief to those most in need.
“We are thrilled to present the 2025 Ohio Philanthropy Award to Michael M. Parks, recognizing his longstanding leadership and commitment to advancing the Dayton area community and philanthropic sector in Ohio,” said Philanthropy Ohio President & CEO Meghan Cummings. “Mike has championed initiatives to break the cycle of generational poverty, expand pathways to livable wages, promote sustainability and environmental justice and strengthen the region’s future. He has elevated the foundation’s role in building community partnerships and leadership initiatives, leveraged additional funding for local nonprofit organizations and positioned the foundation as a regional and national resource for philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.”
Congratulations to this year’s philanthropy awardees! To learn more about the annual Philanthropy Awards, visit philanthropyohio.org/awards.
Alyssa Donahey
Associate, Communications & Membership
Philanthropy Ohio
Philanthropy Ohio’s blog is meant purely for informative discussion of topics, practices and viewpoints in philanthropy. We collaborate with various members, funders, consultants, philanthropy-serving organizations and Professional Partners to bring you quality content. Guest authors are partners in our collective vision for a just and vibrant Ohio through impactful philanthropy. Statements on this blog reflect the author’s personal opinions and do not necessarily fully represent the opinions, policies, practices, values and mission of Philanthropy Ohio. This blog may contain testimonials, opinions and real-life experiences of members. However, the experiences are personal to those particular members, and may not necessarily be representative of all members or of Philanthropy Ohio.