$1 million gift from Smith Dairy family launches Boys & Girls Club endowment drive

The Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club was looking for a partner. The former family owners of Smith Dairy/SmithFoods were too. They had no idea they were looking for each other.

The Boys & Girls Club has launched the Great Futures Fund. The three-year capital campaign launched in December, aiming to build a $5 million endowment to secure long-term stability for its programs while reducing the organization’s reliance on annual federal and state grants.

“Over the last few years, we were very reliant on federal dollars,” OABGC Chief Executive Officer Josh Nolan said. “It was becoming more and more of a percentage of our budget. We wanted to get a little more long-term stability for our club and have a little less reliance on those grants. So we have a family, the Smith Dairy family, after their sale, who reached out to us and actually became kind of a lead donor for our campaign.”

Nolan said the Smith Dairy donation put the OABGC 20% toward its goal by donating $1 million.

“They set it off,” he said. “This is motivation for others to donate. It gives us at least a safe part of our budget that we know that we can rely on.”

The desire to avoid the need for federal funding cannot be overstated. Nolan pointed to the example of the Augusta Boys & Girls Clubs in Georgia, which earlier this year saw the potential loss of 35% of their operating budgets due to federal cuts.

That drop-off fell under the umbrella of the current administration in Washington, which had plans to lop more than $6 billion from federal education programs. Those cuts had the potential to affect recipients like Boys & Girls Clubs, which often work in underserved communities.

Nolan stopped short of blaming any single policy, party or plan for potential budget shake-ups.

“At the end of the day, grants are never 100% reliable,” he said. “It’s the government, regardless of what political side you’re on. I’ve experienced it on both sides of the political aisle where grants are on the chopping block.”

Smith Dairy/SmithFoods was acquired late in 2024 by Illinois-based Prairie Farms Dairy. That didn’t end the Orrville-based company’s desire to help the community it has called home for more than a century.

Saying they value the opportunities the OABGC provides area youngsters including employment — the club is Wayne County’s largest employer of high school students — the people at Smith Dairy/SmithFoods wanted to make a fairly grand gesture in the area and did so with their lofty donation.

“With the sale of our family business, Smith Diary/SmithFoods, our families want to leave a legacy in the community that reflects the values of our family,” John Paul and Kathy Tracy Schmid, Mary Kathryn and David B. Miller said. “Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club immediately came to mind, as we have a long-standing history with OABGC through our grandparents, John and Kathryn Schmid, parents Walter and Esther Schmid, and Smith Dairy/SmithFoods.

"The family and business have supported the OABGC through financial and product donations, sponsorships, and volunteering. In light of this history, we find it fitting to extend our support with our donation to help build an endowment fund designed to provide ongoing yearly financial support for the club.”

When the people from Smith first approached Nolan, he had no idea who they were. For one, they weren’t named Smith. They did, though, want to tour the club in Orrville, and they said they might want to donate at some point.

Nolan had absolutely no idea such a game-changing contribution was anywhere near the pipeline, let alone in it.

“I really wish my office had been clean that day,” he said. “We talked on the phone. They came back in. We had several meetings.”

Now if everything goes as planned, the OABGC will have new funds that begin every year. Those will consist of general operating dollars. And none of those dollars will be tied to grants.

“We won’t be at the point where we never know if we are getting them at all or not,” Nolan said. “At a minimum we’ll be able to continue our operations long-term. Nonprofits are always in the worry of ‘Will it? Won’t it?’ It’s about making the funds more reliable.”

The people from Smith Dairy/SmithFoods ultimately got back with Nolan and were happy to contribute.

“They said, ‘That’s one we want to give to, and that’s kind of a legacy donation for our family,’ and that’s where they decided to go with,” Nolan said.

With the OABGC expanding to include a location in the Triway area, another in Rittman and a summer camp in the Waynedale area, the financial needs of the Boys & Girls Clubs have expanded right with them.

“We’ve grown a lot, sports have grown, STEM things, the negative space program, our mental health program. It’s all grown,” Nolan said.

Those interested in contributing can visit www.oabgc.org/take-action#donate, which lists several ways to donate. Donations also can be made at www.waynecountycommunityfoundation.org/giving.

“Every gift is an investment in the future of Wayne County,” said Melanie Reusser Garcia, executive director of Wayne County Community Foundation. “Together, we can ensure the Boys & Girls Club remains a pillar of opportunity for generations.”

A mailer should be coming to area residents soon if it hasn’t already arrived.