June Opportunity Brief
- RoShawn Winburn
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
By RoShawn Winburn, Dayton Weekly News
June in the Miami Valley doesn't slow down, and neither does the work of keeping our community informed, resourced, and ready. This edition of the Dayton Weekly News Community Brief arrives at a pivotal moment, when a historic aviation company is planting 2,000 jobs in our backyard, our region's HBCU is offering free workforce training that could change someone's career trajectory this summer, and the city is quietly rewriting zoning rules that will shape our neighborhoods for a generation. From Juneteenth celebrations stretching across the surrounding counties to scholarship funds for students, it's all here, all actionable, and all yours. Read it, use it, and pass it on.
Grants & Funding
Dayton Foundation Discretionary Grants — Up to $75,000
Deadline: June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM Montgomery · Miami · Greene · Preble · Warren counties
The Dayton Foundation’s Discretionary Grant cycle closes June 29 at 4:00 PM. If your nonprofit hasn’t applied, you have days — not weeks. The Dayton Foundation offers flexible grants from $7,500 to $75,000 for 501(c)(3) organizations launching new solutions to pressing regional needs — social services, healthcare, arts, education, and more. Apply now at daytonfoundation.org/grant-opportunities or call Tania Arseculeratne at (937) 225-9966.
Who should act: Nonprofit executive directors, community organizations, faith-based social service providers, arts and culture groups.
City of Dayton Community Engagement Grants — Up to $1,000 for Your Block
Rolling deadline · Closes October 2, 2026
Your block club, neighborhood association, or priority board can apply for up to $1,000 to fund community events, beautification, and organizing. Simple application, real impact. Apply at daytonohio.gov/communityengagement — funds will run out before October.
Who should act: Block captains, neighborhood association leaders, priority board members, faith communities.
Up to $10,000 for Black- and Brown-Owned Businesses — ARPA Micro-Grants
Call to confirm current availability Miami Valley Urban League · City of Dayton
The City of Dayton committed $7.6 million of its federal ARPA recovery funds specifically to grow Black- and Brown-owned businesses. Micro-grants of up to $10,000 are available for operational emergencies, certification, and business growth. More than 23 Dayton businesses have already received funding.
Call Miami Valley Urban League at (937) 461-6740 to confirm current availability.
Who should act: Minority-owned and women-owned small businesses in the City of Dayton — especially those in trades, food service, retail, and professional services.
JobsOhio Small Business Grant — Up to $50,000 for Expansion
Ongoing quarterly applications
JobsOhio offers grants covering equipment, training, real estate, software, and operating costs up to $50,000 for small businesses with a clear growth plan. Contact the Dayton Development Coalition at daytonregion.com for local guidance.
Who should act: Existing small businesses with revenue looking to expand, hire, or buy equipment — especially minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses.
Jobs & Workforce
Two thousand jobs. That’s what Joby Aviation is bringing to Dayton. The question isn’t whether those jobs are coming — it’s whether our community is positioned to get them.
Joby Aviation’s Second Dayton Facility — 2,000 Jobs Planned
Hiring underway now Vandalia / Dayton International Airport area
Joby Aviation — the electric air taxi company building the future of flight in the birthplace of aviation — has acquired a second Dayton-area facility exceeding 700,000 square feet. They’re planning up to $500 million in investment and 2,000 high-quality manufacturing jobs. Propeller blade production is already running. Current openings include manufacturing planners, production technicians, quality control supervisors, and supply chain roles.
Apply at jobyaviation.com/careers.
Who should act: Machinists, engineers, quality inspectors, supply chain professionals, skilled trades workers. Also: small business owners who can serve Joby as a supplier.
FREE Workforce Certificates at Central State University — Advanced Manufacturing & IT
Space limited to 30 per course — enroll now CSU-Dayton + Wilberforce · Clark, Greene & Montgomery counties
Central State University — our region’s HBCU — received a $3.58 million federal grant to create 30 completely free certificate programs in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, information technology, and data management. These credentials feed directly into the Joby Aviation hiring pipeline and the region’s growing tech and manufacturing economy.
If you live in Clark, Greene, or Montgomery County, this training costs you nothing.
Contact CSU-Dayton: oobayanju@centralstate.edu or (937) 376-6009
Who should act: Anyone who is unemployed, underemployed, or looking to move into manufacturing or tech. This is one of the most powerful free resources available in the region right now.
Dayton Hybrid Career Fair — Engineering, Tech & Defense
June 24, 2026 · 2:00–5:00 PM EDT Register at TalentAlly
A focused career fair for engineering and technology candidates with strong representation from defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Particularly relevant for Wright-Patterson-adjacent workers and STEM graduates from Central State, Wright State, and Sinclair.
Who should act: Engineers, technologists, veterans with tech backgrounds, STEM graduates, defense-sector professionals.
Greene County Defense-Tech Facility — 101 New Jobs
Greene County · Wright-Patt Ecosystem
A new defense technology facility coming to Greene County adds 101 jobs to the already-booming Wright-Patterson Air Force Base corridor — creating new pathways for technically trained workers across the Miami Valley.
Who should act: Veterans, defense-industry workers, STEM students at Central State and Wright State.
Juneteenth 2026 — Celebrate Across Southwestern Ohio
Our freedom is worth celebrating from one end of this region to the other. Here’s where to be:
June 14 — For Dayton, By Dayton (4DBD) · Levitt Pavilion A free community music festival celebrating Dayton’s local talent across genres. Food trucks, family-friendly activities, and the creative energy that makes this city home. 4dbdayton.com
June 19–20 — Troy Juneteenth Celebration · Race & McKaig Park, Troy Troy-Hayner Cultural Center hosts a Friday evening concert followed by Saturday festivities including a community walk, live music, games, and free food for families. The growing presence of Juneteenth celebrations in Miami County tells a story about where our community is going.
June 20 — Springboro Juneteenth Jubilee · Springboro, Warren County Springboro holds a documented place in Underground Railroad history, and this annual celebration honors that legacy. Live music, food trucks, craft vendors, blood drive, Jubilee Dinner, community symposium, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. springborojuneteenth.com
Civic Affairs & Government Action
AdaptDayton: The City Is Rewriting Its Zoning Code — Your Voice Is Needed Now
Public comment closes mid-summer · Workshops throughout June
The City of Dayton is conducting a comprehensive overhaul of its zoning ordinances — and the decisions being made right now will shape our neighborhoods for decades. Where affordable housing gets built. How historic Black corridors like West Third Street are protected or exposed. What development is allowed near our communities.
This is the kind of policy process that happens quietly while people are busy — and then communities wonder later how things changed.
Show up to the June workshops. Submit public comment at the city’s AdaptDayton portal.
Who should act: Everyone — especially West and North Dayton residents, neighborhood leaders, renters, homeowners, and anyone who cares about affordable housing and historic preservation.
Montgomery County Commission — June Public Sessions
June 2, 9, 23, 30 · Work Session 9:30 AM · Public Session 1:30 PM 451 W. Third St., Dayton — 1st Floor Hearing Room
Decisions on infrastructure, health equity, ARPA closeout allocations, and public safety funding are made here — and residents can speak. You have the right to comment. Use it.
Full agendas at mcohio.org.
Get on the City’s Bid List — Minority Contractor Certification Is Free
Ongoing · daytonhrc.org
The City of Dayton sets participation goals of 5% or more for certified Small Business Enterprises (SBE), Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), and Women Business Enterprises (WBE) on all city contracts. If you own a business and you’re not certified, you’re leaving city contracts on the table.
Certification is free through the Dayton Human Relations Council. Visit daytonhrc.org and click “PEP Certification.”
Who should act: Black-owned, women-owned, and small businesses in trades, construction, cleaning, landscaping, logistics, and professional services.
Scholarships & Community Events
Dayton Foundation — 300+ Scholarships, Including Funds Specifically for Black Students
Next application cycle opens December 2026
The Dayton Foundation’s ScholarshipCONNECT platform offers over 300 scholarships — most exclusively for Greater Dayton students. Among the active funds specifically for African-American students:
Waverly Glover Scholarship — business/accounting at CSU or Wilberforce
Golden Thirteen Naval Scholarship
C.J. McLin Jr. Scholarship
Doris H. Wilson Scholarship — Montgomery County seniors
Deloris Winslow Scholarship — social work and political science
This year’s awards are being distributed now. The next application cycle opens December 2026 — mark your calendar and tell every student you know.
African-American Community Fund Annual Fundraising Breakfast
June 17, 2026 · Registration 7:30 AM · Program 8:00 AM Sinclair Community College · Building 12 · Charity E. Earley Auditorium
The African-American Community Fund of the Dayton Foundation is one of the most important Black philanthropic institutions in our region. Its annual breakfast brings together donors, scholarship recipients, nonprofit leaders, and civic voices to celebrate what our community has built — and invest in what’s next.
New 2026 initiatives were announced earlier this year. If you want to be in the room where the giving is being done, register now.
Search “AACF 2026 Breakfast” on Eventbrite to register.
Your June Action List
✅ Call CSU-Dayton TODAY about free manufacturing and IT certificates: oobayanju@centralstate.edu or (937) 376-6009. Space is limited to 30 per course.
✅ Apply for the Dayton Foundation Discretionary Grant before June 29 at 4:00 PM — daytonfoundation.org/grant-opportunities.
✅ Call MVUL at (937) 461-6740 to confirm whether the ARPA micro-grant fund (up to $10K for minority-owned businesses) has current availability.
✅ Register for the AACF Annual Breakfast on June 17 at Sinclair — search “AACF 2026” on Eventbrite.
✅ Visit daytonhrc.org and start your free PEP/MBE certification if you own a business that does contract work.
✅ Look up the AdaptDayton initiative and attend or submit comment at a June workshop
✅ Mark December 2026 on your calendar for Dayton Foundation scholarship applications, and tell every college-bound student you know.
✅ Forward this briefing to someone who needs it — that’s how community works.
Read. Share. Act.
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