Charitable giving through The Dayton Foundation remains strong despite a tough economic climate, officials said.

The Foundation and its donors supported charitable organizations and their causes with more than $41 million in grants and programs during the fiscal year that ended June 30. Since July 1, donations into new and existing funds through the Dayton Foundation are expected to reach $20 million to $22 million. That compares to $22 million during that six-month period last year.

Dayton Foundation President Michael Parks said grants continue to go out to local charities and donations continue to flow in to the community foundation.

"Is it slower? Yes. Is it grinding to a halt? Absolutely not," Parks said.

Across town at the Dayton Power and Light Co. (DP&L) Foundation, executive director Ginny Strausburg has seen the number of charities requesting grants jump one-third over the last 18 months.

"As the economy tightens up more and more, they need help," she said. "People just aren't able to give as much as in the past. They're trying to find new sources of funding."

The DP&L Foundation expects to give a least $1 million in grants this year to civic, cultural and youth organizations, about the same as the $1.2 million it distributed last year.

Meanwhile, The Dayton Foundation added 257 funds during the last fiscal year. And since July, another 72 have been created.

"The giving impulse hasn't changed," Parks said, though he noted people may have to give less, spread their donations around differently or over a longer period of time.

Both foundations' endowed assets have taken a hit from the volatile stock market.

Dayton Foundation assets, which stood at $325 million on June 30, dropped to $292 million by Sept. 30.

Strausburg said the DP&L Foundation has roughly a $30 million asset base but declined to say how much has been lost in the stock market.

"Like everybody else we certainly felt the effects of that," she said. "We're hopeful all that will level out in the next year or so."