John Domaschko On Using Your Talents for Good
John Domaschko is a beloved member of the community, Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) governing board member, retired CPA, and so much more. John attended the University of Cincinnati and obtained degrees in economics and accounting. After returning to Cincinnati from Germany where John was stationed in the army, he established an accounting practice. In the 1990s John sold his accounting practice so that he could spend more time with his children while they transitioned into their teenage years. It was during this sabbatical that John found one of his passions – service. John’s financial savvy was put to work in service of many different nonprofit boards and committees. “I realized after three years that I was having the time of my life,” shared John.
John went wherever he was needed. His motivation for service was not driven by a specific interest area but by the satisfaction of working alongside others. “My overriding passion is working with really talented, committed people toward a worthwhile mission,” said John. “Most of the boards I’ve been on – I didn’t know much about the organization, but I would fall in love with the mission the more I learned.”
At GCF, we are honored to have John’s talent on our governing board. It’s an organization that John joined for the mission as much as the talent on the team. “There were a lot of instances that showed me what a treasure GCF is in the community and how important the work is,” he shared.
John was drawn to GCF’s work because he saw in the Foundation a value that he also holds dear in his own work. “I come from a world of being a trusted advisor,” said John.
“We live in a really complicated world, and we could all benefit by having GCF guide us in making the most of our limited philanthropic dollars. You might see a need in the community, but there are 10 different organizations in the community addressing those needs. Having a partner like GCF helps you find the most effective organizations and maximize your philanthropic dollars. Anyone can get you a tax deduction, that’s the easy part. It’s also the lowest level of return on your investment. We need a social return too.”
In 2003, John’s passion for creating social returns combined with another one of his passions, music. John teamed up with a friend, Greg Shumate and others to play at a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. After having such a great night, the group believed it would be a fantastic idea to raise funds for other nonprofits by organizing additional shows with individuals from the business community who were enthusiastic about performing music. John floated the idea with several nonprofits. It wasn’t until he had a chance conversation with the executive director of The Carnegie that he found an organization that was all in. “The executive director calls me the very next day and says, ‘We’ve got to do this!’ And he then starts talking about how.” From that conversation, Suits That Rock was born.
The founders, Paul Bromwell, Kevin Canafax, Greg Shumate and John Domaschko gathered their friends and colleagues and put on a show raising thousands of dollars for The Carnegie’s education programs. “When you see the chair of a board, or your boss shredding Led Zeppelin, it’s priceless,” laughed John.
Since that first show, Suits That Rock has continued to grow, raising almost $2 million. These funds support over 92,000 hours of arts programming annually in theater, visual arts, music, dance and more for students who may not otherwise have access to the arts.
When asked why he gives so much back to the community, John said, “Every mission I’ve been involved in, I didn’t have the skills to advance it myself. For instance, I’m not a doctor, but I can use my financial experience to advance an organization’s mission to increase access to healthcare. I can use my skills and you can use the skills that you have to help.” Plus, he adds, “I get so much more out of it than I put in. It feels good to help. I get the satisfaction of seeing good work done.”
