Search Through Cycling Grants in Indiana in the U.S.

Mission:

To offer philanthropic grant making and estate planning with the professional and financial expertise needed to engage, affect, and inspire charitable giving for the community of Crawford County, Indiana.

Vision:

To engage residents and friends of Crawford County as ongoing donors for the common good; to be a catalyst in advancing philanthropy and charitable giving; and developing civic pride and citizen leadership; in an effort to be collaborative and responsive to community needs in Crawford County, now and forever.

To date, CFCC has awarded more than $8 million in grants for programs/projects supporting Crawford County.

Core Values:

• Accountability
• Excellence
• Fairness & Inclusiveness
• Innovative
• Integrity
• Responsive to Community Needs
• Serving the Common Good

Community Foundation Offers Seed Grants for “See You in Terre Haute” Community Plan

The Community Foundation is now offering Seed Grants to further fulfill the objectives of the Terre Haute Community Plan, “See You in Terre Haute”. Seed grants assist projects in their preliminary stages, helping cover the groundwork costs necessary for larger projects. These grants will help expand programs that are developed to encourage population growth and/or increase per capita personal income. The Community Foundation is able to provide opportunities and funding for various entities in the community through this “See You in Terre Haute” Community Plan.

The grant opportunities mirror the integral aspects outlined in the Community Plan. The categories include economic development, health & wellness, infrastructure, quality of life, talent attraction & retention and tourism.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for up to $10,000 from the Community Foundation. 50% of the grant funds will be distributed at the beginning of the grant cycles with the balance distributed upon confirmation of the matching funds. It is the intention of the Community Foundation to fund 10 Seed Grants within the next 18 months.

Decisions will be made within six weeks of the submission.

The Community Foundation is excited to partner with the city of Terre Haute and Vigo County to assist in the fulfillment of the “See You in Terre Haute” Community Plan. The Seed Grants provided through this plan will help the community flourish through engagement and integrity, further upholding the Community Foundation’s mission of engaging people, building resources and enriching lives.

Our Mission

Building partnerships between donors and community to enrich and enhance the quality of life in Adams County.

Purpose

The ACCF's purpose is to contribute to improving the quality of life in Adams County for this generation and generations to come. To do this, the ACCF funds projects through grant application cycles to nonprofit organizations that benefit our community. 

Project Types

In all cases, grant requests must benefit Adams County, IN residents. To include but not limited to projects associated with these leadership projects.

• Arts and Culture
• Human Services
• Economic Development
• Education
• Community Improvement

Collaborative Grants

• Two or more nonprofit organizations come together for a common event/program
  • One organization takes lead to be responsible for grant paperwork
• Amount requested typically ranges from $400 - $5,000

Our Mission

Building partnerships between donors and community to enrich and enhance the quality of life in Adams County.

Purpose

The ACCF’s purpose is to contribute to improving the quality of life in Adams County for this generation and generations to come. To do this, the ACCF funds projects through grant application cycles to nonprofit organizations that benefit our community.

Project Types

To include but not limited to projects associated with these leadership projects.

• Arts and Culture
• Human Services
• Economic Development
• Education
• Community Improvement

Traditional Grants

• Submitted by one nonprofit organization
• Amount requested typically ranges from $200 - $5,000

Mission

The primary mission of the foundation is to support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities and to support charitable organizations that were supported by Mr. Clowes during his life or are similar to those supported by Mr. Clowes.

History

Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc., a private foundation, was established by Allen W. Clowes, a leading philanthropist in Indianapolis, Indiana, who during his life made major contributions to various charitable organizations that promoted or preserved the fine arts, music, literature, education, science and history. Most of these organizations are located in Central Indiana.

Operation Grant Cycle

Our Operations Grants support eligible arts and humanities organizations in fulfilling their core mission on an ongoing basis. These grants are generally designed for smaller organizations and smaller dollar amounts, with awards typically ranging from $1,000 to $75,000. Organizations may apply annually for general operating support.

First-time applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) before receiving approval to proceed with a full proposal. A LOI is mandatory for all organizations that have not received previous operating grants. Operating LOIs are available through the grant portal two months prior to the LOI due date.

Successful proposals demonstrate sustained impact through effective mission execution, strong leadership, collaborative partnerships, resource development, and measurable outcomes. An AWCCF grant is intended to complement other sources of funding and should represent only a portion of an organization’s overall financial support, alongside earned and donated income.

Mission Statement

K21 Health Foundation exists for the benefit of Kosciusko County citizens to ensure health care services are provided, and to advance prevention and healthy living. This will be accomplished by identifying health needs in our community, and maintaining an endowment so funding is available, through investments and grants, for those needs.

To qualify for a grant from K21, your request must meet the following requirements:

• The project, program, or service for which you are seeking funding must benefit the residents of Kosciusko County.
• The impact must address health and wellness issues for our community. The priorities for funding consideration focus on areas identified in the mission statement:
  • Direct health services.
  • Health prevention services.
  • Healthy living opportunities.

Our Mission

To fulfill the wishes of Paul Ogle to give back to the community by strategically funding nonprofit organizations, activities and projects that directly improve the lives of the citizens in Southern Indiana.

Our Vision

There are four key areas of interest in grant funding that must be addressed in order to successfully accomplish the Mission:

• Economic: Promote the overall economic prosperity of Southern Indiana by investing in key infrastructural components like commerce, public works, and education along with other special projects that encourage community growth and can be sustained;
• Human Needs: Strengthen the physical and mental well-being of the citizens while assisting those in the greatest of need;
• Regionalism: Foster regional awareness and promote activities that accentuate cross-regional cooperation between the people, organizations and nonprofit entities;
• Preservation: Stress the importance of preserving the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of our community for future generations as long as such projects are manageable and financially sustainable.

Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Four Common Decision Criteria for Successful Grant Requests

Over the years, we have observed some common decision criteria within many of the grants made by the Ogle Foundation. The following items are probably Ogle’s top characteristics that we have found in a successful grant request and of the organizations that apply for them:

• Fit & Focus – The very first thing that the Ogle Foundation looks at is the type of an organization applying, the purpose of the grant request and how its mission fits within our own mission, vision and core strategic values as set by our donor. Organizations must fit within Ogle’s Grantmaking Guidelines as an organization foremost as well as show how our funds are to be specifically used if given a grant. It must have a focus or impact upon Southern Indiana in some way or at least upon a minimum percentage of its overall clients from there. The Foundation’s Board does alter its priorities and direction from time to time as needs in the community change or if an opportunity to promote a specific issue takes precedent over others in their opinion. That’s why we always require an organization to call or email us first before going through a lot of effort in putting a proposal together, particularly if they are having a hard time decerning this crucial criteria and where you fit within it.
• Sound Financials – Organizations that clearly demonstrate they are good stewards of the funds they raise and spend are always the next key decision factor to the Foundation. We expect that a nonprofit’s request are not creating undue burdens or putting them at risk financially overall, to the point that a grant is the difference between keeping the doors open or not. The Ogle Foundation utilizes Guidestar.com to review an organization’s annual IRS 990 tax filings for overall health as well as request budgets and/or expense-revenue breakdowns for the specific programs or projects that are seeking grants. If your organization is currently in a state of severe financial distress, it is probably best to not apply for a grant as this is a key indicator to us on your ability to successfully implement your grant’s vision and still keep the lights on for years to come, serving your clients and end-users.
• Executive Leadership – We view an organization’s top personnel as very important to the success of its mission and their ability to do what they say they are doing. Executive Directors, Presidents or CEO’s along with their leadership teams should be professional in their works, show expertise in the areas in which their nonprofit operates and a clear vision on how to improve themselves and the community they serve. While longevity in a position(s) is not always indicative of success, it is always good to see a track record from these individuals or their teams, as this gives us a level of confidence in their ability to execute the plans for which they seek our funds.
• Board Oversight – Lastly, Ogle’s Board takes a close look at an organization’s board of directors because we believe that nonprofits need to must have the proper organizational structure and oversight in which survive long-term. A board needs to have the right mix of people with key professional backgrounds and/or expertise in which to help guide the strategic direction of the nonprofit. Professional backgrounds can consist of expertise in professional fields like legal, health, accounting or marketing to name a few along with possessing a strong common interest in the areas in which the nonprofit operates. Also, if you are a Kentucky 501c3, how many of your board reside in Southern Indiana, an area that makes up at least 20% of the Louisville MSA? Ogle believes that the best nonprofits are those that reflect the community in which is serves, with active and engaged boards, ones that have a strong working relationship in its supervisory role with the organizational leadership versus none whatsoever.

While we are sure your organization or cause is worthy of funding, the question for you is “How does it compare in light of what you’ve just read above?”   

Program Area: Democracy

"Building a more equitable democracy by striving for participation and representation by all people who call the Great Lakes home."

Our democracy has faced numerous threats in recent years, from voter suppression and gerrymandering to targeted disinformation and related efforts to undermine public confidence in elections and government. Election administration is inconsistently funded, and voter experiences vary widely from zip code to zip code. In addition, a long-overdue national reckoning with systemic racism compels us to examine the ways in which government processes exclude rather than include all residents.

The results of these and many other such actions are unequal and unfair representation, disenfranchisement predominantly of communities of color and young voters, reduced voter participation in local or mid-term elections, increasingly toxic levels of partisanship, and crippling mistrust of government. Through a combination of research, policy development, litigation and public engagement efforts, the Joyce Foundation will invest in policy change to protect and expand voting rights, fair representation, and ensuring census data accurately reflects all of our communities.

Strategy

Voting Rights & Elections

Protecting voting rights and well-run elections are the very heart of a functioning democracy. Elections should be free, fair, accessible, and trusted. Yet, far too often, our elections fall short of that aspiration.

Policies related to the ease or difficulty of registering to vote and accessible options for casting a ballot impact turnout. Voters’ experiences vary widely by zip code—some communities face polling place closures and long lines, while others have new top-of-the-line technology and an abundance of voting options. Voter suppression and disinformation efforts erode trust that elections are fair and accurate. This focus area seeks to increase participation in our democracy by all voters - especially voters of color and young voters.

Census Data Accuracy

The 2020 decennial census experienced multiple complex problems that impacted census operations and, ultimately, appear to have impacted the quality of census data. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Census Bureau operations and timeline, displacement or limited access to certain populations, cancellation of quality control tests, reports of inadequate staffing, first-time use of online and phone response options, and controversial executive policy decisions resulting in litigation all disrupted a process that is typically planned and tested down to the smallest detail.

Following 2020, census experts will need to conduct a data quality assessment to determine how flawed the final census data is and where it is flawed, law and policy experts will need to determine possible options for remedial action, and the field will need to learn from this experience to avoid (or at least better plan for) such problems in the future.

Fair Representation

A true representative democracy will not be realized until the rules and structures for determining representation are reconfigured to redistribute power to the entire electorate, so that communities choose who represents them. As such, the Foundation invests in redistricting reform to remedy the severe gerrymandering prevalent in Great Lakes states and to identify solutions to other laws that undermine voters’ ability to determine who represents them.

About

Through its grantmaking and other policy-focused efforts, the Foundation seeks to:

• Racial Equity: Incorporate the voices of, and achieve more equitable outcomes for, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities in the Great Lakes region.
• Economic Mobility: Improve the ability of individuals in the Great Lakes region to move up the economic ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next.
• Next Generation: Incorporate the voices of, and improve outcomes for, the next generation of Great Lakes residents, defined as young people born after 2000.

Education & Economic Mobility Grants

The mission of the Education & Economic Mobility Program is to close income and race disparities in college and career success through equitable access to high-quality education. We invest in local, state and federal policies that aim to ensure historically underserved young people 1) have effective educators; 2) graduate high school with academic and career momentum; and 3) attain affordable college credentials with economic value. In the short term, we will invest in research, policy development, and advocacy to help young people recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective Educators

Evidence is clear that teachers and principals are the main in-school driver of student success. Yet, young people of color and those from underserved communities often have inexperienced, unqualified, or ineffective educators. To ensure historically marginalized students have top-notch and diverse educators, the Foundation invests in research, policy development, advocacy, and technical assistance to: 1) use data to better align educator supply and demand; 2) diversify the educator pipeline; 3) build strong pathways from high school into teaching; and 4) spread innovative school staffing models that attract educators, boost retention, and improve student outcomes. Our investments focus on Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and national efforts.

College and Career Readiness

There is overwhelming evidence that a college degree significantly improves life outcomes. Yet not enough high school students—especially young people of color and those from underserved communities—are prepared to succeed in post-secondary. To help students get on the right path, the Foundation supports federal and state policies to: 1) align K-12, higher education, and workforce systems; 2) increase access and success in rigorous courses; and 3) increase access to high-quality work-based learning activities connected to careers with family-sustaining wages.

Post-Secondary Success

A post-secondary degree remains the surest path to social and economic mobility. Yet colleges fail to enroll and graduate students of color and students from low-income households at the same rate as White and wealthier students. This contributes to racial and socioeconomic disparities in education and career outcomes. To address these disparities, the Joyce Foundation supports federal and state policies that: 1) scale proven student support models to improve community college outcomes; 2) preserve access for students of color and rural students to affordable, high- quality public college options and labor markets that require college degrees; 3) seek racial and family income representativeness at selective public universities; and 4) narrow gaps in post-graduate financial outcomes for students of color and low-income students.

Program Area: Environment

For more than two decades, the Joyce Foundation has been a leading foundation funder of policy work related to the Great Lakes. We are working to address three of the region’s critical long-term environmental challenges: climate change, the safety and accessibility of the water we drink and the health of the Great Lakes.

Climate change is the largest intergenerational environmental threat in our region. Great Lakes states are at a pivotal moment to dramatically reduce the emissions that drive climate change, while also creating economic opportunity and improving people’s health. Moreover, this region emits nearly 20 percent of all US climate pollution, so gains here are essential to national progress.

More than 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, and protecting the Lakes is central to the region’s environmental health, economic vitality, and very identity. In our region, climate change is causing more intense storms and increasing the variability of Great Lakes’ water levels. These patterns increase polluted runoff and stress aging water systems. While all communities face water challenges, the most severe impacts fall on people from communities that have lacked investment because of structural racism or other barriers.

To respond to these challenges, Joyce will support efforts to put Great Lakes states on a path to achieve just, equitable, carbon-free electric power systems by 2040. We will also seek to ensure all people in the Great Lakes region have clean water from lake to tap by supporting policy to address threats, improve infrastructure, and remedy water disparities in communities of color. In all our grants, we will prioritize projects that are guided by the perspectives of people impacted by the environmental issues being addressed.

The program has two focus areas: Climate Solutions and Great Lakes & Drinking Water.

Climate Solutions

Shifting to non-carbon sources of electric power is essential to eliminating global warming pollution – both directly by reducing the burning of fossil fuels in power plants, and indirectly as the transportation, industrial, building heating, and other sectors switch to electricity. There is positive technological, economic, and—in some Great Lakes states—policy momentum behind transitioning to carbon-free electric power. Yet, no states in our region are more than about halfway to achieving complete electric sector decarbonization, and some still get 80 or 90 percent of their electricity from fossil fuels. Joyce will support work on clean energy policy in Great Lakes states to secure long-term commitments to 100 percent carbon-free electricity.

Goal: To put Great Lakes states on a path to achieve just, equitable, carbon-free electric power systems by 2040.

• Secure long-term commitments to transition to carbon-free electricity, including states establishing 100 percent carbon-free electricity goals and strategies, and states, utilities and their stakeholders embracing racial equity and energy justice as core elements of decarbonization plans
• Achieve full implementation of near-term state energy efficiency and renewable energy policies, with strategies tailored to fit the unique needs and opportunities in each state— focusing mostly on Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota, with smaller investments in Ohio and Wisconsin
• Support policy innovation to achieve complete, equitable decarbonization, closing the gap between the cumulative reductions that can be driven by the current generation of clean energy policies and 100 percent decarbonization

Great Lakes & Drinking Water

One of every five gallons of fresh water on the surface of the planet is found in the Great Lakes, which provide clean, abundant drinking water for 40 million people in our region. Yet the future health of the lakes is far from assured, given major threats to their physical, chemical, and biological integrity. Public and private decisions made in the next decade will likely determine whether the Great Lakes will be healthy enough to provide for the next generation as they have provided for us.

Protecting the health of our region depends on protecting the health of the Great Lakes and the water systems that serve our communities. The Great Lakes and Drinking Water focus area will accelerate actions to protect the region’s freshwater, upgrade our water infrastructure, and improve access to safe, affordable drinking water. We will pursue two initiatives, with most efforts focused in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Goal: To ensure all people in the Great Lakes region have clean water from lake to tap by supporting policy to address threats, improve infrastructure, and remedy water disparities in communities of color.

To help ensure that the Great Lakes remain healthy enough to provide for the next generation as they have provided for us, we will address major threats to their physical, chemical, and biological integrity, with a focus on efforts to:

• Improve water infrastructure performance, management, and funding, with a focus on remedying water system disparities in communities of color
• Prevent unsustainable diversions from the Great Lakes by enforcing the Great Lakes Compact
• Prevent groundwater depletion (proposals currently by invitation only)
• Reduce the risk of oil spills from oil transport by continuing to support closure of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline
• Reduce polluted runoff in rural and urban areas
• Prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species

To help make certain that the next generation in our region has access to safe, affordable drinking water, Joyce will support equitable water policy that ensures that water systems and infrastructure provide safe, affordable water services for everyone. We will focus on efforts to develop and support utility, municipal, state, and federal policies that:

• Reduce the risk of lead exposure in drinking water
• Ensure high quality, affordable water services

What is the Mission of the Joyce Foundation?

The Joyce Foundation invests in policies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Journalism Grants

The brief description below explains our approaches to supporting journalism and the types of projects we seek to fund as part of our current strategy.

Our Approach

The Joyce Foundation’s Journalism program invests in independent, nonpartisan reporting to help illuminate what Joyce identifies as the most important issues shaping the future of the Great Lakes region, and to inform fact-based policies and other measures needed to solve them. A strong and inclusive news and information system is a pillar of our democracy, smart decision-making, accountability for our leadership, and cohesion in our communities. We define the Great Lakes region as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Overview

The Community Foundation Alliance was incorporated in March 1991 after Lilly Endowment announced its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) Initiative in the summer of 1990. From the beginning, the Alliance was designed to be a regional structure serving counties throughout southwestern Indiana.

Alliance organizers believed that the regional structure would allow centralized, cost-effective administration and governance of the organization. Alliance leadership also believed that the best organization would serve willing partners. Rather than creating a separate charitable non-profit corporation, a county could choose to join the Alliance by becoming an affiliate, through the creation of a named Foundation fund to serve its community.

The Alliance Board of Directors is the legal entity responsible for all aspects of Alliance oversight and operation: governance, policymaking, legal requirements, financial stewardship, and strategic plans for the Alliance as a whole.

Each county affiliate is guided by local volunteers focused on impactful grantmaking, asset development, and community leadership.

Today, the Community Foundation Alliance holds more than 1,200 named funds established by individuals, families, businesses, civic groups, and agencies to improve the quality of life in their local communities, with charitable assets over $148 million.

Warrick Community Good Grants Program

Community Good grants provide funding to charitable organizations for new or ongoing programs and projects that meet a broad range of local needs. Funding requests are accepted once each year according to our grant cycle. Funding requirements may change from year to year. Grantseekers are advised to revisit this page prior to beginning the grant application process. Grants are made possible by Community Good Unrestricted Funds and Field of Interest Funds which support a wide variety of needs in Warrick County.

Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana Grant

About Us

• Our Purpose: Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana cultivates healthy communities for all, especially those who are vulnerable, through impact-driven philanthropy.
• Our Vision: Thriving communities where all people live healthier and more enriched lives.
  • We partner with nonprofits in Jefferson, Shelby, Bullitt, Nelson, and Hardin counties in Kentucky and Clark County in Southern Indiana to shape a more thriving future.
• Our Mission: To make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.
  • We offer two grant cycles a year and engage in deeply relational philanthropy, making multiple in-person visits and developing personal relationships with the nonprofits we fund.
  • We believe it takes more than grant money to make the kind of positive changes in our communities that will last.

Funding

We primarily make grants in the range of $25,000 to $500,000. The majority of our grants are above $50,000.

Transform Lake County

Donors support Transform Lake County grants through gifts to the Lake County Community Fund (LCCF). Transform Lake County Grants are intended to strengthen and empower nonprofits, neighborhoods and residents in Lake County.

Programmatic Funding Requests

For programmatic grantmaking during Legacy Foundation’s Transform Lake County grant cycles, grant requests will be considered which fall into the following general categories:

• Basic Needs: Education, Food Access, Housing, Mental and Physical Health, Transportation
• Economic Mobility: Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Workforce Development
• Community Enrichment: Animal Welfare, Art, Culture, Placemaking
• Safety and Inclusive Justice: Disability Service/Advocacy, Criminal Justice, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Public Safety

Our Mission

Women’s Fund of Central Indiana mobilizes people, ideas and investments so every woman and girl in our community has an equitable opportunity to reach her full potential – no matter her place, race or identity.

Application Parameters

Women’s Fund is particularly interested in funding programming in the following areas:

• Breaking negative cycles (e.g., intimate partner violence and poverty) and supporting economic stability and upward mobility, including career development and workforce issues.
• Health for women and girls, with specific emphasis on reproductive health, infant and maternal mortality and mental health.
• Girls’ programming that is asset-based and has a demonstrated impact.
• Small, grassroots organizations with revenues less than $250,000 that are led by and serve women and girls of color.

Women’s Fund believes spirituality is an important component in a woman or girl’s self-development and we recognize that organized religion provides the traction and grounding for spiritual development.  However, Women’s Fund is committed to remaining neutral regarding the choices women and girls make about religious expression, as our donors celebrate many different religions or no religion at all.

Therefore, it is our policy not to fund programs that include prayer, the promotion of religion, religious preferences, objectives, education, and/or training.  If your organization’s mission statement is religious in nature, you must describe the role that mission and presence has in the grant activities for which you are seeking Women’s Fund support.  

Mission

The primary mission of the foundation is to support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities and those that were supported by Mr. Clowes during his life or are similar to those supported by Mr. Clowes.

Grant Guidelines

The Foundation will support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities. Priority will be given primarily to those organizations located in Central Indiana. The Board has discretion to make decisions regarding any proposal on a case-by-case basis.

Capital & Special Project Grants

The Capital Cycle is for one-time, specific undertakings and projects. The dollar amounts for this cycle can range from $1,000 to $1,000,000. Examples of grants in this cycle would include renovations, new construction, capacity building, a special exhibit, or a unique program offering. 

About GIG Fund

The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000-4,000 that supports creative projects and educational events in the Midwest. These funds help organizations present artists in their community by supporting programming and touring costs.

The GIG Fund provides flexible grants for nonprofit organizations to support programs and activities featuring professional artists. GIG Fund grants help cover fees for touring or local artists. Funds may also be used for project costs such as accessibility accommodations and marketing. We work with a panel to help us review applications and distribute grants annually.

GIG Fund

Flexible support to help arts and culture organizations grow their capacity, fund artist engagements, and build community.

What is the GIG Fund?

The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000-4,000 that supports creative projects and educational events in the Midwest. These funds help organizations present artists in their community by supporting programming and touring costs. The GIG Fund is a grant that supports Midwestern organizations that want to contract with a professional artist to offer activities to their community. 

Matching requirement

Organizations will be required to demonstrate matching funds on a 1:1 basis for the grant amount.

To demonstrate the match, your expenses should each be at least double your GIG Fund grant. Potential sources for the match include salaries and wages, in-kind contributions, volunteer hours, earned and contributed revenue (donations, ticket sales, other non-Federal grants), or cash from the applicant or partner organizations.

Beacon Foundation

The Beacon Credit Union Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation and the philanthropic arm of Beacon Credit Union and is funded entirely by the credit union. The foundation is a separate, independent legal entity, incorporated in Indiana and operated by a Board of Directors comprised of Beacon Credit Union employees and directors.

The foundation’s mission is to make contribution investments in local, charitable organizations, with a focus on improving the lives of our members, friends and neighbors in the communities we serve.

Minimum amount for grant submission: $2,500.00

Our Vision

The Heart of Cook will be a leader in furthering education, supporting human services, and protecting the environment through a continued commitment to local communities in the AEP service area (Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana (La Porte, St. Joseph, and Elkhart Counties)).

Guidelines & Funding Emphasis

Our three primary funding areas are:

• Furthering Education
• Supporting Human Services
• Preserving and Protecting the Environment

We take special pride in supporting organizations and projects in which our employees participate or take a leadership role. The partnership of corporate contributions and employee initiatives typically results in improved outcomes. 

Furthering education

To promote economic development and provide for a well-trained and available work force in the area, we will provide grants to programs that build work skills and to educational organizations and projects that supplement professional development for educators and volunteers. Projects that specifically target science and mathematical disciplines, as well as development in impoverished communities are given priority.

Human services

Strong families are the building blocks for successful communities and businesses. We will provide grants to programs and organizations that nurture children and youth, help foster independence for those in need, ensure safety and support of older individuals, and teach parenting skills.

Protecting the environment

As an energy provider located in a particularly beautiful and unique ecosystem, we recognize the importance of protecting, restoring and enhancing our natural surroundings. We provide grants to organizations and projects supporting these types of environmental activities. 

Overview

The Community Foundation Alliance (Alliance) was incorporated in March 1991 after Lilly Endowment announced its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) Initiative in the summer of 1990. From the beginning, the Alliance was designed to be a regional structure serving counties throughout southwestern Indiana.

Alliance organizers believed that the regional structure would allow centralized, cost-effective administration and governance of the organization. Alliance leadership also believed that the best organization would serve willing partners. Rather than creating a separate charitable non-profit corporation, a county could choose to join the Alliance by becoming an affiliate, through the creation of a named Foundation fund to serve its community.

Under the Alliance by-laws, each county affiliate is, therefore, a “county services committee,” but is known locally as the “[Name of County] Community Foundation.”

The Alliance Board of Directors is the legal entity responsible for all aspects of Alliance oversight and operation: governance, policymaking, legal requirements, financial stewardship, and strategic plans for the Alliance as a whole.

Each affiliate has a volunteer County Advisory Board whose role and efforts are focused on asset development, learning about the community’s charitable needs and nonprofits working to meet them, and awarding grants and scholarships. The first 2 counties to organize their own County Advisory Boards were Posey and Vanderburgh, both of which held their first meetings in June 1992. In the next year, the Daviess, Perry, and Gibson County Community Foundations were formed. Spencer and Knox counties formed Foundations in 1996, followed by Warrick and Pike in 1998.

All recommendations made by the County Advisory Boards must be presented to the Alliance Board for final approval. At least one County Advisory Board member from each affiliate serves as a county representative on the Alliance Board of Directors.

Today, the Community Foundation Alliance holds more than 1,200 named funds established by individuals, families, businesses, civic groups, and agencies to improve the quality of life in their local communities, with charitable assets over $100 million. During fiscal year 2019, grants and scholarships awarded from all Alliance funds to benefit the programs, projects, and people in the nine affiliate counties totaled $3,323,968.

Community Good Grants Program

The Spencer County Community Foundation’s Community Good Grants Program supports a variety of charitable purposes in Spencer County. This grant program is open year-round and will accept funding requests at any time.

Distributing charitable funds is a vital part of our mission. Through the charitable funds established by our donors, the Foundation awards grants to charitable organizations throughout Spencer County.  

Established in 1996, the Spencer County Community Foundation is one of nearly 700 community foundations in the United States today.  We serve Spencer County, offering people a variety of ways to achieve their goals for this community through charitable giving.

Program Areas Considered For Funding:

• Arts and Culture
• Community Development
• Education
• Health
• Human Services
• Other Civic Endeavors (Environment, Recreation, and Youth Development)

Funding:

The grant cycle is open year-round and encompasses four different request levels:

• Level 1 – Requests of $500 or less
• Level 2 – Requests of $501 – $2,500
• Level 3 – Requests of $2,501 – $9,999
• Level 4 – Requests of $10,000 or more (Please contact the Community Foundation before beginning your application.)

The grants committee will make its recommendations on funding to the board of directors of the Community Foundation Alliance.

Responding to the Needs of Jefferson County

There are two sides to philanthropy: generous donors who care about their communities and the organizations and people they are trying to help.

The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and Grants Committee oversee all grant-making activity to ensure the funds entrusted to us are fulfilling the donor’s wishes and being used for the betterment of the community.

Funding the Future

Since 1991, the Community Foundation has been able to make a significant impact on programs and projects in Jefferson County, Indiana. Thanks to the generosity of donors, grants of all sizes have benefitted a variety of causes including animal welfare, health & safety, education, youth development, veterans services, basic living needs, historic preservation, and senior citizen welfare, just to name a few.

Competitive Cycle

These grants utilize the Foundation’s Flexible Community Funds and Field of Interest Funds. 

About Us

Established in 1992, the Posey County Community Foundation is one of over 800 community foundations in the United States today. The Community Foundation is a charitable resource devoted to our local community. We help people make meaningful gifts that improve life in Posey County, Indiana today and for generations to come.

We are part of the Community Foundation Alliance (The Alliance), a network of nine community foundations serving counties in southwestern Indiana. The Alliance, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, provides management and administrative expertise to county-wide community foundations, empowering each to promote philanthropy, build endowments, and improve well-being in our local community. The Alliance Board of Directors is the governing body and is comprised of up to two representatives from each county affiliate. All are civic-minded volunteers who live or work in the counties they serve.

The Posey County Community Foundation is guided by a County Advisory Board comprised of local leaders promoting philanthropy, building endowments, identifying community needs, and improving the well-being of our community. Grantmaking and scholarship recommendations are made by committees comprised of Posey County advisory board members and other local representatives.

Community Good Grants Program

Funding requests are accepted once each year according to our grant cycle. Funding requirements may change from year to year. Grantseekers are advised to revisit this page prior to beginning the grant application process. Grants are normally given as one-time support of a project but may be considered for additional support, or for expansions or outgrowths of an initial project. Grants are made possible by Community Good Unrestricted Funds and Field of Interest Funds which support a wide variety of needs in Posey County.

Program Areas Considered For Funding:

Arts and Culture -

• Activities that strengthen the stability of arts organizations, make the arts accessible to low-income populations, enhance the understanding of all types of arts and humanities, and promote the appreciation or understanding of historical events.

Community Development -

• Activities that foster civil rights, our society, advocacy, community improvement, capacity building, philanthropy, volunteerism, grantmaking, strong neighborhoods; that improve the effectiveness of government, public administration and public officials; that assess community needs; and that support the programs of leadership organizations.

Education -

• Activities that improve the educational attainment of children and adults, both in and out of the classroom; that support formally constituted educational institutions and organizations or entities that administer or support these institutions; that support libraries and organizations whose primary purpose is to provide opportunities for supplementing and continuing education outside the framework of formal education institutions; and that support organizations which provide education-related services to students and schools.

Health -

• Activities that improve and promote health outcomes; general and rehabilitative health services; mental health; crisis intervention; associations or services associated with specific diseases, disorders, and medical disciplines; and medical research.

Human Services -

• Activities that maximize the functioning of special needs populations in mainstream society; that protect the public (crime and delinquency prevention, legal administration, legal services); that promote and support employment and jobs, food and nutrition, agriculture, housing and shelter, public safety, and disaster preparedness and relief; and that support child daycare programs, the United Way, YMCA, YWCA, firefighting activities, and programs of community centers.

Other Civic Endeavors - 

• Environment -
  • Activities that foster pollution control and abatement, protection and conservation of natural resources, botanic and horticulture, environmental beautification, preservation of open spaces, environmental education and outdoor survival, protection and welfare of animals, humane societies, wildlife preservation and protection, veterinary services, zoos and aquariums, and specialty animal services.
• Recreation - 
  • Improving and promoting recreational and leisure activities, parks, and community sporting events and activities.
• Youth Development -
  • Activities that strengthen the family unit, help children grow and develop, foster youth sports and athletics, that support the Future Farmers of America or other youth development programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and scouting.

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s mission is to connect generous people with trusted nonprofits to create a vibrant tri-state region where every person has a fair opportunity to thrive.

As the region's leading community foundation, it’s our role to act as a partner, funder, and connector – creating trusted relationships with generous people, nonprofits and community stakeholders to improve quality of life across the region. Since 1963, we have been inspired by your passion and generosity – it fuels our work. Together, we’re making investments in arts and culture, education, housing affordability, health care, job creation, environmental sustainability, human services and more.

Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy 

Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) invites your organization to partner with us to create a Greater Cincinnati where every person has a fair opportunity to thrive.

Our grantmaking in Community & Cultural Vibrancy focuses on two key areas: promoting healthy people and cultivating vibrant places. We believe that a strong community is built through equitable access to resources, arts & culture, and spaces that connect and uplift residents. For the 2025 Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy RFP cycle, GCF has approximately $500,000 available and grants will be awarded for up to $25,000.  Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy RFP funding will be made available annually. However, organizations that are awarded funding are not eligible to apply the following year.

Funding Focus 

All residents should have access to the resources they need to live full, stable and healthy lives. GCF will invest in safe public spaces, accessible parks, arts and culture and resident–led programs to strengthen individual and community well-being. To drive this impact, we invest in:

• Strengthening community spaces and cultural institutions that bring people together.
• Creating and fostering safe neighborhoods through sustained community engagement.

Use of Funds

Funding may be used to support, expand, or strengthen existing programs, enact capital improvements, launch a new program or build organizational capacity. Collaboration between well-aligned organizations is highly favored.

Gilmore Inclusive Arts Grant

This grant supports special projects focused on including and engaging individuals with disabilities in the local arts communities of Northeast Indiana.

Focus

Special projects focused on including and engaging individuals with disabilities in the local arts communities of Northeast Indiana.

Frequency

Annually. Application opens the first Friday of May and closes the last Friday of September each year. Announcement of recipient will go along with our Fall grantmaking cycle in mid-November.

Amount

Up to $25,000

About

Investing in Southeastern Illinois for good, and forever.

Across America, more than 700 community foundations help individuals, families and organizations make permanent charitable investments in their communities. Each works to create vibrant communities within their specific geographic area. Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is proud to be in their company.

Mission

Cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.

In support of our mission, Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is committed to bringing the full capabilities of an independent community foundation to smaller communities in our region by working with local volunteers and donors to improve their hometowns.

Fall Grant Cycle: Siemer Milling Company Fund for Youth Leadership Development

Siemer Milling Company is a family and employee-owned company with mills located in Hopkinsville, KY, W. Harrison, IN, and Teutopolis, IL. The organization has realized success to date because of the commitment of many fine people and their sincere desire to do a good job and deliver a worthwhile product. As the company grows, it will always emphasize attentiveness to the legitimate needs of its employees, customers, and the communities of which they are a part.

The Siemer Milling Company Fund established in 2006 provides a permanent source of funding to programs in Effingham County, Illinois and Christian County, Kentucky, and Dearborn County, Indiana that support the development of young leaders.

Why is Youth Leadership Development important?

For youth to be prepared to work in partnership with adults, they need to develop and enhance their leadership skills. Leadership training prepares youth to manage time, work as a team, set goals, start conversations, facilitate meetings, and make a difference. Promoting youth leadership development is a great way to promote positive life skills learning and prepare the next generation of leaders in our businesses, churches, and community.

The Siemer Milling Company Endowment awards grants to programs aimed at developing youth (ages 19 and under) to become extraordinary leaders by investing in the leadership skills required for improving our shared life, such as:

ENTERPRISE SAVVY — The ability to leverage opportunities with integrity and innovation; to make the right decisions and achieve results.

CONSCIENCE — Strong moral/religious character, working to have an ethical impact on the community.

COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION — The ability to engage others inclusively across teams, functions, and cultures, effectively marketing ideas.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year.