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Author: Shelly Jones

04 Mar

Posted at 17:56h in Grantmaking Impact
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Crowdfunding, what is it? It’s pretty simple: You bring the idea, your community brings the support, and we help match it! Selected nonprofits have 60 days to raise an approved amount from community donors. When the organization reaches its fundraising goal, the Community Foundation matches those donations dollar for dollar, up to the amount approved in the grant agreement. Raise $10,000 + receive a $10,000 CoFo match = $20,000 for your project! If you raise more than your crowdfunding goal, your organization will receive the additional donations, too. If you do not reach your goal within the 60-day campaign, your organization will still receive all donations raised for the project, but it will not receive the Community Foundation’s matching grant. All donations raised through the campaign, including funds raised beyond the goal, must be used for the approved project. How It Works A local nonprofit has a great idea, applies for a grant, and requests approval for matching funds. The Community Foundation of Grant County provides a crowdfunding page on our website where community members can support the project. If the nonprofit successfully raises their portion of the funding goal, the Community Foundation will provide a matching grant through the Give To Grant Fund. Step 1: Identify Your...

30 Jan

Posted at 20:34h in Featured Story, Grantmaking Impact
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Grant County, Indiana — The Community Foundation of Grant County is proud to announce the recent distribution of $403,095 in designated grants to local nonprofit organizations serving Grant County. These grants were awarded from designated endowment funds, which are established by donors to provide ongoing, annual support to specific nonprofit organizations they care about most. By investing these funds for long-term growth, designated endowments create a reliable source of funding that nonprofits can count on year after year. “Endowment giving is one of the most powerful ways donors can support the future of Grant County,” said Dawn Brown, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Grant County. “These funds create stability for nonprofits today while ensuring resources remain available to meet community needs well into the future.”  Each year, the Community Foundation calculates the available spendable amount from designated endowment funds through a disciplined financial process that balances current grantmaking with the long-term health of each fund. For 2026, the Community Foundation has determined the available spendable funding for all designated funds, each playing a unique role in strengthening the community. The $403,095 distributed this month represents the annual charitable support generated by these funds and directed to nonprofits across Grant County...

05 Jan

Posted at 21:16h in Community News, Featured Story, Grantmaking Impact
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Grant County, IN — The Community Foundation of Grant County has received a grant of $1,500,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Community Support Grant component of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative. This is one of 92 Community Support Grants being awarded through GIFT IX, a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative designed to support the efforts of community foundations to strengthen the quality of life in the communities they serve. The Community Support Grant is designed to provide the community foundation with flexible funding to enhance its grantmaking capacity to address compelling, near-term needs in its county. The community foundation will have up to three years to use its grant to address community-driven priorities. “This investment gives us the flexibility to listen deeply, respond thoughtfully, and act strategically on behalf of Grant County,” said Dawn Brown, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Grant County. “GIFT IX strengthens our capacity to support meaningful solutions—whether that means addressing urgent needs or seizing emerging opportunities that can create lasting impact for our communities.” In the coming months, the Community Foundation will begin exploring how best to leverage this funding to support Grant County. While specific next steps...

17 Dec

Posted at 19:48h in Community News, Grantmaking Impact
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Grant County, IN — The Community Foundation of Grant County is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Grant County: Alexis Nuber of Oak Hill High School and Ciaran Moeschberger of Eastbrook High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are recognized for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, required fees, and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also join the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects them with resources and opportunities to lead on campus and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). In nominating Grant County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, the committee considered GPA, SAT/ACT scores, work history, community service, school activities, and interview performance. After narrowing the field of applicants, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the program, for final selection. “Each year, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholars give us great hope for the future of...

16 Dec

Posted at 21:39h in Community News, Grantmaking Impact
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Grant County, IN — The Community Foundation of Grant County and Project Leadership announced their selection as recipients of a 2025 General Motors Marion Community Impact Grant. This generous award, made on behalf of GM Corporate Giving, provides critical support for the implementation of LaunchPoint: Career Readiness Program, a five-month experience designed to strengthen soft skills, workplace readiness, and long-term career success for local high school students. Through this $20,000 investment, General Motors is helping ensure that Grant County’s emerging workforce develops essential skills—communication, teamwork, problem-solving, reliability, and adaptability—that employers across STEAM and manufacturing sectors consistently identify as vital for success. LaunchPoint is delivered by Project Leadership, a local certified career-coaching organization formally trained and approved by the state to guide students through structured career exploration, skill development, and post–high school planning. Its certified Career Coaches work directly with youth, helping them understand their strengths, explore career pathways, build workforce readiness, and navigate the transition from high school into college, training programs, or employment. Each LaunchPoint cohort consists of approximately 40 juniors and seniors nominated by school staff for their readiness to engage in focused career preparation. During the five-month program, students participate in sessions that cover: - Foundations of Personal Identity: Who Am...

16 Dec

Posted at 08:02h in Featured Story
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Your 2025 CoFo Year-End Giving Guide Give with Heart. Give with Clarity. Give To Grant. As the year winds down and December continues to sprint like it has somewhere very important to be, we want to make your year-end giving as smooth and low-stress as possible. To help, we’ve put together a simple guide with tips, deadlines, and reminders—because you’ve already made enough decisions this month…and those tangled Christmas lights can absolutely wait. The Community Foundation of Grant County office will be closed over the holidays (12/24-12/26 & 12/31-1/2) so our team can spend quality time with their families, eat leftovers at questionable hours, forget what day of the week it is, and fully recharge for the new year. This short pause helps us return refreshed, focused, and ready to keep doing good work alongside you. Don’t worry—we’re not ghosting anyone. The CoFo team we’ll be back to our regular hours beginning January 5th, open 8 AM–4 PM, Monday–Thursday, and we’ll be available by appointment on Fridays to assist with any giving needs, because generosity doesn’t always respect office closures or holiday naps. And if you’re already thinking about 2026 (you ultra-organized folks know who you are), you’re not alone. Questions about charitable giving strategies and...

23 Nov

Posted at 15:34h in Featured Story
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When people think about charitable giving, they often picture two different approaches:supporting immediate needs and investing in long-term community change Pass-through giving is like handing someone a meal right when they’re hungry. Your gift is used quickly, meeting needs in real time. It’s wonderful, important, and helps organizations do their work today. Endowment giving, on the other hand, is more like planting an apple tree. Your gift is invested, it grows over time, and it produces support for the community year after year—forever. The original gift stays intact while the earnings are granted out annually to strengthen local programs, spark new ideas, and support the future you want to see in Grant County. Both approaches matter. Both approaches help. They just work on different timelines. One is “help today.” The other is “help today ...

10 Nov

Posted at 19:08h in Community News, Featured Story
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The Community Foundation of Grant County is pleased to recognize six local high school seniors as Grant County finalists for the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Two of the finalists will be selected as 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. The two scholars will each receive a full-tuition scholarship to pursue a baccalaureate degree at any accredited public or private Indiana college or university and an annual book and equipment stipend. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has provided approximately $6 million in tuition and book stipends to benefit 54 Grant County students since 1998. “These six remarkable students represent the very best of Grant County. Their drive, compassion, and commitment to excellence give us every confidence that the future is bright. Being named a Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship finalist is an extraordinary achievement, and we are honored to support them as they take the next step in their educational journeys,” said Dawn Brown, President/CEO of the Community Foundation. “These six seniors have shown what it looks like to lead with purpose, serve with heart, and dream big for their future. We couldn’t be prouder and hope everyone reading this will join us in celebrating their remarkable accomplishments.”  The finalists and respective schools...

06 Nov

Posted at 22:29h in Community News, Featured Story, Grantmaking Impact
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The Community Foundation of Grant County awarded $100,000 in proactive grants—$25,000 each—to four local organizations on the frontlines of fighting hunger in our community:  - Martin Community Center - Grant County Rescue Mission - The Salvation Army of Marion - Meals on Wheels of Grant County These grants come at a critical time for families and individuals across the county. Although federal officials have announced that SNAP benefits will resume this month, they will do so at a reduced rate, and payments are expected to be delayed. Additionally, the ongoing federal government shutdown means some residents are not receiving income as usual, leaving many households uncertain about when or how they will be able to put food on the table. Recognizing this urgent need, the Community Foundation took swift, proactive action to help sustain local food programs and ensure that no one in Grant County goes hungry. “When we heard that some of our neighbors might experience disruptions in accessing food, we wanted to help our direct service providers locally,” said Dawn Brown, President/CEO of the Community Foundation of Grant County. “Together, we can make sure every family has something to eat by supporting these amazing nonprofit organizations who serve Grant County families daily.”   Each of the four...

06 Nov

Posted at 17:48h in Community News, Featured Story
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Community Foundation of Grant County’s $7.5 Million Investment Driving Economic Vitality in Marion’s Downtown Riverfront District Renovations to Begin Soon; Estimated Completion Date Set for August 2026 Grant County, IN —A $7.5 million restoration and expansion project in the heart of Marion’s Riverfront District is set to begin this month as the Community Foundation of Grant County transforms a once vacant, historic building into a thriving, vibrant workspace for several nonprofit organizations. Located at 100 South Washington Street, the shared space builds on the Foundation’s vision of creating a collaborative environment that fosters cooperation, efficiency, and impact among the organizations serving Grant County. The Foundation Board of Directors and Team initiated an innovative idea more than a year ago, inviting local nonprofits to collaborate on bringing to life the vision of a shared space for visionaries and innovators to face challenges and create solutions together. The Foundation purchased the building in October 2024 and is the sole owner of the property. “This investment is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about building capacity for the organizations that drive Grant County forward,” said Mark Atkinson, Board Chair of the Community Foundation of Grant County. “Our board is proud to play a part in restoring an...