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12 Jan

Posted at 15:28h in Community News, Featured Story
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The East Central Indiana region of Grant County, Blackford County, and Jay County has received a $60,000 planning grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII). With the grant, the partnership between the Community Foundation of Grant County, the Blackford County Community Foundation, and The Portland Foundation will join forces to tackle critical workforce challenges and enhance opportunities for students in the region. The collaboration, driven by shared concerns over the aging workforce and economic disparities, aims to prepare 4,623 students in grades 7-12 for successful careers. The regional partnership is one of 92 community foundations and affiliate funds in Indiana receiving planning grants through GIFT VIII. These grants are designed to help community foundations collaborate with local partners to engage broad and diverse stakeholders in their communities and deepen their understanding of their communities’ highest-priority challenges and opportunities. In 2024, the community foundation partnership will have the opportunity to request funding to implement strategic initiatives and activities developed during the planning period that address especially compelling needs in the East Central Region. The joint planning initiative, facilitated by Project Leadership, seeks to bridge the gap between education and employment. By...

02 Nov

Posted at 15:18h in Community News, Featured Story
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Lilly Endowment Inc. has launched the eighth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, allocating up to $210 million to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the quality of life in the towns, cities and counties they serve. The GIFT initiative is based upon Lilly Endowment’s longstanding belief that community foundations are uniquely positioned to play central roles in building the prosperity of communities throughout Indiana. Through this new GIFT phase (GIFT VIII) Lilly Endowment has invited the Community Foundation of Grant County and other eligible Indiana community foundations to participate in three funding opportunities designed to help them grow their financial resources to enhance their effectiveness and promote long-term viability; further strengthen their abilities to lead on important community priorities; encourage board engagement; and support and develop strategic efforts to enhance quality of life in their communities. The grant opportunities include: • Matching Fund Grants, which will enable community foundations to develop unrestricted assets, implement projects and programs that address community needs, and build their internal capacity. Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $135.3 million for this opportunity. • Community Leadership Grants, which will enable community foundations to continue to seek input from a diverse range of community stakeholders and,...

17 Oct

Posted at 17:21h in Community News, Featured Story
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FreeWill makes it easy and convenient to create your last will and testament. Despite the critical role that estate planning plays in safeguarding one's legacy and providing for loved ones, nearly 67% of Americans still do not have an up-to-date will. This information serves as a reminder that taking action on estate planning is essential for individuals and their families. Estate planning is the process of leaving comprehensive instructions for managing various aspects of life, including finances, healthcare decisions, and more. These plans govern asset management, future care preferences, and the charitable legacies individuals wish to leave behind. Additionally, estate planning simplifies the probate process, appoints guardians for minors and pets, prevents conflicts over asset distribution among loved ones, and facilitates charitable gifts. Key components of an effective estate plan include personal identification documents, last will and testament, revocable living trust, beneficiary designations, advance health care directives, financial power of attorney, deeds or titles, and funeral instructions and wishes. Contrary to common misconceptions, estate planning is not limited to the wealthy. It is a crucial step for individuals from all financial backgrounds. As over $80 trillion is projected to pass from today's older generations to their heirs in the next two decades, the importance of...

16 Oct

Posted at 20:19h in Community News, Featured Story
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The Community Foundation of Grant County has recently been accredited with Community Foundations National Standards®—the highest standards for philanthropic excellence. We work to support the causes our community cares about, from supporting the arts and cultivating gardens to expanding literacy and feeding children. National Standards says that we meet the most rigorous standards in philanthropy and is a promise to our community that we’ll continue to do this good work together, right here in Grant County, Indiana. Community Foundations National Standards is not mandatory. We chose to go above and beyond by affirming our commitment to excellence and accountability. Our accreditation provides assurance that we have sound policies and practices in place. In short, it means we meet the highest standards for local giving. To receive accreditation with National Standards, the Foundation submitted our policies and procedures to a rigorous review of 26 National Standards in six key areas of community foundation operations, including donor services, investment management, grantmaking, and administration. The Community Foundations National Standards® program was established in 2000 in cooperation with the Council on Foundations. For more information about National Standards, visit www.cfstandards.org....

10 Oct

Posted at 21:25h in Community News, Featured Story
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National Estate Planning Awareness Week (NEPAW), founded by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils in 2008, is set to take place from October 16-22, 2023. This weeklong event aims to educate the public about the significance of estate planning and the urgency of creating wills and estate plans. Despite the critical role that estate planning plays in safeguarding one's legacy and providing for loved ones, nearly 67% of Americans still do not have an up-to-date will. NEPAW serves as a reminder that taking action on estate planning is essential for individuals and their families. Estate planning is the process of leaving comprehensive instructions for managing various aspects of life, including finances, healthcare decisions, and more. These plans govern asset management, future care preferences, and the charitable legacies individuals wish to leave behind. Additionally, estate planning simplifies the probate process, appoints guardians for minors and pets, prevents conflicts over asset distribution among loved ones, and facilitates charitable contributions. Key components of an effective estate plan include personal identification documents, last will and testament, revocable living trust, beneficiary designations, advance health care directives, financial power of attorney, deeds or titles, and funeral instructions and wishes. Contrary to common misconceptions, estate planning is not limited to...

15 Aug

Posted at 14:50h in Community News
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Grant County, August 2023—Making a will creates peace of mind for you and the people and organizations you love. That’s why the Community Foundation of Grant County has made the processes of completing your will easy with a new tool called FreeWill. The Community Foundation has partnered with FreeWill, a secure, online will-maker, which will allow you to fill out your free, legally-valid will forms in less than 20 minutes. Just answer a few questions about yourself, your assets, and your wishes, and the will-making tool provides forms and instructions for how to make your will valid in the state where you live. There are several reasons why this is vitally important to do now.  -  Everyone needs a will, whether you’re 18 or 80. And there’s no better moment than now to begin planning for the future. -  Your will gives you peace of mind knowing that your loved ones are taken care of your assets are distributed accurately, and that your charitable gift reflects your personal values. Selecting the right estate planning vehicle can allow you to reduce your estate taxes and income taxes while avoiding the stress and cost of interstate probate proceedings and, if you choose, creating a larger...

09 Aug

Posted at 19:09h in Community News, Grantmaking Impact
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The Community Foundation of Grant County is excited to announce three crowdfunding campaign goals with East Central Indiana Robotics - PhyXTGears Team 1720 (PhyXTGears), Habitat for Humanity of Grant County (Habitat), and Indiana Motorcycle Preservation Society (IMPS). PhyXTGears launched their crowdfunding campaign on July 15th and aims to crowdfund $20,000 to prepare high school students for Indiana’s technology workforce through hands-on STEM training. PhyXTGears’ campaign will end September 13th at midnight. Learn more and donate online to support this campaign by visiting www.GiveToGrant.org/RoboticsCF. Habitat launched their crowdfunding campaign on July 21st and aims to crowdfund $20,000 to provide a new 3-bedroom home for the Williams family. Habitat's campaign will end September 19th at midnight. Learn more and donate online to support this campaign by visiting www.GiveToGrant.org/HabitatCF. IMPS launched their crowdfunding campaign on July 17th and aims to crowdfund $10,000 to showcase Indiana's motorcycle history and preserve Marion's “hog” heritage with a permanent exhibit. IMPS’ campaign will end September 15th at midnight. Learn more and donate online to support this campaign by visiting www.GiveToGrant.org/IMPSCF. The Foundation will track all charitable contributions made by donors for each campaign. If the organizations meet their fundraising goals, the Foundation will award them a dollar-for-dollar matching grant to complete...

03 Apr

Posted at 19:44h in Community News
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Does your business need access to a fully equipped, state-of-the art audio-video, recording, podcasting, and editing software and hardware/equipment, in a well-designed studio in Grant County? Do you need to produce audio and/or video content that is relevant to the Grant County community, your customers, and people of all abilities? Do you need someone to walk alongside with you to teach you how to use the equipment and software? Carey Services, in partnership with the Community Foundation of Grant County and the City of Marion, has a resource for you today! Please call Richard Coburn at 765-506-4616 to schedule a no-cost, one-hour session (some extended time is possible, depending on content and need) at the Carey Services Digital Content Creative Studio at the Community Foundation of Grant County’s Collaboration Center (511 W 3rd Street, Marion). If the content you create is beneficial to people with disabilities, you can have the opportunity to directly post what you create to the 11 kiosks that are stationed throughout the City of Marion, with your content to be included on www.GCSocial.net as well! Check it out, today! Find more information here:  www.GCSocial.net GC Social Creative Studio What does the Creative Studio offer?  ...

15 Mar

Posted at 19:44h in Community News, Featured Story
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Together, the Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Grant County Economic Growth Council, Greater Grant County, Indiana Wesleyan University, and the Community Foundation of Grant County are all partnering together to bring a Community Development Course to Grant County. “Each of these sponsors believe that to remain relevant and, ultimately, to thrive, communities of all sizes must tackle challenges and pursue opportunities comprehensively, creatively, and collaboratively," said Kylie Jackson, President/CEO at Greater Grant County. “That means, assets and trade-offs must be understood and investments in people and place require increased focus.” “That’s why we’ve invited Ball State University’s Indiana Communities Institute, in partnership with Creative Insight Community Development, to deliver a 2.5-day Community Development Course to help build a foundation for a stronger and more sustainable Grant County,” said Dawn Brown, President/CEO at the Community Foundation of Grant County. The Indiana Communities Institute (ICI) at Ball State University, in partnership with Creative Insight Community Development (CICD), will help local communities work together to realize positive change through the Community-Based Action Planning (CBAP) process. The facilitators from both organizations have more than 150 years of community development experience. CBAP is a participant-oriented, “learn by doing” experience rooted in social science research and built on practical...

02 Feb

Posted at 18:40h in Community News, Featured Story, Grantmaking Impact
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Every day at the Community Foundation of Grant County, individuals and families create lasting impact for the betterment of Grant County by ensuring their generosity will benefit generations to come through endowment. Last week, $316,000 was distributed to 65 local nonprofit organizations that benefit from an endowment fund at the Community Foundation. This Designated Grant Cycle is the first of six grantmaking cycles offered in 2023 by the Foundation. The grants come from designated funds, which support one or more specific organizations. The funds have been established by the organization itself or by donors to provide a reliable source of support for organizations they care about. This year’s designated fund grants range from $110 to more than $22,000. “No doubt, nonprofit budgets continue to be challenged. We are grateful for the donors who have established these funds and for the opportunity to provide these designated grants to support the good work of our nonprofits,” said Dawn Brown, Community Foundation President and CEO. “Because the funds are endowed, our nonprofits can count on these grants every year.” Earnings provide an additional source of annual income for the nonprofit organizations. Each year, a portion of each organization’s fund growth is distributed through a grant and a...