The Men’s Fund of Vanderburgh County awarded $40,000 in grants to three local organizations. During their annual meeting at the Evansville Museum of Art, History, and Science in October, members of the Men’s Fund awarded their $30,000 Impact Grant to the Albion Fellow Bacon Center. Albion Fellow Bacon Center will use this year’s $30,000 Impact Grant to support expenses related to the renovation of the kitchen at their emergency shelter. Evansville Christian Life Center and Ozanam Family Shelter were each awarded $5,000 grants as finalists for this year’s Impact Grant. Men’s Fund Chair, Dave Mitchell is pictured with representatives from this year’s grantee organizations. (Katie Grunow – Evansville Christian Life Center, Ollie Wing – Albion Fellows Bacon Center, and Larry Cornett - Ozanam Family Shelter)

Many of our donors have chosen to honor their loved ones, communities, high schools, colleges, and professions by establishing scholarship funds through their local Community Foundations in Daviess, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties. These funds support the annual Community Scholarship programs, providing valuable opportunities for students in Southwest Indiana. Thanks to their contributions, applications are being accepted now, with a deadline of Monday, January 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. "We are excited to once again provide scholarship opportunities to students in our Southwest Indiana region,” says Melinda Waldroup, Chief Program Officer at the Community Foundation Alliance. “By offering these scholarships, we are not only investing in individual students but also in the future of our communities. We encourage all eligible students to apply and take a step towards achieving their educational and career goals." Students may apply for one or more scholarships if they meet the eligibility requirements and selection criteria established by donors. Details about each scholarship and the application are posted on the website at communityfoundationalliance.org/scholarships . Each scholarship is unique and supports students with a variety of backgrounds, educational goals, and economic statuses. Awards are made without regard to race, creed, color, sex, religion, or national origin and are based on a competitive process that may consider academic achievement, extracurricular activities, personal aspirations, educational goals, and financial need. The deadline to apply is Monday, January 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Learn more and apply today!

Vanderburgh Community Foundation Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

Women's Fund of Vanderburgh County Accepting Grant Applications

The Vanderburgh Community Foundation is now accepting online applications for the Community Good Grants Program. In recognition of the ongoing challenges of local nonprofit agencies, this year’s grant cycle is accepting applications for both one-year and multi-year programs/projects. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, February 9, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The Community Foundation awards Community Good Grants to charitable partners located in or directly serving Vanderburgh County. Funding opportunities are available to support a broad range of local needs. Consideration will be given to organizations that demonstrate: · Evidence of realistic organizational planning and management; · Project methodology utilizing a preventative approach to addressing the issues and solving problems; · Solid, realistic plans for program/project evaluation; · Desire to promote collaboration among organizations or institutions to prevent duplication of services; and · Commitment to long-range planning, financial stability, and sustainability. Charitable entities can view the full details related to funding requirements and access the grant application via the Foundation’s website at https://www.vanderburghcf.org/community-good-grants-program . A virtual orientation session will be hosted for interested applicants on Friday, January 12 th at 9:00 am. Interested individuals should submit an RSVP to Sidney Hardgrave at shardgrave@communityfoundationalliance.org.

The Vanderburgh Community Foundation is pleased to announce the three recipients of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Vanderburgh County – Amishi Gandhi and Jeremy Li from Signature School and Luke Woodyard from Reitz Memorial High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. “This year’s recipients impressed the committee with their accomplishments, leadership skills, and maturity,” said Sidney Hardgrave, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact for the Vanderburgh Community Foundation. Amishi Gandhi is the daughter of Kaushai and Shimoli Gandhi. She is interested in becoming an attorney. Amishi served on the Teen Advisory Board for the Newburgh-Chandler Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Teen Court. She also volunteers with Youth Resources, Tri-State Food Bank and the Browning Funeral Home Genealogy Project. Amishi participates in numerous activities at school including the Mock Trial team, Math Club, Model UN, French Club, and Rotary Interact Club. Jeremy Li is the son of David Li and June Pan. He is interested in a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. During high school, Jeremy founded a STEM tutoring program. He has also been active with Indiana Youth and Government and Tri-State Food Bank. He participated in the Youth Conference on National Affairs. At school, Jeremy has been involved with the USA Biology Olympiad, Mock Trial team, Student Council, and Model UN. Luke Woodyard is the son of James and Laura Woodyard. He is interested in studying industrial engineering. Luke has volunteered with Incognito Instructors, Boys and Girls Club, and been an active member of Scouts BSA, where he achieved recognition as an Eagle Scout. During high school, he participated in tennis, cross country, and track along with being a member of the Academic Team and International Club. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities. In determining Vanderburgh County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to academic achievement, involvement in the community, extracurricular activities, two essays, and an interview by the LECSP Nominating Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients. “Our community has many students who excel both academically and in service to others. The selection process is never easy,” said Hardgrave. Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception. The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

The Vanderburgh Community Foundation and the Warrick County Community Foundation are excited to announce the opening of the annual Community Scholarship Program for 2024. “Generous donors have honored their loved ones, high schools, or professions by endowing scholarship opportunities through the Community Foundations,” says Sidney Hardgrave, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact. “We administer many scholarship funds established by individuals, families, and organizations to assist local students in pursuit of advanced education. Together, these scholarships make up our Community Scholarship Programs.” Eligibility requirements and selection criteria for each scholarship are determined by the scholarship founder. Each scholarship is unique and supports students with a variety of backgrounds and educational goals. Students may apply for one or more scholarships, provided they meet the specific eligibility requirements. Details about each scholarship and the application requirements are posted online. The Vanderburgh Community Foundation offers 26 endowed scholarships providing over $70,000 in support each year. Community scholarship applications are due by 11:45 pm on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Please visit https://www.vanderburghcf.org/community-scholarship-program for details and to begin the online application. The Warrick County Community Foundation has 20 endowed scholarships providing over $35,000 in support. Scholarship applications are due by 11:45 pm on Friday, February 2, 2024. Please visit https://www.warrickcountycf.org/community-scholarship-program for details and to begin the online application.

The Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County hosted their Annual Meeting on November 1, 2023 and awarded the 2023 Impact Grants to three local nonprofits, each of whom received a $35,000 grant. This year’s recipients are: · Albion Fellow Bacon Center to renovate the laundry facilities at the domestic violence shelter; · Holly’s House to support mental health services for abuse survivors; and · Youth First to support the Reconnecting Youth Program in area high schools. In addition, three finalist organizations each received a $10,000 grant: · Boys and Girls Club of Evansville; · Evansville Christian Life Center; and · Ozanam Family Shelter. “I am so pleased that, through the generous donations of Women’s Fund members, we are able to financially support the critical work of six great organizations in our community. Their work is vital to helping so many,” stated Kerrie Weinzapfel, Co-Chair of the Women’s Fund board of directors. “Through the generosity and commitment of our members, the Women’s Fund has provided nearly $1.5 million in grants since it was established in 2007.” Past Impact Grants have provided funding for projects and programs at Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Ark Crisis Child Care Center, Aurora, Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Evansville Christian Life Center, EVSC Foundation Hangers Program, Holly’s House, House of Bread and Peace, Lampion Center, Little Lambs, Ozanam Family Shelter, Patchwork Central, Potter's Wheel, St. Vincent Early Learning Center, SWIRCA & More, United Caring Services, United Methodist Youth Home, Vanderburgh County CASA, Youth First, Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana, and the YWCA. The Women's Fund of Vanderburgh County is a fund of the Vanderburgh Community Foundation. The Women’s Fund focuses on the efforts of women philanthropists to create positive social change by funding projects that address current needs in our community. The mission is to improve the quality of life in Vanderburgh County by collectively funding significant grants to charitable initiatives.

The Men’s Fund of Vanderburgh County held their annual meeting on Thursday, October 19 at the Evansville Country Club. Members of the Fund voted for one of three finalist organizations to receive their annual $30,000 Impact Grant, while the other two finalists are awarded $5,000 grants. This year, Holly’s House was awarded this year’s $30,000 grant to support technology upgrades. “In a time when we are receiving a record number of reports of child abuse, it’s important to equip our teams with the technology necessary to complete investigations. We’re grateful to the Men’s Fund of Vanderburgh County for recognizing the need and helping to keep our community safe”, stated Kristine Cordts, Holly’s House Executive Director. The other two finalists, Evansville Christian Life Center and Tri-State Food Bank, were each awarded $5,000 grants. This is the eighth year for the Impact Grants which support various programs benefiting residents of Vanderburgh County. Past Impact Grant recipients include: The Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Cancer Pathways Midwest, Dream Center Evansville, Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, EVSC Foundation for the Hangers program, Ozanam Family Shelter, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. This year’s grantmaking awards bring the Men’s Fund’s total grants to an impressive $272,300 since inception in 2015. The Men’s Fund of Vanderburgh County offers enjoyable social events and networking opportunities, all while raising funds to meet community needs. The group supports charitable causes in the community that address projects and programs important to the Men’s Fund members.