Non-Profit

By Heather Williams— MUNCIE, IN – As the Muncie Action Plan (MAP) closes out the year, we would like to share MAP’s efforts to improve quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County as we approach our Annual Community Meeting on Wednesday, January 31st at 6:00 p.m. The public is invited to join MAP at Minnetrista’s Indiana Room to hear from each of our four task forces as they share the work completed during 2023. This is the first of four reports from our task force leaders.    Muncie Action Plan’s Task Force 1 is the TogetherDM Coalition, which is working to move…

By Susan Fisher, MPL Public Relations Supervisor— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Public Library (MPL) has partnered with the Nonprofit Support Network to offer a free grant writing program tailored to nonprofits in Muncie and Delaware County. The three-part series of workshops will take place at Maring-Hunt Library and will make use of the Candid’s Foundation Directory Online. This digital resource, which has been available at MPL for several years, provides nonprofits with the knowledge and skills needed to secure vital funding for their programs and projects.  According to Carly Acree King, Relationship and Resource Director at the Nonprofit Support Network, her organization…

By Debra Gindhart Dragoo— MUNCIE, IN—Cornerstone Center for the Arts is continuing their Muncie artwork donation exhibit, with many new pieces added to the collection for January’s First Thursday in downtown Muncie. This generous local art donation includes ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, prints, paintings, and drawings. If you’re a patron of Muncie arts, don’t miss this incredible installation, or your opportunity to purchase some amazing art. All proceeds go to Cornerstone Center for the Arts and can be viewed in Cornerstone’s Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery.  Community artists participating in January 2024 First Thursday at CCA. include Val Kelley, Mikell Vawter,…

Donated hours of service for Red-tail valued at more than $45K.  By Kelley V. Phillips— MUNCIE, IN—Red-tail Land Conservancy proudly announces a surge in volunteer engagement throughout the past year, marking growth in community service benefiting east central Indiana’s environment. More than 160 community members volunteered a total of 1,465 hours to support wildlife habitat restoration, outdoor recreation, and environmental education, a 26% growth from 2021.  Red-tail protects nearly 2,900 acres of wildlife habitat in east central Indiana, including forests, prairies, wetlands, and waterways. “With a small staff, volunteers are critical in helping to manage, monitor, and restore Red-tail’s nature…

Foundation invests nearly $6 Million locally in 2023. By Kelsey Harrington— MUNCIE, IN—The George and Frances Ball Foundation, established 86 years ago with a focus on livability and educational attainment in the Muncie-Delaware County community, extends the legacy of the G.A. Ball family today through grantmaking and convening. Over the course of 2023, the Foundation convened more than 200 individuals and 60 community partner organizations around the proactive, collective impact focus of Cradle to Career Muncie. This year, the Foundation also granted nearly $6 million to local nonprofits. Earlier this month, the Foundation’s Board of Directors met and awarded over…

Anonymous supporter will match donations Red Kettles on December 22 & 23. By Major Curtiss Hartley— MUNCIE, IN– With just a few days left in its Red Kettle Campaign, The Salvation Army of Muncie is receiving a much-needed boost to its annual fundraiser. Thanks to an anonymous Delaware County donor, every dollar put in a Red Kettle on December 22 and 23 will be doubled up to $5,000. The matching gift is being given in hopes that it inspires last-minute Christmas shoppers to be give a little more and help someone not on their list have a more joyful 2024. The Salvation Army…

By Laurie Lunsford— MUNCIE, IN—A few years ago, Maring-Hunt Library, one of the four branches in the Muncie Public Library system, joined with several community organizations and Ball State University Immersive Learning students, led by Dr. Pam Harwood, to develop a large green space behind the library. The space previously provided community garden plots. The result was a beautiful and functional outdoor space for people to gather. The Maring-Hunt Library Pavilion project and the continuing garden plot program brought big changes to the entire branch, making it an integral part of the neighborhoods surrounding it. Maring-Hunt had already partnered for…

By Tiffany Whisner—MUNCIE, IN—On Monday, November 20, the Delaware County Historical Society (DCHS) was given the Outstanding Collaborative Project Award for its “Notable Women of Delaware County and Muncie Project” during a presentation at the Parlour at Hazelwood in Muncie. The Outstanding Collaborative Project Award recognizes an exceptional project by a historical or heritage organization with one or more partners implemented during the past year, particularly for projects that share county or regional history. DCHS’s “Notable Women of Delaware County and Muncie Project” has prompted collaboration both between institutions and within courses and programs at Ball State University. Within the…