Non-Profit

By Eliza Guion—  MUNCIE, IND — Ball Brothers Foundation approved 28 grants totaling $3 million in its first round of grants for 2023. The grants reflect the foundation’s long-standing commitment to place-based grantmaking. Two of the largest grants approved in this round were to boost facility capital projects in downtown Muncie—YMCA of Muncie and Muncie Civic Theatre.   A $500,000 grant awarded to the YMCA of Muncie will be used to support construction of its new state-of-the-art facility on the campus of Muncie Community Schools. The YMCA’s commitment to this location will further enhance the vibrancy of downtown and the surrounding…

By Ro Selvey— MUNCIE, Ind. – Growing Remarkable Opportunities with Women (G.R.O.W.) is seeking to “grow” more members as it fulfills an important role of helping women entrepreneurs within the Muncie community thrive. The organization aims to help local small business owners find resources and connections to grow their businesses. Starting out of an Impact Economics class sponsored by the City of Muncie and hosted at Ball State University in 2022, two of the students in the class, Brittany Scott and River Lin, launched G.R.O.W. in January of this year. “Being an entrepreneur can be lonely,” Scott explained. “And we…

By Barbara Schafer— MUNCIE, IN—The 8twelve Coalition and MuncieArts are proud to announce a public arts project in south Muncie—a mural to be painted on the Future Choices building located at 905 S. Walnut St. The project is the result of the collaboration between the Coalition, Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts), South Central Neighborhood Association, and Future Choices. Through resident engagement in the South Central Neighborhood, the mural “MORE LOVE” was created by Chris Silva. Chris Silva’s creative pursuits are firmly rooted in Chicago’s urban culture. Chris was an innovative figure in Chicago’s early graffiti and skateboarding scenes. Today, Chris…

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, IN – The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County awarded $340,000 in Community Grants this month. Beginning in 2023, The Community Foundation shifted to a Community Grants program. Nonprofit organizations have a wide-open door for applications instead of separate applications for multiple grants programs through the Foundation. Organizations interested in applying for funding are encouraged to connect with Foundation staff. The flexibility of Community Grants allows the Foundation’s Program and Nonprofit Relations team to develop a deeper understanding of the needs within the community. That knowledge enables Foundation staff and volunteers to connect nonprofits to…

By Kelsey Harrington, Program Officer— MUNCIE, IN—On May 11th, George and Frances Ball Foundation’s Board of Directors met to review quarterly competitive grant requests. More than $600,000 was awarded to 11 area nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. The Foundation’s proactive grantmaking strategy is focused on educational attainment from cradle to career. The collective impact initiative that helps to carry out this work, Cradle to Career Muncie, is focused not only on academic markers such as kindergarten readiness and third grade reading, but also foundational supports such as social emotional learning and family and community engagement. This quarter, multiple grants were…

By Kallie Sulanke, Member Exchange Club of Muncie—  MUNCIE, IN—The Exchange Club of Muncie honored 29 Muncie tenth-graders from Muncie Central High School and Burris Laboratory School during the Club’s annual Sophomore Honors Day luncheon on Thursday, May 4. As one way to support youth in our community, Exchange Club has hosted this event for more than 85 years. The purpose is to recognize students early in their high school careers and encourage and inspire them to continue to work toward continued high achievement as they complete high school. Student honorees enjoyed lunch with club members. Brooke Huser, Associate Director…

 By Carly Acree King Relationship & Resource Director— MUNCIE, IN – Nonprofit Support Network is celebrating nonprofit workers and volunteers and the kick-off to summer with the Nonprofit Summer Social. The event will take place on Thursday, June 1, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm on the patio of The Fickle Peach, located at 117 E. Charles Street in downtown Muncie. This new event is designed to bring together individuals currently working or volunteering at nonprofit organizations located in or serving Muncie-Delaware County. This casual gathering also marks the first anniversary of Nonprofit Support Network’s launch, and the organization looks forward to…

By Kim Williams—  DELAWARE COUNTY, IN – Heart of Indiana United Way (HIUW) in partnership with local Community Foundations serving Delaware, Henry, Madison, South Madison and Randolph counties announces the creation and launch of a new Equity Advancement Fund. The new mini-grants program is designed to help strengthen and advance equity locally. “In looking at the organizations we have historically funded, we found a lack of grant applications from programs led by or serving the underrepresented and under-resourced in our community. These are programs working on the front lines to serve our minority communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with disabilities, non-English…

By Kim Williams— Delaware County, IN – Heart of Indiana United Way announces the winners of its 2023 Celebration Awards. The organization’s annual awards event highlights and thanks businesses and individuals who helped make a big impact over the past year through donations, volunteerism, advocacy, and partnerships. This year’s 11 award winners were announced through a short video released on May 4 and can be viewed on the Heart of Indiana United Way’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. “We wanted to have fun and try something different with this year’s awards. We also wanted to showcase several amazing donors and…