Walking down Main Street today, sometimes I like to imagine that 2015 has been transformed into the early 1900s:  a period in Rushville’s history when the buildings were freshly erected, the strong odor of dust and mortar and brick and paint spreading over the town like a smiling sunrise.  Envisioning the cosmopolitan women on the façade of a Main Street building resurrect and gossip and shop, I see Rush County full of color during a time when the photographs taken of the town contained contrast between the black, white, and shades of grey.  Certainly, the times have changed.

The Rush County Community Foundation did not exist in the early twentieth century, but the RCCF came into existence almost one hundred years later.   Established in 1991 by locals Paul Barada, Rick Levi, and Dan Earnest, the foundation began as a response to the Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow Initiative or the GIFT Initiative.  This challenge by the Lilly Endowment was to raise one million dollars in permanent endowment funds by the end of the year 1995 in order to collect $500,000 that would be placed in the Community Fund.  The Community Fund was designed to meet charitable needs throughout the county.

Now in 2015, the RCCF is a $12 million powerhouse organization that has provided more than $8 million in grants, scholarships, and fund payouts.  With just a little change, the asset size of the RCCF has increased significantly providing an anchor for the community in the sea of perpetual change.

A little change has the opportunity to influence a community for a lifetime.  With a little change, you can create a legacy to give back to the community for several years to come.  Currently, Lilly Endowment, Inc. is offering another GIFT Initiative.  The Foundation must raise $250,000 in restricted funds, and $250,000 in unrestricted funds by the end of March 2016.  If these funds are acquired, then the Lilly Endowment will match every dollar raised in unrestricted funds, and $0.50 for every dollar in restricted funds.

Now is the opportunity to donate change to affect change!  By giving to the RCCF and helping the Foundation raise $500,000 in funds so that those funds will grow to another $1,000,000, you are contributing to the augmentation of Rush County’s future!

Stop in and see us!  We are open Monday through Friday, 9:00am—4:00pm.  We are located on the west side corner of Main and Second Street across from the courthouse. If you can’t make it in, please call 765-938-1177 and ask us questions, we would be happy to assist you!