From welcoming our new executive director to breaking ground on a decades-old dream, 2023 was all about new beginnings. Before we get too far into 2024, let’s take a minute to celebrate our wins.

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Our board of directors took on more responsibility than most volunteers bargain for. But, of course, they rose to the occasion. Along with interim Executive Director, Gerald Mohr, they successfully led the search for and hired Rush County native Chris May to lead RCCF forward. Chris hit the ground running, learning all things community foundation and making sure to connect and reconnect with as many Rush Countians as possible.  Within his first few months, he and Angie worked together to earn our re-accreditation from the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, a rigorous, extensive process that ensures you can trust RCCF to be excellent stewards of your gifts.

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Your generosity created more than $800,000 in grants and scholarships during 2023! These funds are transforming our community $1 at a time – today, tomorrow, and forever. Here’s a quick, unaudited snapshot of the difference your gifts make.

Scholarship Funds: Support for tuition for college and trade school students

Designated Purpose Funds: Annual support for a specific organization, established by a donor

Community Grants Funds: Unrestricted support for current, most pressing needs and interests of the community (CYCLE I grantees | CYCLE II grantees | First5)

Agency Endowment + Pass Through Funds: Support for an organization, set up by that organization

Pass Through Funds: Non-permanent support for organizations and programs

Field of Interest Funds: Support for a specific area or interest, i.e. agriculture, as determined by the donor

Rush to Action Fund: Non-permanent support for CBAP (Community Based Action Planning) Activities

Almost all of RCCF’s funds are permanent. So, when you make a donation to a permanent fund, it is carefully invested. The earnings from the investments are used to create grants and scholarships and also to help grow the fund. Your original gift always remains invested to make more grants and scholarships and keep growing. That’s what makes your gift to RCCF different. It keeps doing good work FOREVER.

GRANTEE UPDATES

It’s always exciting to see your gifts in action. Take a look at just a handful of ways your kindness spread throughout the community.

MILROY COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

The Milroy Community Food Pantry is run entirely by volunteers. They provide food to those in need including produce, protein, dairy, and shelf stable items, serving an average of 144 families each time. They are open the first Saturday of the month from 10am-12:00pm and the third Monday of the month from 5-7pm.

They received a $10,000 from the Helen and Jim Ewing Fund To Help the Elderly and Feed the Hungry. “We bought food from Gleaners Food Bank twice a month and with our number of families served increasing, our food supply was pretty much depleted after each distribution. We had hoped to build an inventory of food but have been unable to maintain one,” explained Jan Long, MCFP Pantry Coordinator. According to Gleaners, wholesale food prices are increasing more than retail prices. MCFP used their grant in less than five months. The need in our community continues to increase. READ MORE

RUSH COUNTY 4-H HORSE & PONY CLUB

To create a space that is accessible to all and safer, the Rush County 4-H Horse & Pony Club applied for a grant. With their $10,000 Community Grant, they repaired and installed sidewalks around the restrooms, concession stand, and office. They also added a drive and unloading area near the walkways. This has been a long-time goal of the club. Now the horses aren’t the only ones able to hoof it around the grounds! READ MORE

THE HEART OF RUSHVILLE

Community Grants applications come in from all kinds of local orgs. Our volunteer grants committee considers requests and recommends funding for those that they feel make the biggest impact for the community and your gifts. Sometimes it’s a necessity like a tornado siren. Other times it fills the need for something beautiful. The Heart of Rushville saw the drab metal traffic boxes along Main Street as the perfect canvases to brighten up the city. Here’s the first of three boxes to be designed by local artists.

MILROY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Milroy Elementary School received a grant designed to engage the students in a hands-on way to help them develop skills and knowledge. This is known as project-based learning. The students were involved in all aspects of the Milroy Community Walking Path, from design – in the shape of the letters “M” and “C” for the Milroy Cardinals – to beautification. “This path includes not only an area for students to enjoy the outdoors, but also the opportunity for creativity and designing a project they can call their own,” shared Lisa Wilson, MES Principal. The path is open to everyone to use and enjoy. SEE DRONE VIDEOS AND READ MORE

RUSH COUNTY SOIL & WATER

SCHOLARSHIPS

Our Scholarship Celebration is always such a feel-good event! Each May, it’s touching to witness the meetings between donors and the recipients of their scholarships. The informal open house atmosphere allows plenty of time for attendees to visit with each other. But the smiles tell the essence of the story – pride, joy, gratitude, excitement, and community. Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to the donors!

View galleries of the celebration and recipients.

NEW FUNDS

Four new funds were started through the generosity of our donors.

The Liggett Family honored their values by establishing a scholarship to benefit a Rush County student studying veterinary medicine or education at Purdue. “My father once told me, ‘I won’t be able to leave you an inheritance, but I’ll pay for your college so you can take care of yourself,’” shared their daughter Sarah.  “By establishing the Marion & Lois Liggett and Family Educational Scholarship Fund, our parents’ hard work will continue to help Rush County youth afford college tuition.”

Rush County Schools and the Raleigh Volunteer Fire Department will benefit from two new RCCF funds established by Lightsource bp. The Lightsource bp Rush County Schools Fund will provide support for equipment and supplies for classes that teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), or agriculture. The Lightsource bp Raleigh Volunteer Fire Department Fund will aid in the purchase and maintenance of emergency services equipment and vehicles.

The Jean Matlock Scholarship for Young Women was established by her son Blair Hull and the Hull Family Foundation. Jean was a trailblazing, career-oriented woman who worked in management at a time when few women worked outside the home. She lived in many places, but she never forgot her home in Rushville. She even returned after retiring. This award fosters gender equity by assisting female college students with a generous annual scholarship that is renewable for up to four years. For a wonderful and charming look at teenage life in Rushville during the late 1920’s, we highly recommend reading Jean’s senior thesis.

For years, Gary Alexander has been watching the impact created by the Courtney Anne Huskins Memorial Scholarship, which his sister, Sarah Huskins, began in memory of her daughter and his niece. To continue honoring his family, including his grandparents, parents, and each of his siblings and their spouses, he started the Alexander Farms Scholarship Fund. This scholarship supports a Rush County resident who will attend an accredited college or university to study a medical-related field.

CBAP UPDATES

Volunteers continued their work on CBAP (Community Based Action Planning) projects. Good progress was made on both the Mental Health and Post-Secondary Education/Training initiatives.

Benjamin Rush Middle School students received mindfulness journals and guidance on using them. All Rush County students participated in an age-appropriate version of a live, interactive mental health event. The “Get Schooled Tour” by RemedyLIVE included live music and anonymous polling on topics such as stressors, coping mechanisms, and self-esteem. Students answered questions with their phones or Chromebooks. Results were shown on a screen, and students were able to see that they are not alone when it comes to the challenges they face. These tools promote healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety. READ MORE

While college is an excellent opportunity for preparing for a career, it’s not the only option or the one best suited for everyone. The CBAP post-secondary education and training group organized a trip for Rush County Schools (RCS) educators to visit three local manufacturers. The group of 23 teachers made stops at Intat, Trane, and Copeland. They toured each facility and connected with management and human resource leaders for questions and dialogue. Jill Carmony, RCHS FACS teacher, shared, “Everything I learned from the tour will help me drive and develop a curriculum to better prepare students for college and career.  I feel the more real-life situations provided, the better prepared the student will be. My goal is to implement more functional knowledge that can be taken directly into the workplace.” READ MORE

Read a summary of all the work that has been completed by CBAP volunteers.

REC CENTER

The REC (Recreation, Education and Collaboration) Center will be the product of an innovative approach to a decades-long dream for our community, with something for everyone. The first outward step in the process finally took place on September 7 with the groundbreaking ceremony.

Shortly before the REC Center groundbreaking began, an uninvited guest, the rain, tried to crash the party. Not a chance.  A tent for 90 guests overflowed with umbrellas, joy, support, and pride. There’s absolutely no dampening the spirit of this community! As Rushville Mayor, Mike Pavey, said, “This will be one of the most significant days in our community as people look back.”

Construction has begun! Concrete footers have been poured for the basketball court/walking track and indoor pool, which will be new construction. Walls are going up. Follow the updates. We look forward to sharing more big news soon! Look for a completion date of late 2024/early 2025.

GIFT VIII ANNOUNCED

In early December Lilly Endowment Inc. announced its latest community foundation initiative, GIFT VIII (Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow). Your gifts to unrestricted Community Grants Funds will be matched 2:1. For each $1 you donate, Lilly Endowment will match it with $2, which TRIPLES your impact!

If you’ve ever considered starting your own Community Grants Fund, the time is perfect! A $10,000 donation is necessary, but when you factor in the match, you only need to give $3,334. We have non-cash gift options like the sale of stock, a QCD from your IRA, or a gift of grain that may make better financial sense for you. Need more info? Contact Chris at cmay@rushcountyfoundation.org or (765) 938-1177, ext 1.

In just three months, you already put us at 25% of the final goal – THANK YOU! Be sure to follow the progress on our home page.

LILLY SCHOLAR

Without a doubt, one of the best days of our year is surprising one Rush County senior with the news that they’ve been awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The 2024 recipient is Gabrielle Pavey. Gabby receives full-tuition to the Indiana school of her choice, plus $900/year for books and required supplies. She is a resident of Posey Township and is the daughter of Jason and Jamey Pavey. She plans to major in Political Science and Environmental Studies, with the future goal of becoming an Environmental Lawyer. At RCHS, Pavey is involved in National Honor Society, Key Club, Madrigals, Cheerleading, and several other organizations. She is 10-year 4-H member and High School Mentor with M.o.R.E. for Kids and her church and its youth group. Congratulations, Gabby! READ MORE

We said it before, but it’s worth repeating. What a year! Your generosity toward our community knows no limits and great things happen when we work together.