COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Impact-Driven. Future-Focused.

We don’t just help fund impact and change. We work to create it.

Here to Lead. Ready to Serve.

Community leadership has always been a pillar of community foundations, along with serving donors and awarding grants. Until recently, our role was mostly as a convener, bringing people and agencies together.

That all began to change in 2018.

First5 Rush County’s Early Learning Coalition

With unrestricted dollars available in 2018, we took a different approach. A committee studied the greatest issues facing Rush County to determine a course of action that would make the most meaningful impact.

All signs pointed to early learning.

Our first proactive grant funded First5 Rush County’s Early Learning Coalition.

Love Community Center

Lilly Endowment Inc. released their GIFT VII (Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow) initiative in 2018. To encourage community foundations to “further develop and strengthen their effectiveness as local leaders,” The Endowment offered non-competitive planning grants. We provided community development training to local leaders and began seeking community input for a large-scale project.

The Community Insights listening sessions we hosted in 2019, along with an online survey, gave us insight into what large project would benefit the community most. The answer? A community center.

The initial $5M proposal was submitted on Friday, March 13, 2020 – just before everyday life came to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In December, we learned our proposal was funded! This grant jumpstarted the campaign for the Love Community Center Presented by Jay and Christie (Kile) Love, which opened in early 2025.

Rush County Rural Revitalization Plan

In the spring of 2024, a similar grant opportunity became available from Lilly Endowment, GIFT VIII. Leaning into community input from Rush County’s Comprehensive Plan process, we determined the greatest needs to be broadband access, blight removal, and recreational opportunities outside of Rushville.

We submitted another $5M grant for the “Rush County Rural Revitalization Plan” in the fall. Before the doors to the Love Community Center were open, we received news that our large-scale project was funded. Initial planning began in early 2025.