Non-Profit

What Makes a Community Vibrant? And How Does Muncie Compare?

By Muncie Arts and Culture Council— MUNCIE, IN—Some things are difficult to measure, but easy to feel. You know it when you walk through a downtown filled with activity. You hear it during live performances and community festivals. You see it in murals, galleries, public spaces, local businesses, and the energy created when people gather together to experience something meaningful. A vibrant arts and culture scene changes how a community feels. So, how do we measure this vibrancy? How can you capture a feeling? Measuring Arts Vibrancy Researchers have developed ways to measure that vibrancy. One of the most widely…

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Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Application Now Available

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, IN— Incoming high school seniors can now apply online for the 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship administered by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County. Applicants must be residents of Delaware County, Ind., and attend an accredited high school in Delaware County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County awards a student who possesses leadership potential and is well-rounded and community-minded. The scholarship covers tuition and required fees for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a bachelor’s degree at any accredited Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Additionally,…


Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame to Induct 11

By Doug Zaleski— MUNCIE, IN — The Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame has elected 11 new members who will be honored this month in its 2026 class. Cindy (Kizer) Baldwin, Melvin Bryant II, Bob Cook, Caroline (Gullion) Kovalcin, Mike Larrabee, Joselyn (Johnson) Martin, Ryan Schrecongost, Craig Skinner, Kristy (Cox) Smoot, Cody Young, and Doug Zaleski will be inducted July 25 at the Ball State Alumni Center. Kaye Harrell will be honored at the banquet as this year’s James Lightbody Award of Excellence recipient. The induction banquet, sponsored by Crown Pointe Communities, will be at 6 p.m. July 25 at…


8twelve Coalition Selects Muncie Advocate Suzanne Clem to Lead Organization

By Juli Metzger— MUNCIE, IN—Ball State University graduate and community engagement professional Suzanne Clem has been named executive director of the 8twelve Coalition, a resident-led neighborhood revitalization alliance in South Muncie. Clem, whose work spans 20 years in fundraising, marketing, health care, and executive leadership, assumed her new role on July 1. She replaces interim executive director Patrick Smith, who stepped in more than a year ago during a transition period for the organization. Originally, the 8twelve Coalition emerged as an initiative of Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity to become a more intentional partner in revitalizing whole neighborhoods, expanding its…


Second Harvest Food Bank Launches Summer Match Campaign with Support from Pacers Foundation

 Every Dollar Donated in July and August Will Be Matched 1:1 to Help Fight Hunger Across East Central Indiana By C.S. Hendershot— MUNCIE, IN—Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is excited to announce its Summer Match, a special fundraising campaign running throughout July and August. Thanks to the generous support of the Pacers Foundation, every dollar donated during the campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of every gift made to help neighbors facing food insecurity. As families navigate increased expenses during the summer months and children lose access to school meal programs, the need for food…


2026 Fisher Governance Award Nomination Deadline is August 15

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN — Delaware County nonprofit organizations are invited to nominate a board member for the John W. and Janice B. Fisher Governance Award before the deadline on August 15. The award, given annually by Ball Brothers Foundation since 2011, recognizes the important role board members play in strategic planning, financial oversight, and organizational leadership to help nonprofits achieve their mission. The award recipient will receive a $10,000 grant for their organization. In 2026, Ball Brothers Foundation is marking its 100th anniversary, and the Fisher Governance Award is one of several ways the…


Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame Upcoming Events: Golfing Fundraiser and Annual Banquet

By Doug Zaleski— DELAWARE COUNTY, IN—The Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame has two major events coming up this summer that have deadlines approaching in order to participate. The 28th annual DCAHOF golf outing, the main fundraiser during the year for the non-profit organization, will be July 24 at Crestview Golf Club. The next day, July 25, the 46th dinner and induction ceremony will welcome 11 new members to its hall of fame. “The golf outing serves as one of the main fundraisers for our organization,” DCAHOF vice president Kaye Harrell said. “Part of the proceeds from this golf outing…


How Muncie Community Schools Became a Model for Public School Transformation

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN — Over the past decade, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) has undergone one of the most significant periods of transformation in the district’s history. What began with difficult, but necessary decisions around consolidation and financial stabilization have evolved into an unprecedented collaboration that is positioning the district as a national model. In 2013, district leaders made the difficult decision to consolidate the city’s two high schools, a major transition intended to help address financial and enrollment challenges that had developed over many years. The years that followed brought additional change, including governance…


Public is Invited to Free Educational Event About Development of AI Data Centers in Delaware County

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Resists and the League of Women Voters of Muncie-Delaware County will co-host a community education meeting on the development of data centers in Delaware County on Monday, June 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie, 4800 W Bradford Drive, Muncie. The event is free and open to the public. The meeting will feature a presentation by Bryce Gustafson, an organizer from Citizens Action Coalition. The event will walk attendees through the facts on data centers: the economic promises developers and officials often make to communities, the environmental and infrastructure…


Kathy White Named 2026 Recipient of The Community Foundation’s David Sursa Leadership Award 

MUNCIE, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County has announced that Katherine White received the 2026 David Sursa Leadership Award to recognize her dedicated service to Animal Rescue Fund “ARF.” ARF nominated Kathy White in recognition of her exceptional leadership and service to the Muncie community. Katherine “Kathy” White’s nearly three decades of leadership at Animal Rescue Fund of Muncie (ARF) reflects a deep and enduring commitment to both organizational excellence and community impact. “I can honestly say that next to me, I don’t know anyone who has more empathy and respect for dogs and cats than Kathy,” wrote…