Non-Profit

By Tania Said— MUNCIE, IN — The Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts) will bring together artists, volunteers, supporters, and community members for Ovation 2026, an evening celebrating the people who help arts and culture thrive throughout Muncie and Delaware County. Ovation will be held Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Ballroom of the historic Patterson Building, 108 S. Walnut St. in downtown Muncie. This year’s featured guest speaker will be Jim Rawlinson, Vice President of Regional Development for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). Rawlinson will present How the Creative Economy is Strengthening Communities, Attracting Investment, and…

By Nick Werner— MUNCIE, IN—  Muncie based Red-tail Land Conservancy’s Fall Creek Woods is a model for the power of partnerships when it comes to restoring wetlands and rebuilding resiliency into our landscape. Fall Creek Woods is a nature preserve along Mechanicsburg Road in eastern Henry County. In 2015, Red-tail Land Conservancy acquired about 70 acres to expand Fall Creek Woods, and the organization protected this new acreage with a conservation easement held by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Two years ago, Red-tail partnered with the DNR to restore those acres from row-crop agriculture to a natural wetland…

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN — This fall, Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded $5.1 million in grants. Included among the recipients is Muncie Community Schools which was awarded $600,000 to help continue the district’s transformation. “Ten years ago, Muncie Community Schools was in a challenging situation. Today, the district is in a very different place thanks to the tireless dedication of countless teachers, community partners, students, parents, and Ball State University personnel. Enrollment has stabilized, facilities have been improved, and academic gains are well underway. Ball Brothers Foundation believes strongly in the importance of Muncie Community…

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—A number of community groups will join together to “March to the Polls” on Saturday, Oct. 24, one of two days citizens can vote on Saturday as part of Indiana’s early voting laws. The other Saturday citizens can cast their vote is Oct. 31. People interested in marching to vote early at a Saturday vote center should meet on the North Wheeling Avenue Fallen Heroes  Bridge at 1 p.m. Starting at 1:30 p.m., one group will march to the Delaware County Fairgrounds to vote, and the other group will march to the Delaware County Building. Both…

New program will serve Yorktown students in grades 6–8 beginning in January 2027 By Dominic Bordenaro, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs — MUNCIE, IN —Yorktown Community Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie, and Yorktown Methodist Church are partnering to launch a new afterschool program for Yorktown students in grades 6–8 beginning in January 2027. The partnership grew out of conversations between Yorktown Community Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie, and Yorktown Methodist Church about the need for additional opportunities for Yorktown middle school students after the school day ends. Leaders from all three organizations began discussing…

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN — Walk to the corner of Madison and Jackson in downtown Muncie, and you’ll find people welding, sewing, brewing beer, hanging from aerial silks, and pitching new business ideas, all under the same roof and sometimes on the same night. Ten years ago, that same 80,000-square-foot building sat empty, a former industrial laundry facility with no clear future. Today, it’s MadJax Maker Force, one of downtown Muncie’s most surprising spaces, a growing hub for making, entrepreneurship, and community gathering that more people are discovering every month. Where MadJax Started When Cintas…

By Juli Metzger— MUNCIE, IN—More than $1 million was awarded this week to four area youth-serving organizations to help them sustain and strengthen programs serving children and young adults. The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) awarded the funding through the second round of Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana, an initiative launched by Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2023. Local recipients are: Huffer Memorial Children’s Center – $438,550. Motivate Our Minds – $144,000 Project Leadership – $270,000 Youth Opportunity Center – $174,000 Together, the four organizations received $1,026,550. The grants reflect the broad range of services local organizations provide to support youth development…

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Now is the time for citizens to plan when, how and where they will vote. Early voting at the Delaware County’s Voter Registration Office, Room 104, in the Delaware County Building, 100 W. Main St., starts at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Early voting will be available Monday through Friday at the Voter Registration Office at the Delaware County Building at Main and Walnut streets. Two Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, will be available for early voting. Saturday voting will take place at two vote centers:…

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Oct. 5-9 is National Voter Education Week. To help voters and young people who cannot yet vote, the League of Women Voters of Indiana and the Muncie-Delaware County League have two resources to help voters become better educated about candidates running for local, state and federal office in the 2026 midterm elections. The first resource is a “Citizens’ Handbook” to help citizens be better informed about their rights and responsibilities in the United States. The free handbook is available online – in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Copies of the handbook also are available from all…