Community Foundation Awarded $1,000 to Support More Teachers in Delaware County

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Muncie, IN – The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County has been awarded $1,000 by the Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc., through a program called 2 Million & Change that allows Staples associates around the globe to direct more than $2 million in donations each year. Phil Amos, general manager of the Muncie Staples, nominated The Community Foundation and acted as a local champion for this award. The grant dollars will support the Robert P. Bell Education Grants program which benefits teachers with innovative ideas designed to stimulate student learning.

The Robert. P Bell Education Grants program awarded more than $12,000 to local teachers during the 2015-2016 academic year, and has awarded more than $160,000 since it began.

“The Community Foundation is honored to be selected as a recipient through the 2 Million & Change program,” said Kelly K. Shrock, president of The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. “This grant will directly benefit teachers and students in Delaware County through Robert P. Bell Education Grants.”

Since 1992, The Community Foundation has funded the Robert P. Bell Education Grants program which provides awards up to $450 in individual grants to local teachers for creative and innovative ideas or programs. This year, with the help of donors, the Foundation established the Robert P. Bell Teacher Grants Fund to permanently endow this program and ensure that teachers will always have access to funds to help engage their students in meaningful ways. Individuals can contribute to the new endowment fund to memorialize a special teacher, honor a retiring teacher or teacher celebrating a work anniversary, or to simply show their support for K-12 education in Delaware County.

Created in 2012, the 2 Million & Change program is a philanthropic initiative which allows Staples associates around the world to direct funding to non-profit organizations focused on academic education or job skills. The program encourages local community engagement by awarding larger grants to organizations where associates are highly engaged in volunteering or fundraising – up to $25,000 per organization.

In 2015, Staples awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to 875 local organizations in support of education and job skills programs, including job readiness for homeless individuals, career exploration for high school students, academic scholarships, mentoring and more.

About The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County

The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc. encourages philanthropy, assists donors in building an enduring source of charitable assets, and exercises leadership in directing resources to enhance the quality of life for residents of Muncie and Delaware County. For more information on this partnership or about The Community Foundation visit www.cfmdin.org or call 765-747-7181.

About Staples Community and Giving 

Staples contributes to educational and job-related community efforts with a primary focus on disadvantaged youth, from literacy and mentoring to career skills development, through in-kind and monetary donations and grants from Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc. Through its community and giving efforts, Staples has helped thousands of organizations in 26 countries. For more information, visit www.staples.com/community