By Kallie Sulanke—
MUNCIE, IN—Grants totaling $380,809 were awarded from The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County to benefit the community between September and October 2022. Most grants are awarded through permanently endowed funds that benefit our community today and always.
Robert P. Bell Education Grants are awarded to teachers with innovative ideas, programs, or projects related to a classroom unit or lesson. Grants range from $50 to $600 and support projects designed to stimulate students’ learning. The following grants were awarded through the Robert P. Bell Education Grants Program:
Ben Buehler, Yorktown High School, received $532 for Seeing the Unseeable.
Carol Daughtery, Muncie Central High School, received $300 for Painted Acrylic Umbrellas.
Brad Hess, Yorktown High School, received $564 for Hydroponics from Disney to the Classroom and Beyond.
Brad Hess, Yorktown High School, received $596 for Farm to Table.
Holly Summers, Yorktown Middle School, received $139 for Fraction Operations with Trail Mix.
The Maxon Foundation Fund was established at The Community Foundation in 2009 to continue the philanthropic giving of the Maxon Corporation and the associated Maxon Foundation. Since then, a committee of former Maxon Corporation and Maxon Foundation leadership and appointed community members have met annually to review grant requests from nonprofit organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County. The grants awarded benefit at-risk children and families. The Maxon Foundation Fund has benefited the community with more than $700,000 in grants to date.
The following grants were awarded from the Maxon Foundation Fund:
A Better Way Services, Inc. received $15,000 to provide swimming lessons, lessons in the arts, and luggage to at least 100 children receiving services from A Better Way.
First Choice for Women, Inc. received $8,428 to refurbish the ParentCare parenting education classrooms currently serving 135 Delaware County prenatal and postnatal clients.
Habitat for Humanity received $12,500 to rehabilitate a house in Muncie for purchase by a local family.
Urban Light CDC received $10,000 to support the Lighthouse Recovery Home, which provides substance abuse recovery services for women.
YMCA of Muncie received $12,500 to support the capital campaign for a new YMCA facility on the campus of Muncie Central High School that is open and barrier-free for all in our community.
The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s Funders Forum Fund received $1,923 to engage in collaborative grantmaking with local funders.
The Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund was established at The Community Foundation to fulfill the wishes of Mr. and Mrs. Kitselman to distribute funds for the good of the people of Muncie, Indiana. Grants from the Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund focus on fine arts, recreation, children, and the history of East Central Indiana. Since 2017, the Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund has benefited the community with nearly $500,000 in grants.
The following grants were awarded from the Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund in 2022:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie received $25,000 to offset costs associated with opening the third location for out-of-school programming for elementary and middle school-aged children in Delaware County.
City of Muncie Parks & Recreation Department received $19,254 to support the repair and repainting of the pools and slides at Tuhey Pool.
Muncie Civic Theatre received $10,000 to support the upgrade of the rigging system for the theatre’s main stage.
YMCA of Muncie received $25,000 to support the capital campaign for a new YMCA facility on the campus of Muncie Central High School that will be open and barrier-free for all in our community.
The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s Funders Forum Fund received $2,500 to engage in collaborative grantmaking with local funders.
Twelve organizations were awarded $30,397 in grants from donor advised funds managed by The Community Foundation. This included one donor advised grant for $8,000 to Youth Symphony Orchestras of East Central Indiana, which complemented the quarterly competitive grants program.
An additional $209,176 was awarded to nonprofit organizations from designated funds. Designated funds are established by donors or by nonprofits to provide ongoing support for specified organizations.
About The Community Foundation
The Community Foundation of Muncie and 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. Since 1985, community members and businesses have helped the Foundation grow our endowment to $88 million. Using the earnings on the endowment, the Foundation distributes grants to nonprofit organizations, including scholarships to support students through post-secondary education. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $63 million to enhance the quality of life of the residents of Muncie and Delaware County.
