(Decatur County, IN) – January brings a lot of announcements from the Decatur County Community Foundation, including scholarships, new grant opportunities, recent grant recipients, and new board members.
Current grant opportunities and deadlines include:
· Teacher Grants – Up to $500 in funding is available to Decatur County educators to use toward creative, innovative classroom projects that cannot be funded by other means. Teacher grant applications are open through January 31st.
· Scholarships – Scholarship applications are open through February 1 at 11:59pm. Approximately 70 scholarships are available to the 2024 graduating class. A few scholarships are also available for college students and adults returning to school.
· Small Grants – Requests for up to $1,500 are due on February 5th.
· Large Grants – Letters of Intent are due February 9. Any 501c3 interested in applying for a grant between $1,500-$15,000 needs to complete a Letter of Intent by February 9. The Foundation will review each proposed project to ensure it meets areas of funding priorities.
· Women’s and Children’s Grants – These applications are currently available through Thursday, February 29. Funding is available to help with projects that address issues facing women and children in Decatur County. One grant for $1,500 and two grants for $1,000 will be awarded.
In other news, DCCF Board of Directors recently approved its first Capital Campaign Grant to the Speranza House. $60,000 was awarded to Speranza House for a second recovery home.
In addition, two small grants were recently approved. These were for a new laptop at the Community Healthcare Clinic, and to Decatur County Memorial Hospital to assist with its Community Health Needs Assessment programming.
With the start of the new calendar year, the Foundation also welcomes new board members, Kate Bedel and Rob Eversole. Kate is a retired CPA, and Rob has retired from dentistry practice.
The two fill vacancies created by Kristi Jarvis and Steve Freeman, who each have served on the Foundation Board since January 2018.
The new year also brings new officers. The 2024 executive team includes Bill Corya, President; Rick Nobbe, Vice President; Rick Johnson, Secretary; and Kristi Jarvis, Immediate Past President.
“In addition to all of these happenings at the Foundation, we are also happy to be a part of the Lilly Endowment’s new GIFT VIII Challenge,” said Tami Wenning, DCCF Executive Director. “That challenge encourages donations to community grant-making funds, all of which support small and large grants, teacher grants, fire department grants and more. Donations to those funds are currently being matched at an amazing $2 for every $1 donated.”
For more information on which funds are considered community funds, how to start a community fund, or how to apply for one of the various grants, contact the Foundation at (812) 662-6364 or [email protected], or visit dccfound.org.
(Decatur County Community Foundation press release)
