Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County Announces Impact Grant Finalists
October 4, 2022
The Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County has announced the six finalist organizations to be considered for their 2023 Impact Grant awards. After a meticulous deliberation process that begins with a review of funding requests, the Women’s Fund will award three impact grants aimed at improving the quality of life for Vanderburgh County families. Two of the grants focus on an Impact Program and an Impact Project. The Women’s Fund added a third grant opportunity this year with a focus on Mental Health.
Grants recipients will be announced at the Women’s Fund Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. Women’s Fund members will select three organizations that will each receive a $35,000 grant, with the remaining three organizations receiving $10,000 grants.
Impact Program Finalist Impact Project Finalists Impact Mental Health Finalists
Dream Center Evansville Impact Evansville Lampion Center
EVSC Foundation-Hangers Program YWCA Youth First
The Women’s Fund was established in 2007 when a group of area women came together with the goal of improving the quality of life in Vanderburgh County by pooling their resources to forever provide funding for charitable initiatives. Since 2007, the Women's Fund has awarded over $1.9 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.
Past Impact Grants have provided funding for projects and programs at the Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Ark Crisis Child Care Center, Aurora, Boys and Girls Club, Evansville Christian Life Center, Holly’s House, House of Bread and Peace, Lampion Center, Little Lambs Ozanam Family Shelter, Patchwork Central, Potter's Wheel, St. Vincent Early Learning Center, SWIRCA & More, United Caring Services, United Methodist Youth Home, Vanderburgh County CASA, Youth First, Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana, and the YWCA.
“Because of our members’ generosity, we are able to look back fondly and with pride at the last 16 years of impact giving that has allowed amazing local organizations to receive well over $1 Million in grants,” states Angela Freel, President of the Women’s Fund Board of Directors. “In celebration of this milestone, we were able to add a $35,000 grant in 2022 focused upon mental health. We could not have done this without the full support and commitment of our members. We are ever so grateful.”
The Women's Fund of Vanderburgh County is a fund of the Vanderburgh Community Foundation. The Women’s Fund focuses the efforts of women philanthropists to create positive social change by funding projects that address current needs in our community. The mission is to improve the quality of life in Vanderburgh County by collectively funding significant grants to charitable initiatives.
For additional information about the Women's Fund, or to become a member, contact Sarah Wagner at 812.429.1191, ext. 105 or swagner@communityfoundationalliance.org.
The Vanderburgh and Warrick County Community Foundations are now accepting applications for their annual Community Good Grants Program. Community Good grants provide funding to charitable organizations for new or ongoing programs and projects that meet a broad range of local needs. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, February 21, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Community Good Grants are awarded to charitable organizations located in or directly serving Vanderburgh and/or Warrick Counties. Funding is available to support various local needs, with priority given to organizations that demonstrate: Evidence of realistic organizational planning and management Project methodology with a preventative approach to addressing issues and solving problems Clear, actionable plans for program/project evaluation A commitment to promoting collaboration among organizations or institutions to prevent duplication of services A focus on long-term planning, financial stability, and sustainability For full details on funding requirements and to access the grant application, visit vanderburghcf.org/community-good-grants-program or warrickcountycf.org/community-good-grants-program New prospective grant applicants are encouraged to attend the virtual Grant Application Orientation Session on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. To RSVP, please email Sidney Hardgrave at shardgrave@communityfoundationalliance.org
The Vanderburgh Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Vanderburgh County - Addison Greaney, Signature School, Simon Theby, Reitz Memorial High School, and John Vogel, Signature School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. “The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is often a life-changing opportunity for students,” said Sidney Hardgrave, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact. “This scholarship is extremely competitive and requires the completion of a rigorous process including an extensive application, essays, and interview. We are fortunate in Vanderburgh County to have many talented students with a heart for service to their communities.” Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities. “I am very grateful to the Lily Foundation for this honor,” said Addison Greaney, 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar. “It is like an affirmation of all my years of hard work, and it will be a tremendous boost to my future educational goals.” In determining Vanderburgh County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to academic ability, community involvement, extracurricular activities/employment, honors and awards, personal statement and goals, application essay, and finalist impromptu essay and interview by the LECSP Nominating Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients. Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1997-98 school year. Since then, grant funding in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through the program. The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
Krista Wilson, Donna Logan, and Christin Eberhard
The Men’s Fund of Vanderburgh County awarded $40,000 in grants to three local organizations. During their annual meeting at the Evansville Museum of Art, History, and Science in October, members of the Men’s Fund awarded their $30,000 Impact Grant to the Albion Fellow Bacon Center. Albion Fellow Bacon Center will use this year’s $30,000 Impact Grant to support expenses related to the renovation of the kitchen at their emergency shelter. Evansville Christian Life Center and Ozanam Family Shelter were each awarded $5,000 grants as finalists for this year’s Impact Grant. Men’s Fund Chair, Dave Mitchell is pictured with representatives from this year’s grantee organizations. (Katie Grunow – Evansville Christian Life Center, Ollie Wing – Albion Fellows Bacon Center, and Larry Cornett - Ozanam Family Shelter)
Many of our donors have chosen to honor their loved ones, communities, high schools, colleges, and professions by establishing scholarship funds through their local Community Foundations in Daviess, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties. These funds support the annual Community Scholarship programs, providing valuable opportunities for students in Southwest Indiana. Thanks to their contributions, applications are being accepted now, with a deadline of Monday, January 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. "We are excited to once again provide scholarship opportunities to students in our Southwest Indiana region,” says Melinda Waldroup, Chief Program Officer at the Community Foundation Alliance. “By offering these scholarships, we are not only investing in individual students but also in the future of our communities. We encourage all eligible students to apply and take a step towards achieving their educational and career goals." Students may apply for one or more scholarships if they meet the eligibility requirements and selection criteria established by donors. Details about each scholarship and the application are posted on the website at communityfoundationalliance.org/scholarships . Each scholarship is unique and supports students with a variety of backgrounds, educational goals, and economic statuses. Awards are made without regard to race, creed, color, sex, religion, or national origin and are based on a competitive process that may consider academic achievement, extracurricular activities, personal aspirations, educational goals, and financial need. The deadline to apply is Monday, January 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Learn more and apply today!
Vanderburgh Community Foundation Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program
Women's Fund of Vanderburgh County Accepting Grant Applications
Men's Fund of Vanderburgh County Accepting Grant Applications
The Vanderburgh Community Foundation is now accepting online applications for the Community Good Grants Program. In recognition of the ongoing challenges of local nonprofit agencies, this year’s grant cycle is accepting applications for both one-year and multi-year programs/projects. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, February 9, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The Community Foundation awards Community Good Grants to charitable partners located in or directly serving Vanderburgh County. Funding opportunities are available to support a broad range of local needs. Consideration will be given to organizations that demonstrate: · Evidence of realistic organizational planning and management; · Project methodology utilizing a preventative approach to addressing the issues and solving problems; · Solid, realistic plans for program/project evaluation; · Desire to promote collaboration among organizations or institutions to prevent duplication of services; and · Commitment to long-range planning, financial stability, and sustainability. Charitable entities can view the full details related to funding requirements and access the grant application via the Foundation’s website at https://www.vanderburghcf.org/community-good-grants-program . A virtual orientation session will be hosted for interested applicants on Friday, January 12 th at 9:00 am. Interested individuals should submit an RSVP to Sidney Hardgrave at shardgrave@communityfoundationalliance.org.
Vanderburgh Community Foundation Announces the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Recipients
The Vanderburgh Community Foundation is pleased to announce the three recipients of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Vanderburgh County – Amishi Gandhi and Jeremy Li from Signature School and Luke Woodyard from Reitz Memorial High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. “This year’s recipients impressed the committee with their accomplishments, leadership skills, and maturity,” said Sidney Hardgrave, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact for the Vanderburgh Community Foundation. Amishi Gandhi is the daughter of Kaushai and Shimoli Gandhi. She is interested in becoming an attorney. Amishi served on the Teen Advisory Board for the Newburgh-Chandler Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Teen Court. She also volunteers with Youth Resources, Tri-State Food Bank and the Browning Funeral Home Genealogy Project. Amishi participates in numerous activities at school including the Mock Trial team, Math Club, Model UN, French Club, and Rotary Interact Club. Jeremy Li is the son of David Li and June Pan. He is interested in a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. During high school, Jeremy founded a STEM tutoring program. He has also been active with Indiana Youth and Government and Tri-State Food Bank. He participated in the Youth Conference on National Affairs. At school, Jeremy has been involved with the USA Biology Olympiad, Mock Trial team, Student Council, and Model UN. Luke Woodyard is the son of James and Laura Woodyard. He is interested in studying industrial engineering. Luke has volunteered with Incognito Instructors, Boys and Girls Club, and been an active member of Scouts BSA, where he achieved recognition as an Eagle Scout. During high school, he participated in tennis, cross country, and track along with being a member of the Academic Team and International Club. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities. In determining Vanderburgh County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to academic achievement, involvement in the community, extracurricular activities, two essays, and an interview by the LECSP Nominating Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients. “Our community has many students who excel both academically and in service to others. The selection process is never easy,” said Hardgrave. Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception. The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
