The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) announced the first round of 2015 grants from the Foundation’s Community Fund and the Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr Fund during an awards presentation held Wednesday, April 8, 2015 in Plymouth, Indiana. Twice each year, nonprofit organizations are invited to submit proposals for new, innovative and collaborative projects. Members of the community serving on the MCCF Grants Committee evaluate the proposals and conduct site visits during a competitive application process.
Community Fund Grants:
The Community Fund is one of the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s 333 funds in addressing current and emerging needs. Grants from this endowment fund typically support projects focusing on the arts, education, health and human services, recreation and the environment. The first grants from the Community Fund were awarded in 1995; since then MCCF has awarded over $3.2 million in total grants from this fund to the community. Growth of this fund now enables MCCF to award more than $180,000 in Community Fund grants on an annual basis. During the Spring 2015 grant round, $87,660 was awarded to twelve organizations in Marshall County for the following projects:
- Ancilla College-Nursing Program: $15,000 for a Pyxis Medstation Training Unit
- Argos Lions Club: $2,160 for a fire suppression system at a Marshall County 4-H Fair food booth
- Argos Park Board/Town of Argos: $25,000 for installation of a splash pad in the Argos Town Park
- Blessings in a Back Pack: $2,000 for new programs at John Glenn School Corporation and Union-North School Corporation
- Bourbon Public Library: $6,000 for building improvements
- Crossroads Church: $2,500 to initiate a Kids Hope program with Jefferson Elementary
- Marshall County Economic Development: $10,000 to provide Marshall County funding support for the four-county region (Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph Counties) to develop a Regional Cities of Northern Indiana five-year plan and funding proposal
- Marshall County Running Club: $2,000 to start a youth health program centered on walking and running
- Plymouth Youth Softball: $5,000 for improvements to the girls fastpitch softball diamond at Centennial Park
- Potawatomi Park, Inc.: $5,000 to assist with a new park entrance sign
- Turning Point Housing, Inc./Heminger House: $8,000 for repairs to windows, doors and floors at Heminger House
- Project Lead The Way: $5,000 for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum in public and private schools in Marshall County ($30,000 funding over 3 years as part of five-county $4.4 million regional match grant)
Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr. Grants:
The Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr. Fund was established to provide annual funding for environmental, educational, or recreational projects directly related to Lake Maxinkuckee. This year $14,699 was awarded to the following organizations:
- Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund, Inc: $5,000 for a Watershed Management Plan providing assessment and management information to achieve water resource goals
- Maxinkuckee Yacht Club: $9,699 for new sailboats and equipment for a redeveloped, expanded and more accessible Junior Fleet youth sailing program
About the Marshall County Community Foundation
The Marshall County Community Foundation is a public charity with local roots that helps great ideas take flight through endowment philanthropy. Since 1991, donors to the Marshall County Community Foundation have built the community’s assets currently valued at more than $31 million and have returned over $12 million to support charitable interests and causes throughout Marshall County.
For more information about the Foundation, call 574.935.9159 or visit www.marshallcountycf.org.
Pictured: Front Row: Linda Yoder (MCCF Executive Director), Heather Barron, Darlene Derifield, Eric Keilman. Second Row: Cathy Clark, Ann Fitzgerald, Sara Spasic, Diane Fisher, Loretta Schmidt. Third Row: Becky Furry, Ed Furry, Jim Burroughs, Mark VanDerWeele, Joe Krom, Jerry Chavez, Kathy Frazier, Kevin Boyer (MCCF Grants Committee Chair), Morris Riddle, Collin Seitz and Todd Zeltwanger.
