The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) announced the second round of 2015 grants from the Foundation’s Community Fund during an awards presentation held Wednesday, October 7, in Plymouth. 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 $3.3 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 Fall 2015 grant round, $73,327 was awarded to fourteen organizations in Marshall County for the following projects:
- Bremen Bicentennial Committee 2016: $5,500 prepare Bicentennial Tree Planting Plan, commemoration Indiana’s 2016 Bicentennial Celebration, to plant 200 native trees along Plymouth St., Bremen, and provide first 20 trees
- Bremen Public Library: $4,302 Expand early literacy preschool activity areas with the addition of a Lego brick collection to support STEM learning
- Care and Share of Marshall County: $500 to purchase a scanner and backup hard drive
- City of Plymouth/Freedom Park: $6,500 to increase safety for the all –inclusive park by purchasing and installing fencing by parking spaces along 8th street
- Culver Boys and Girls Club: $5,000 Launch SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids), a nationally renowned, proven program designated to increase physical activity of youth and combat the ills of childhood obesity
- Culver Park Board: $18,000 to renovate historic pavilion on the west end of the Culver Town Park
- Culver Union Township Heritage: $2,760 to provide software and equipment for innovative projects to preserve historical documents in Union Township
- Friends of Culver Library: $1,000 to purchase an automated external defibrillator with a matching grant
- Historic Bremen, Inc.: $1,400 update and expand Historic Bremen computer system at the Bremen History Center
- Junior Achievement: $1,000 to support Park Capstone Experience for 8th grade students at Argos Community Jr-Sr High school, Triton Jr-Sr High School and Saint Michael Catholic School
- Lincoln Junior High School: $2,000 to expand Five Star program to increase participation and student impact
- Marshall County Council on Aging: $15,365 provide match funds for two wheelchair vehicles
- Plymouth Arts Commission/Encore Performing Arts: $5,000 to help fund Arts Midwest World Fest program to present international musical ensemble in intensive week-long residency to foster an understanding and appreciation for global uniqueness and differences
- 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)
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 $30 million and have returned over $13.5 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: Craig Hopple, Sandy Krost, Patty Stullings, Rebecca Nifong,
Deborah Gidley, Linda Yoder, Executive Director. Back Row: Brian Main, Tom Wruble, Kyle Burkett, Judi Currens, Mike Hite, Jackie Wright, Michael Overmyer, Kevin Boyer, Grants Chair, Marc Hayden, Virginia Heinke and Tom Kearns.
