From $0 to granting $700K! This year is the Starke County Community Foundation's (SCCF) 25th anniversary. While that seems like many years of philanthropy, the community foundation concept has actually been around for over 100 years! Cleveland lawyer and banker Frederick H. Geoff established the very first community foundation in 1914. This concept gave rise to a brand-new version of philanthropy, one that doesn't just plan for NORTHERN INDIANA today, but forever. COMMUNITY Today, there are many community foundations across the United FOUNDATION States, but a significant portion of them are right here in Indiana! In fact, each county in Indiana has at least one community foundation. We are at the forefront of the community foundation movement thanks in part to Lilly Endowment Inc. and generous donors and Where Giving Grows supporters throughout Indiana. In 1993, Lilly Endowment Inc. wanted to help Indiana community foundations by launching an initiative called Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT). This initiative helped community foundations get started and grow exponentially through matching grants and other opportunities. There have been seven phases of GIFT to date! The Community Foundation here in Starke County began when a group of seven driven and passionate community members came together in 1996. Frank Alan, June Binkley, Cherry Gumz, Jim Hardesty, Barbara McLaughlin, and Arlowa Vorm were individuals with a range of expertise. Each brought something different to the table when forming the Community Foundation. But they had one thing in common-They each loved Starke County and believed they could establish a Community Foundation to enhance the quality of life in Starke County forever. The process didn't happen without challenges, but in the end, the group exceeded their own expectations. As Barbara McLaughlin has said, Starke County is not considered a wealthy county, but there is money here to be placed in worthwhile endowments. All it takes is generous people to make it happen, and that's something Starke County doesn't lack! Since the team's development, SCCF has grown into a self-sustaining and abundantly flourishing community foundation. Now, the SCCF alone has more than $15 million in assets and awarded nearly $700,000 in grants and scholarships in 2020. These grants included $80,000 for a food delivery service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, $57,000 to the Starke County Veterans Memorial, and $20,000 to Kid's Closet! Stay tuned next month to hear more about the early days of the Community Foundation. From $0 to granting $700K! This year is the Starke County Community Foundation's (SCCF) 25th anniversary. While that seems like many years of philanthropy, the community foundation concept has actually been around for over 100 years! Cleveland lawyer and banker Frederick H. Geoff established the very first community foundation in 1914. This concept gave rise to a brand-new version of philanthropy, one that doesn't just plan for NORTHERN INDIANA today, but forever. COMMUNITY Today, there are many community foundations across the United FOUNDATION States, but a significant portion of them are right here in Indiana! In fact, each county in Indiana has at least one community foundation. We are at the forefront of the community foundation movement thanks in part to Lilly Endowment Inc. and generous donors and Where Giving Grows supporters throughout Indiana. In 1993, Lilly Endowment Inc. wanted to help Indiana community foundations by launching an initiative called Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT). This initiative helped community foundations get started and grow exponentially through matching grants and other opportunities. There have been seven phases of GIFT to date! The Community Foundation here in Starke County began when a group of seven driven and passionate community members came together in 1996. Frank Alan, June Binkley, Cherry Gumz, Jim Hardesty, Barbara McLaughlin, and Arlowa Vorm were individuals with a range of expertise. Each brought something different to the table when forming the Community Foundation. But they had one thing in common-They each loved Starke County and believed they could establish a Community Foundation to enhance the quality of life in Starke County forever. The process didn't happen without challenges, but in the end, the group exceeded their own expectations. As Barbara McLaughlin has said, Starke County is not considered a wealthy county, but there is money here to be placed in worthwhile endowments. All it takes is generous people to make it happen, and that's something Starke County doesn't lack! Since the team's development, SCCF has grown into a self-sustaining and abundantly flourishing community foundation. Now, the SCCF alone has more than $15 million in assets and awarded nearly $700,000 in grants and scholarships in 2020. These grants included $80,000 for a food delivery service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, $57,000 to the Starke County Veterans Memorial, and $20,000 to Kid's Closet! Stay tuned next month to hear more about the early days of the Community Foundation.