The Community Foundation recently distributed over $300,000 in grants to nonprofits in Vigo, Clay and Sullivan counties.

The generosity of individuals, families, and businesses establishing and/or donating to unrestricted community funds held by the Community Foundation makes funding for these awards possible. Earnings from these funds are awarded as competitive grants that focus on charitable projects enriching lives in the Wabash Valley.

Thanks to Lilly Endowment Inc.’s matching challenge grants, the amount available to grant has nearly doubled over the past ten years. Now, thanks to a new GIFT initiative, contributions to any new or existing community grant fund will be matched $2-for-$1 while matching dollars remain. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the foundation at 812-232-2234.

The recent grant awards are listed below.

Vigo County

• CANDLES Holocaust Museum & Education Center — $25,000 in support of updating and redesigning the main exhibit at the museum.
• Down Syndrome Indiana — $4,500 in support of providing educational materials and resources to parents and children who receive a diagnosis in Vigo County.
• Hendricks County Child Advocacy Center (Susie’s Place) — $8,725 in support of technology advancements to better serve reported child victims.
• Sheldon Swope Art Museum — $15,000 to purchase the supplies and equipment for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM), an after-school educational initiative offered by the Swope.
• Team of Mercy — $15,000 in support of counseling services for survivors of attempted and/or completed suicide.
• Terre Haute Area Meals on Wheels — $6,000 in support of the Healthy Bodies Full Bellies Project which delivers meals to seniors and individuals in recovery.
• Terre Haute South Touchdown Football Booster Club — $5,500 in support of expanding fueling stations and implementing a nutritional education program, with a focus on youth and families in need
• Vigo County Commissioners — $5,000 in support of the Clean Streets Initiative expansion project, specifically for the purchase of supplies such as trash grabbers, gloves, T-shirts, and bags.
• Vigo County Education Foundation — $25,000 in support of future maintenance and program expenses as related to the newly installed Digistar 7 Projection System.
• YMCA of the Wabash Valley — $20,000 in support of upgrading gym facilities and expanding programming.

Clay County

• Center Point Volunteer Fire Department — $12,000 for the purchase of a generator.
• Clay Youth Football League — $18,700 in support of a new concession stand.
• Community Theatre of Clay County — $15,000 for the purchase of a new sound system.
• Eliza Rizley Stacey NSDAR — $2,500 in support of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and Some Gave All Moving Tribute.
• Van Buren Volunteer Fire Department — $10,500 for the purchase of three 800 MHz radios.

Sullivan County

• City of Sullivan — $25,000 in support of updating/replacing the driving range, pickleball and tennis courts, and fencing at the Sullivan City Park
• Fairbanks Volunteer Fire Department— $7,721 in support of updating and replacing two AED (Automated External Defibrillator) devices
• Friends of Sullivan County Public Library — $5,000 in support of implementing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Sullivan County
• Hendrick’s County Child Advocacy Center (Susie’s Place) — $6,250 in support of continuing the “Body Safe” education program within the five Southwest Sullivan schools
• Humane Society of Sullivan County — $20,000 in support of spay/neuter services for adoptable pets
• Northeast East Elementary — $8,100 in support of repairing the entry canopy and installing buddy benches and free-standing shade canopies
• Ruth House — $3,000 in support of an outdoor security system
• St. Mary’s Community Kitchen & Pantry — $3,000 for the purchase of food and supplies for the kitchen
• Sullivan County Civic Foundation — $5,325 for the purchase of a vision screener and accessories for pre-k students
• Town of Shelburn — $18,000 in support of the Shelburn Town Park revitalization.
• Southwest School Corporation of Sullivan County — $10,164.33 in support of repairing, replacing, and updating musical instruments and equipment.