The Community Foundation of Jackson County approved a record amount of grant dollars through the annual competitive fall grant cycle.
The board of directors approved recommendations from the grant committee totaling more than $163,000, fully or partially funding 29 grants requested from nonprofits and other qualified entities, providing grants to aid people and programs all across Jackson County, according to a news release from the foundation.
Those grant dollars were from 28 community funds and eight field-of-interest funds along with grants from five donor-advised funds. Those donor-advised funds helped extend the reach of the fall grant cycle by another $10,139.
Dan Davis, president and CEO of the foundation, said those fund advisors opting to financially support the fall grant program are greatly appreciated.
Those participating donor advised funds were the Orville and Mary Schnitker Memorial Endowment, the Everett V. and Maria Moritz Fund, the Carl and Doris Kovener Endowment, the Hobert Thompson Memorial Fund and the Nancy Hoevener Stewart and Rick Stewart Endowment. Grant dollars also were made available from Presidents Grants and Impact Grants and the Immanuel United Church of Christ Vernon Township Community Fund.
Driving part of the increase in available grant funds this year was the Donald J. Klaes Music the Performing Arts Fund, which was established with the foundation following his death.
Klaes, a graduate of Seymour High School and Indiana University, loved music and the performing arts. He was active in local bands and community theater throughout his life. Honoring this passion through the Performing Arts Fund was a means of honoring him and helping organizations involved with the arts, his sister, Julie Bradley of Brownstown, said.
This year, the Klaes fund paid out more than $8,000 in grants, helping three local nonprofits: The Actors Community Theater of Seymour, Jackson County Community Theatre and Southern Indiana Center for the Arts.
Another common area of approved grants focused on helping feed those in need. The foundation approved grants to Anchor House, Community Provisions of Jackson County and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, providing funds to help make foodstuffs available to those in need across Jackson County.
Community funds are an important part of the work administered by the foundation in that they provide flexibility in granting to support community work, initiatives and emerging needs. These funds and the grants that they provide can make a huge impact on the community.
“Creating a big impact on the lives of those calling Jackson County home is exactly what community funds are all about,” foundation board chairwoman Ann Windley said. “It is a wonderful way of giving back to our community. We truly appreciate the generosity of all of our donors.”
The foundation received 33 applications totaling more than $278,000 in requests.
It’s never easy, but winnowing requests that outdistance available grant dollars is always part of the equation, Davis said.
“It means the fall grant cycle can be especially competitive,” grant committee chairman Donald Schnitker said. “The committee strives to review all of the grant applications and figure out how to best grant the dollars we have and best help meet the needs throughout Jackson County.”
Site visits by grant committee members helps with that work, Davis said.
”Members can become advocates for the applications they are assigned to review,” he said. “It’s a busy time of year, but one that we look forward to annually as we strive to best use the limited grant dollars we have to bolster what can sometimes seem like limitless community need.
“And as Ann (Windley) said, we truly appreciate our donors who make a difference every day through their gifts to our funds here at the Foundation. Without them, the work of so many nonprofit organizations would be an even greater financial struggle.”