"Helping People Improve Their Communities"
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The Western Indiana Community Foundation is a public charity, founded in 1990, conceived by a group of citizens whose desire is to use donated monies for the betterment of their communities. The Foundation shares the same dream as its forefathers: prosperity, expansion, and enhancement for its citizens. The Foundation has four separate and distinct affiliate funds serving their geographical areas, which consist of:| ~ Attica ~ Community Foundation |
~ Southeast Fountain ~ Community Foundation |
| ~ Covington ~ Community Foundation |
~ Vermillion County ~ Community Foundation |
HIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Please give me a call to learn how every $1 that you donate to a "Community Fund" (new or existing) will be matched with $2 by our partners at the Lilly Endowment. I looking forward to chatting with you at (765) 793-0702, ext. 4, or by email at dwhite@wicf-inc.org or stop in and visit with me!
ECENT FOUNDATION NEWS:
Congratulations to recent grant recipients:
Covington Circle Trail ($17,000), Fountain County – CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) ($4,000), Friendship Circle Center ($7,000), Attica Fire Department ($3,000), Cayuga Lions Club ($500), CFI Rescue & Sanctuary ($1,200), Covington Christian School ($5,415), Attica High School Travel & Adventure Club ($2,000), North Vermillion High School Music Program ($1,000), Town of Kingman ($1,500), Covington Elementary School Swim Program ($4,000), Paws-n-Claws Animal Shelter ($6,000), Community Recreation Center ($450), Parke-Vermillion Community Pregnancy Center ($500) . More →
Fountain and Vermillion County are home to many wonderful people who have made a deep impact in the community.
Are you looking for a way to memorialize a loved one or friend who is no longer with us? Or perhaps you would like to honor a family member, friend, co-worker, or service provider who has a positive influence in your daily life? MEMORIAL & HONOR GIFTS are great ways to honor those who are or have been significant in your life or the life of your community. Your gift will go to the fund you specify, in the name of the one you're honoring.
The following individuals have recently passed away and the families have designated that donations in their memory go to the Community Foundation. We honor the following individuals (click on the name for more details): Helen F. Shelby, Elizabeth "Lib" Barnhart, Charline Allen, Jeffry Ingalsbe, John Woodrow, Carol Gooding, Richard "Dick" Shelby, Betty Shull, Marvel Dunham, Mary K. Young, Marcia Cooper, Carol V. Myers, James "Jim" McCormick, Rosemarie Haas, Marilyn Gebbink, Jean (Frances) Blickenstaff, Robert "Bob" Branam, Larry Carlson, John Cotten, Sr., Mirriam (Newmark) Fogel, Helen Freas, Heidi (Shambach) Johnson, Joan Rennick, Vicki (Collins) Stevens, and Arley White.
All memorial and honor gifts are acknowledged to the person or people you designate so that the loved one's family, or the person you are honoring, is aware of the gift. Or you can make an anonymous gift if you desire to do so. The amount of the gift is, of course, confidential and only you will receive a gift acknowledgement for tax purposes. It's very easy to give a memorial or honor gift – just CLICK HERE to get started.
The Foundation’s online scholarship application process is now open for students attending Attica, Covington, Fountain Central, Seeger, North Vermillion and South Vermillion High School. The application deadline is March 1.
For details visit the scholarship section of our website.
Western Indiana Community Foundation and its affiliates of the Attica, Covington, Southeast Fountain and Vermillion County Community Foundations has received a grant of $1,000,000 as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s seventh phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative. With GIFT VII, the Endowment is making up to $125 million available to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the towns, cities and counties they serve.
Western Indiana Community Foundation can use this matching fund grant to build our financial assets and support our charitable activities. At least two-thirds of the matching fund grant must be designated to support the growth of Western Indiana Community Foundation’s unrestricted endowments, which over time will provide flexibility to help the foundation to meet community needs. The Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to Western Indiana Community Foundation’s unrestricted endowments during the matching period, October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020.
Western Indiana Community Foundation may choose to designate up to one-third of the matching fund grant to support the foundation’s own operating needs or specific community or charitable projects. The Endowment will provide 50 cents for every $1 that Western Indiana Community Foundation raises during the matching period for these purposes.
Dale White, CEO of the Western Indiana Community Foundation, said “We are very thankful to Lilly Endowment and excited about what the match opportunity could mean for our community.” He added, “Last year, our endowments helped us make a difference in the lives of more than 33,000 people in Fountain and Vermillion County. Thanks to the generosity of Lilly Endowment, and with help from our generous community to meet this match, we will be able to increase the impact we have in our community and address our greatest needs in the bi-county area.”
The Western Indiana Community Foundation was founded in 1990 as the area’s partner, resource and steward in philanthropy. WICF manages $21 million in charitable assets and over 300 individual funds – each of which supports the unique charitable intent of the donor who established the fund. Annually, the Foundation awards over a million dollars in grants and scholarships to support our community and is a National Standards certified community foundation.
The GIFT initiative is part of Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking to strengthen Indiana communities and has been a priority of the Endowment since the first phase of GIFT in 1990. The initiative’s primary aim is to help Indiana community foundations develop the philanthropic capacity to identify, prioritize and address local opportunities and challenges.
To encourage the engagement of Western Indiana Community Foundation’s board of directors, the Endowment also will award an additional $200,000 unrestricted grant if the foundation achieves 100 percent financial support from our board members during the period January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
Starting in 2019, Western Indiana Community Foundation will have the opportunity to apply for more funds through GIFT VII’s community leadership grants. This component includes both planning and implementation grants, which are available to help the foundation deepen its understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing its community; convene key local stakeholders and explore how it can effectively play a leadership role in implementing initiatives and strategies that enhance the quality of life in Fountain and Vermillion County.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment exists to support causes of community development, education and religion. Lilly Endowment’s community development grantmaking is designed to support efforts that enhance the quality of life in Indianapolis and Indiana.
Family members of the late Don & Ruth White of Covington have established the Don & Ruth White Community Fund.
Donations to this fund are invested and a portion of the earnings each year will be used to award grants in the Covington area as determined by the board of directors of the Covington Community Foundation.
Established in 1990 the Covington Community Foundation awards over $500,000/year in grants to non-profit organizations, community projects and for scholarships to graduates of Covington High School.
One Vermillion County student has been named recipient of a full tuition four-year scholarship as the Vermillion County Community Foundation 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar – Vermillion County.
Lauryn Silver will receive full tuition to the Indiana private college or public university of her choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Lauryn is the daughter of Holly Silver of Clinton and Jon Silver of Terre Haute. She will graduate in June 2019 from South Vermillion High School with a Core 40 Academic Honors Diploma with a 3.99 GPA. She has taken several honors and AP classes as well as dual credit courses. She plans to continue to be a pediatric dentist and forensic odontology.
Lauryn’s high school guidance counselor Mrs. Linda Avenetti enthusiastically recommends her for this scholarship based on her excellent academic accomplishments, leadership abilities, work ethics, ambition, motivation to succeed and character. Mrs. Avenetti continued by saying, “She is a well respected student by her peers and teachers. This young woman will be successful in whatever college she attends and career she chooses.”
Lauryn is a member of National Honor Society and honored as an Academic Excellence awardee. She is a 4 year member and team captain of the SVHS soccer team with varsity letters for 3 years and Defensive Player award for 2 years. She is also a 4 year member of the SVHS girls basketball team with varsity letters for 3 years and earning the Sixth Man Award. Lauryn has a letter in cheerleading and ladies tennis. She is a 10 year Vermillion County 4-H member. Lauryn contributes to the community participating in National Night Out, assisting with the community tennis clinic and biddy basketball. Besides being a student athlete, Lauryn works in the office of the Vigo County Prosecutor Child Support Division year round.
One Fountain County student has been named recipient of a full tuition four-year scholarship as the Western Indiana Community Foundation 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar – Fountain County.
Shiley Claypool will receive full tuition to the Indiana private college or public university of her choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Ms. Claypool, of Covington High School, has plans to major in biology and minor in chemistry or environmental science. At the beginning of her senior year, Shiley ranked #6 in her graduating class with a 3.9 GPA.
Shiley is a member of the National Honor Society has participated for four years in soccer, tennis and the CHS dance team. Ms. Claypool has also found time to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and with the vacation bible school program at her church. In addition to her school and community activities she works part-time as a cashier at County Market.
One of Ms. Claypool’s references wrote, “Shiley is hardworking, conscientious, trust worthy and very respectful and polite. She gets along well with everyone and she will do well in college. I highly recommend her!” Another said, “She has been a joy to have around and I cannot say enough good things about her. She works hard, stays dedicated to the task at hand, and pushes forward as much as she can in whatever life throws at her. Shiley is highly regarded with me and others.”
Ms. Claypool is the daughter of Lindsey Claypool of Kingman.
There were 143 scholarships awarded statewide.
Join others from the Covington area for Christmas & Concert on Sunday, December 9 at 7pm at Covington United Methodist Church, 419 Washington St. Singer, songwriter, pianist and composer Kelley Lorencin will be performing. To sample Kelley's music visit: www.KelleyLorencin.com. A free will offering will be taken to benefit local charities.
Silver Island Cemetery has served as a final resting place for area citizens for two centuries.
Silver Island Cemetery is a nice, quiet county cemetery surrounded by fields and is currently the final resting place of nearly 500 interments. There is a large amount of area history and countless personal memories – of family, friends, husbands, wives, and children – contained in Silver Island Cemetery with burial sites still available.
Daily upkeep and ongoing maintenance are required to care for the cemetery to combat deterioration by preserving, beautifying, and maintaining abandoned or deteriorating graves and for the care and replacement of trees, flowers, shrubbery, etc. Also, the fund will assist in providing an educational benefit to the general public and promote appreciation for community history by maintaining, repairing, and restoring monuments, headstones, and grave markers of historical or architectural significance.
To donate to the Silver Island Cemetery Fund click here.
The Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Community Disaster Relief Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide needed financial assistance to organizations that are actively engaged in emergency response and recovery operations.
Dale White, CEO of the Community Foundation states, "The Foundation will be collaborating with a variety of organizations in the event of a disaster and will monitor the response and needs from nonprofit organizations that are assisting individuals and famililies that may be displaced. These needs will change as a transation takes place into long-term recovery operations, so the Foundation will continue to assess the situation and make funding decisions as necessary. Hopefully we will never need to use this fund, but if we do, it is in place."
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