OVERVIEW: The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County supports arts and culture, community betterment, economic development, education and human services in Indiana.
IP TAKE: The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s grants are competitive, so you’ll be competing with other local nonprofits for support. The foundation does give grantseekers a snapshot of what type of support it gives to each funding area on its Financial Overview page. This community funder offers several quarterly, competitive opportunities, but first-time grantseekers should make sure to talk to the staff before submitting anything via online system.
PROFILE: Established in 1985, the Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County (CFMDC) is a community foundation based in Muncie, Indiana. The Ball Brothers Foundation and Ball family members helped launch the foundation with a $1 million challenge grant. The foundation “encourages philanthropy, assists donors in building an enduring source of charitable assets and exercises leadership in directing resources to enhance the quality of life for residents of Muncie and Delaware County.” CFMDC’s largest grantmaking areas are community and economic improvement and human services. Its other funding areas include arts, culture, and education.
Grants for Community Development
The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County has multiple funds that award grants to local nonprofits. Types of funds include unrestricted funds, field of interest funds, designated funds, donor advised funds, and scholarship funds. However, except for the latter, they all accept funding requests as part of the competitive Community Grants program.
CFMDC awards community grants that use one application process. This is a change from the previous method of using separate applications for each of its multiple grant programs.
· New grantseekers will need to submit an LOI for staff review.
· This is followed by a meeting with foundation staff to discuss the project and next steps.
· Staff forward successful applications to the appropriate committee for further review.
· Deadlines for LOI submissions are quarterly.
Community and economic development and support for human services are the foundation’s largest funding areas. Past grantees here include Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, ecoREHAB of Muncie, Delaware Advancement Corporation, Urban Light Community Development, East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, Town of Selma, Alliance for Strategic Growth, Inside Out Community Development Corporation, Eaton Volunteer Fire Department, Gaston Volunteer Fire Department, Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Company, and Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana.
Grants for Arts and Culture
According to numbers self-provided by the foundation’s Financial Overview page, arts and culture grants are the Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s second largest funding area. It funds nonprofits in this space through the Community Grants program. Organizations that have received funding include performing and visual arts groups—particularly orchestras and symphonies, as well as museums, cultural and historical heritage organizations, local school’s arts programs, and organizations that make the arts accessible to the community.
Grantees include Youth Symphony Orchestra of East Central Indiana, East Central Indiana Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Indiana, Cornerstone Center for the Arts, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, Minnetrista Cultural Foundation, Yorktown Community Schools, Muncie Children’s Museum, Wes-Del Community Schools, Muncie Civic Theatre, Delaware County Historical Society, Muncie Public Library, and Yorktown Band Boosters.
Grants for Education
The community foundation funds education organizations through its competitive Community Grants program. A wide range of K-12 and higher education groups have seen support, as have early childhood development and educational services organizations, including arts and culture organizations with education programs.
Previous grantees include Yorktown Community Schools, College Mentors for Kids, Shafer Leadership Academy, Indiana Youth Institute, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College, Beneficence Family Scholars, Wes-Del Community Schools, Yorktown Community Schools, Muncie BY5, Muncie Children’s Museum, YMCA of Muncie Indiana, Motivate Our Minds, Youth Symphony Orchestra of East Central Indiana, Ball State University, and The Indiana Academy for Science Mathematics and Humanities.
The foundation also offers Scholarships for graduating high school seniors and current college students.
Important Grant Details
Grants typically range between about $1,000 and $75,000, but they have gone as high as $270,000. The most common amount is $2,000. The foundation had more than $89 million in assets in a recent year.
Grantmaking focuses on the city of Muncie and Delaware County in Indiana.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits and uses an online grants system. First-time applicants should contact the foundation staff to discuss an idea before submitting a proposal.
Direct general questions to the staff at commfound@cfmdin.org or 765-747-7181.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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