OVERVIEW: The John W. Anderson Foundation supports youth, higher education, community needs, medical and scientific research, health, human services and arts and humanities in Northwest Indiana.
IP TAKE: The John W. Anderson Foundation “funds broadly across many causes” throughout northwest Indiana. Although Anderson does not have a website, restricting transparency about grantmaking guidelines, this is an accessible foundation that accepts unsolicited LOIs. With many different interest areas in Northwest Indiana, this important funder should be on every local nonprofit’s radar.
PROFILE: Established in 1967, the John W. Anderson Foundation is a private foundation based in Valparaiso, Indiana. Anderson was an inventor, manufacturing executive and the president of the Anderson Company that made automotive accessories. He co-founded the Automobile Council for War Production in Detroit during World War II and received the Freedom Foundation Award, the Jefferson Medal of the New Jersey Patent Law Association, and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry. The foundation funds local efforts for youth, higher education, community needs, medical and scientific research, health, human services and arts and humanities.
Grants for Community Development
Past tax filings indicate that this foundation supports a range of local causes and its community development grantmaking prioritizes youth organizations and those focused on providing basic services.
The foundation is a major supporter of local branches of Boys and Girls Clubs, where its largest grants have gone. It has given over $50 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana, over $20 million to Boys and Girls Club of Porter County Foundation, and around $2 million to the Michigan City, IN branch over the last two decades.
Other types of youth services organizations the foundation has supported include Young Men’s Christian Association of Portage Township and Tradewinds Services, each of which has received over $400,000 in grants. Youth Service Bureau of St Joseph County, Christ Child Society of South Bend, and Lake Region Christian Assembly also received support.
Grants for youth sports organizations include Indiana Golf Foundation, Youth Family Community Renewal, Girls On the Run of Northwest Indiana, Young Men’s Christian Association of Valparaiso Indiana, and Life Skills Through Golf.
Human services grants include support for those experiencing food insecurity, family services and child welfare, and domestic violence and homeless shelters.
Previous food assistance grantees include Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, and Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry.
Family services grants have gone to Crossroads Young Mens Christian Association, which has received $1,145,000, as well as Christ Child Society of South Bend, White’s Residential & Family Services, Youth Service Bureau of Porter County, St Josephs Carmelite Home, Shults-Lewis Child & Family Services, Youth Service Bureau of La Porte County, and Our Greater Good Inc.
The foundation supported the following domestic violence and homeless shelters: The Caring Place, St Jude House, The Center for the Homeless, Brothers Keeper, Interfaith Community Pads, and Citizens Concerned for the Homeless.
Grants for Public Health and Access, Science Research
The foundation does not appear to have clear funding areas; however, tax filings show that supporting health and healthcare is a priority. It makes grants in this area for addiction and rehabilitation, diseases, mental health, and general healthcare.
Grants for addiction and recovery have gone to Porter County Substance Abuse Council, The Artistic Recovery, Frontline Foundations, Harold Hal Kelley Respite Foundation, Life Treatment Centers, Moraine House, Portage Recovery Association, and True North Training Stables.
Mental health grants have supported Crisis Center with $505,000, Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana with $105,000, and Samaritan Counseling Center with $100,000. Other mental health grantees include Southlake Community Mental Health Center, Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living, Mental Health Association in Porter County, The Milk Bank Platinum, and Family House.
Grants to support organizations focused on specific diseases include Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Indiana, the Greater Illinois Chapter of Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, American Diabetes Association, Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation, and American Heart Association Midwest.
Cancer grants have gone to Community Cancer Research Foundation, University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, The National Children’s Cancer Society, American Cancer Society- Northwest Indiana Office, and Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids .
Public health and healthcare grants include $200,000 to Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Other grants have gone to Shriners Hospitals for Children, Ronald McDonald House Charities Of Central Indiana, Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County Indiana, Hospice of the Calumet Area, Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehab Center, Women’s Care Center, and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.
Grants for Arts and Culture
While it is not the foundation’s largest funding area, tax records show that arts and culture organizations do receive support. The majority of this goes to performing arts groups, specifically for music and theater. Museums and historical preservation organizations have seen support; however, this is not as frequent.
Grants for performing arts have gone to Northwest Indiana Symphony Society, Memorial Opera House Foundation, Lakeshore Community Concerts, South Bend Civic Theatre, Community Theatre Guild, Theater at the Center, and Indiana Ballet Theatre NW.
Grants for general arts and culture groups have supported Porter County Community Foundation, South Shore Arts, Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, North Coast Cultural Association, Art Barn School of Art, Porter Co Museum, and Gary Historical and Cultural Society.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
The John W. Anderson Foundation’s support for education includes funding for both K-12 and colleges and universities. It also makes grants to education adjacent organizations.
K-12 grants have gone to Campagna Academy, which received $563,000. Other primary and secondary school grants have been significantly less; these include Andrean High School, West Side High School, Boone Grove High School, Glenwood Academy, Union Township Middle School, Forest Ridge Academy, Valparaiso Community Schools, and Indiana Association of School Principals.
Higher Education run significantly higher than K-12 grants. Indiana University has received $1,755,000, and Valparaiso University, Indiana State University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Indiana State University Northwest all received at least $550,000 in support. Other grantees in this area include Ball State University, Purdue University, and University of Chicago.
Important Grant Details
Grants range between about $500 and $4.3 million, but the most common amount is $10,000. In a recent year it gave $14.9 million in grants and had over $270 million in assets.
Grantmaking focuses on various communities in the northwest Indiana counties of Lake and Porter.
On rare occasions, Anderson has also made grants in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota.
Anderson provides mostly general operating support and less frequently provides capital support and scholarships.
According to recent tax records, the foundation does not have a formal application process. However, it accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits.
There are no submission deadlines, and the foundation reviews each application on a timely basis.
There is no official application form, but grantseekers should submit six copies of an LOI that includes organization details, purpose of the grant, officer information, financial information, and proof of tax-exempt status to the foundation by mail.
Applicants will receive written notice of acceptance 10-15 days after board meeting, which occur in February, April, June, August, October, and December.
Direct general questions to the staff at 219-462-4611.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
John W. Anderson Foundation
402 Wall St., Ste. 12
Valparaiso, IN 46383-2562
(219) 462-4611
