Marshall County Communiity Foundation awards spring 2025 grants

The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) announced the Spring 2025 grant awards on April 16^th.  The Community Fund awards totaled $217,550.

Twice each year, nonprofit organizations are invited to submit funding requests for projects that improve the quality of life in Marshall County. MCCF Grants Committee members evaluate the proposals during a competitive application process. The Spring 2025 grant awards will fund a variety of projects and programs.

Community Fund Grants
Community Funds are the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s funds in addressing current and emerging needs. Grants from unrestricted endowment funds typically support projects focusing on the arts, education, health and human services, recreation, and the environment.

The first grants from unrestricted Community Funds at MCCF were awarded in 1995; since then, the MCCF has awarded nearly $5.5 million in total grants from these funds alone. In addition to the Marshall County Community Fund, the following ‘named’ unrestricted funds support competitive grant rounds in Marshall County. These funds include the Alan and Barbara Neidlinger Community Fund, the Barbara and Ralph Winters Community Fund, the Billy and Vickie Ellinger Community Fund, the Brian and Patricia Kitch Family Community Fund, the C & M Overmyer Unrestricted Endowment Fund, the Constance K. Danforth Community Fund, the Earl and Susie (Lemler) Houin Community Fund, the Eleanor & Randy Danielson Community Aesthetic Improvement Fund, the Gibson Community Fund, the First Merchants Bank Community Fund, the Janet Newberg Community Fund, the John and Kay Finlay Community Fund, the Philip and Sylvia Bieghler Community Fund, the Paul and Carol Nye Community Fund, and the Will and June Erwin Community Fund.

From now until December 31, 2025, or until the match dollars are exhausted, MCCF will match gifts made to Community Funds with $2 for every $1 donated. These match dollars are made possible from a matching fund grant totaling $750,000 as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII). Learn more this exciting match opportunity or donate by visiting: https://marshallcountycf.org/gift-viii/.

Spring 2025 Community Fund Grants

• Heartland Artist, Inc. $150,000 to transform the historic Montgomery Ward building into an arts and economic hub, supporting artists, attracting tourism, and driving economic growth -- strengthening Marshall County as a center for arts and culture in the region.
• David’s Courage. $23,550 for the installation of windows in an apartment building renovation project to house graduates of David’s Courage.
• Bread of Life Community Food Pantry. $6,000 for computer upgrades, a new computer with office software, and to remodel the flooring in the distribution area.
• Garden Court Inc. $25,000 to establish a fully equipped computer lab within the GC Horizons apartments to give residents access to technology, digital literacy training, and online resources to enhance telehealth, education, and employment opportunities.
• Wild Rose Moon. $10,000 for equipment to launch and increase video production capacity for emerging Marshall County collaborations with The Rees, Heartland Arts and similar organizations across Marshall County and within South Bend-Elkhart region.
• Carter’s Ride, Inc. $3,000 for suicide prevention services including Lifeline Connections (Alternative to Suicide) Peer Support Group for individuals who experience suicidal thoughts, ideations, or attempts and for community prevention trainings including Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASSIST) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
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