Community Foundation awards $180,000 in 2009 grants, $36,000 still available

The Putnam County Community Foundation has announced the recipients of over $180,000 in charitable grants for 2009, changes to its grants program and the availability of nearly $36,000 to fund charitable projects in Putnam County.

The Community Foundation 2009 grant recipients include:

* Ivy Tech Community College, $120,000 for enhanced technologies and faculty support at the new Ivy Tech campus.

* Putnam County Hospital Cancer Center, $25,000 to match gifts from individuals and organizations to the Cancer Center endowment, as well as support its programs.

* Citizen's Advisory Committee for Industrial Development, $16,250 to support the work of the Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development Center to bring new jobs and economic improvement to the county.

* Putnam County Transportation Program, $10,000 to match a federal grant securing a new bus for Putnam County's transit program to debut in January.

* Knoy Resource Center, $5,000 to support learning and training opportunities for adults and youth in Putnam County at no cost or low cost.

* Putnam County Youth Philanthropy Committee, $4,000 to support youth-led service projects in Putnam County.

Several changes to the grant application process will be put into place this year. Preliminary grant applications for 2009 grants will be accepted starting Feb. 1 and can be submitted anytime throughout the year, on a rolling basis.

The mission of the Community Foundation is broad and includes support of all charitable activities in Putnam County. However, due to the local, state and national economies, in 2009 projects and programs that support basic human needs such as food, shelter, medical assistance, etc. will have preference in the pool of applications.

Other Community Foundation funding priorities are increasing literacy and educational attainment, combatting obesity and promoting fitness, increasing economic development, supporting senior citizens, non-profit capacity building, and increasing access to transportation.

The Community Foundation Board of Directors is investigating additional options to help those in need in our local communities during these tough times.

"The Community Foundation recognizes the needs in our community are growing and are different from years past, so we will make changes accordingly to ensure we are making the largest impact possible in partnership with our donors," said Eric Wolfe, community development director.

The Community Foundation welcomes all eligible organizations to apply for available grants. Contact the foundation office at 653-4978 to receive an application.

You may also download an application, grant guidelines and restrictions from the Community Foundation website at www.pcfoundation.org. To request an application in another format, contact the office.