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PCCF donates $65,000 in fall grant awards
Putnam County Community Foundation celebrated the awarding of more than $65,000 in grants at the recent 2017 Fall Grant Awards Breakfast.
Executive Director Elaine Peck greeted an early morning crowd of nearly 60 and acknowledged the breakfast sponsor, Old National Bank.
The breakfast, catered by Almost Home, was held in the Community Room at Area 30 Career Center.
Jeff Blaydes, vice chairman of the Community Foundation’s Grants Committee, thanked donors to unrestricted and field of interest endowments that make grant awards possible. Thanking the nonprofit organizations receiving grants for the work they do to improve life in Putnam County, Blaydes added, “You are heroes in our community.”
Dean Gambill, director of Community Development for the Foundation, announced awards totaling $65,839.59 for the 2017 Fall Grant cycle. Gambill explained that three different types of grants were being awarded -- Youth Philanthropy Grant, Endowment Builder Grants and Community Grants.
Attendees had the opportunity to hear from representatives of three organizations who received grants and learn about their projects.
Camryn Gibson, PC Kids 4-H Club, spoke about a Youth Philanthropy Grant which is being used to purchase new pens for the 4-H Goat Barn. Students and adult leaders have raised more than $25,000 in this effort.
Endowment Builder grants were announced for two organizations, Cloverdale Community Dollars for Scholars and the Reelsville/Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department. Endowment Builder grants offer a $1 match for every $2 that an organization raises for their endowments at the Community Foundation.
Gambill then introduced Community Foundation Board President Ken Eitel who defined and spoke of the need for sustainable funding sources for nonprofit organizations. He mentioned that each of the two Endowment Builder recipients had different ways of raising funds for their endowments.
“Dollars for Scholars uses students at a phone-a-thon event and the Reelsville Fire Department does it one pancake at a time through their monthly pancake breakfasts,” Eitel explained.
Meanwhile, Linda Merkel was asked to give a report on a grant made to the Putnam County Youth Development Commission. That grant allowed the commission to bring Tony Hoffman to speak to 1,400 Putnam County and Eminence students about the consequences of poor choices on Oct. 26.
It was a great success and was reported in the Banner Graphic on Oct. 27.
Community Grant recipients were then announced and received checks from members of the Community Foundation’s Grant Committee.
Organizations receiving 2017 Fall Community Grants are:
Cloverdale Community Schools -- $25,000.
Area 30 Career Center -- $15,000.
New Life Baptist Church Food Pantry -- $7,000.
Community Christmas Choir, Russellville -- $2,500.
Putnamville United Methodist Church/Dr. Horn Museum -- $2,000.
Cloverdale Dollars for Scholars -- $1,822.59.
Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry -- $1,500.
DePauw University -- $1,017.
Greencastle Community Schools -- $1,000.
Greencastle Community Schools -- $500.
The Community Grant portion of the morning concluded with Mary Jane Elkins, principal of Cloverdale Elementary School, explaining how its grant for the Clover U Program helps all students realize at an early age that learning does not end with high school. College education, skill certifications, and post-secondary education are important now for employment and will be even more so in the future.
Gambill wrapped up the morning by again congratulating grant recipients and revealed that grant applications for the Community Foundation would no longer be accepted as paper applications.
The new online applications are currently available for the 2018 Spring Grant Cycle. Those applications may be accessed at www.pcfoundation.org by clicking on Grants and then Grant Forms. Deadline for applications for the 2018 Spring Community Grants and Endowment Builder Grants is Feb. 1, 2018.
For information about applying for an Endowment Builder Grant, a Community Grant, or a Youth Philanthropy Grant, visit www.pcfoundation.org or contact Dean Gambill, Community Development director, at 653-4978.
The Putnam County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1985 to administer funds, award grants and provide leadership, enriching the quality of life and strengthening community in Putnam County.