2020 Annual Report

Dear Friends,

When we started 2020, we had no idea what lay ahead for our community, the nation and world. As your community foundation serving Clark and Floyd counties, we started the year with optimism – looking forward to grant announcements, launching an updated community needs assessment, focusing a portion of our grantmaking on important quality of place initiatives, and continuing to serve as the partner, resource and steward in philanthropy for individuals, families and businesses who wanted to make a difference here at home, and elsewhere.

But the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. With lost loved ones, lost jobs and a challenging economy, the pandemic created needs that impacted people from all walks of life.

With those challenges came enormous opportunities for us to come together as a community. To respond, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) focused our unrestricted Community Impact Fund dollars on serving the needs of those impacted by the pandemic. The Community Impact Fund provided $100,000 in seed money for our COVID-19 Relief Fund, which helped spur an additional $1 million in gifts from individuals, private foundations, businesses and local governments – with 100% of the donated funds going back out in direct relief.

And while we worked to address the needs created by the pandemic, our other work continued. Last year we made more than $6.4 million in grants, met a $2 million matching grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., which will ultimately provide an additional $80,000 in new grant funds annually for our community, our grants to area nonprofits helped 100,000 people, and we’ll launch our updated Community Needs Assessment in early 2021.

Yes, 2020 was difficult, but let’s not lose sight of all that we have to be thankful for – a community that came together and helped those in need. Thank you to everyone who made a difference this year by making masks; providing hot meals; volunteering; and supporting small businesses, front line workers, teachers, and nonprofits serving those in need through the Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. This really is a special place to call home.

With our sincerest thanks to you and all of Southern Indiana,

Click Here to Download the 2020 Annual Report

CFSI Provides…

In 2020, thanks to your support, CFSI has provided community leadership on important regional issues; made grants and scholarships that make this a better place to live, work and play; and acted as your philanthropic partner – connecting people to the causes they care most about.

2020: By the Numbers

$6.4 million in grants and scholarships
266 individual charitable funds fulfilling donor intent
$1.1 million in COVID-19 Relief Funds granted out
$290,000 in 25 Community Impact Fund grants
110 scholarships awarded for Class of 2020
$473,000 in scholarships awarded to Class of 2020
$460,000 in Lilly Scholarships awarded to Class of 2020
Over 100,000 people helped through our grants to area nonprofits
$143 million in assets
$6.2 million in fundholder grants
$46 million in grants since 1991
$2.7 million from Community Impact Fund since 1991

Responding to a Pandemic

Center for Lay Ministries

When the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to our community many individuals, families, small businesses and nonprofits faced new challenges. Unemployment skyrocketed, small businesses were forced to close and the increased calls for help put new pressure on our nonprofit partners to provide for those in need.

Early in the pandemic, the Center for Lay Ministries saw an immediate increase in calls for help. Located in downtown Jeffersonville, the Center for Lay Ministries was incorporated in 1970 by members of local churches to meet the needs of their neighbors. As the umbrella organization for two organizations, the Food Pantry and Bliss House, The Center for Lay Ministries provides food to over 800 clients each month and provides a recovery program for women battling addiction.

Kara Brown, executive director for the Center for Lay Ministries said, “We’ve never seen a surge in the need for our services like we did during the spring. We help people every day, but saw a significant increase of the individuals and families who needed our services for the first time. Once the pandemic hit, people who never needed help before were suddenly put in a position where they needed a food pantry or help with other necessities.”

To respond, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana opened the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help those impacted. Seeded with $100,000 from the Community Foundation’s unrestricted Community Impact Fund, the Relief Fund grew to $1.1 million.

Thanks to the support of our community, 100% of the COVID-19 Relief Fund was granted out to help small businesses and provide important resources that allowed our nonprofit partners to provide food, utility and rent assistance, personal protective equipment, mental health services and so much more. The Center for Lay Ministries was one of 51 nonprofit organizations that received over $350,000 in COVID-19 Relief Fund grants from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. Brown said, “We couldn’t be more thankful to the Community Foundation whose grant provided immediate resources, early on in the pandemic, to help respond to the calls for help.”

CFSI’s COVID-19 Relief Fund made $351,000 in grants to 51 local nonprofits serving those in need.

Helping Our Small Businesses Through Difficult Times

Taylor’s Cajun Meats

Ellis Taylor had a dream. After 25 years in the Louisiana meat industry he took a chance on Southern Indiana, moving his family and opening Taylor’s Cajun Meats. Ellis made all the right moves, establishing a business plan and building his customer base through outstanding service and even better specialty products. And then the pandemic hit.

“We were devasted,” said Taylor. “Business was going great. We were thriving and starting to think about next steps to grow our small business. But the pandemic brought unprecedented challenges and we weren’t sure what to do or how to respond. Fortunately, thanks to our relationship with One Southern Indiana, we learned of a grant opportunity that could help change how we do business to meet the needs of our customers.”

Thanks to a partnership between the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, One Southern Indiana and Caesars Foundation of Floyd County Small Business Emergency Loan fund, area small businesses received more than $643,000 in small business loans. Taylor continued, “Covid made it difficult for us because people couldn’t come to our store. But thanks to the support of the Community Foundation, One Southern Indiana and Caesars Foundation, we were able to respond to a changing business environment. Their help gave us the confidence and resources needed to invest in our eCommerce business and ramp up our delivery services. We were able to increase our presence on social media and improve our website, which has helped get us through this challenging business environment. Thanks to this community, we’ll come out of the pandemic stronger and look forward to a bright future.”

Of the $1.1 million donated to the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, over $643,000 was designed to help local small businesses.

Building a Better Community

Robert E. Libs Memorial Scholarship Fund

Bobby Libs, Carol Libs, and Chrys (Libs) Blakeman

Robert Libs led an incredible life full of joy, hard work and success. He married the love of his life, Carol. Raised his children, Bobby Libs, Robyn (Libs) Minor and Chrys (Libs) Blakeman, and loved his family and this community with everything he had.

Throughout his life Robert was always working to improve things. He helped grow his family business, Arthur M. Libs & Sons, now AML Construction, developed several important real estate projects and supported area nonprofits like Noah’s Ark Children’s Home and Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, just to name a few.

This past year, Robert’s children, Bobby and Chrys, turned to the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana to help honor their father’s legacy through a scholarship supported by AML.

Bobby said, “Dad cared so much about Southern Indiana and helping it grow. He was always aware that his education, work ethic and the support he received from the community helped him grow AML into what it is today. Because of that, our family and AML wanted to create a scholarship that would honor his memory so that each year, forever, a new student will have an opportunity to pursue their dreams and make a lasting impact, just like Dad did.”

Starting the spring of 2021, the Robert E. Libs Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide a Floyd Central High School student with an opportunity to pursue a degree in construction management; civil, structural or mechanical engineering; or a certification in the building and construction trades. Bobby continued, “As a construction company we want to support and encourage people who are interested in the building trades and Dad would have loved the fact that a local kid will now be able to continue their education and take the next steps towards building their own career. We couldn’t be more thankful to the Community Foundation for making this a reality and helping honor Dad’s legacy.”

In 2020, CFSI fundholders granted more than $6 million in grants and scholarships.

A Life Changed

Karen Gomez

In 2017, Karen Gomez earned the Fleshman Memorial Scholarship from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana because of her outstanding academic achievements, dedication to service and her exceptional character. Her scholarship changed her life and helped her graduate from Bellarmine University with a degree in accounting.

“Without the Fleshman Scholarship, I’m not sure I even could have graduated college. Financially, it provided an opportunity for me that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. I just didn’t have the resources that would allow me to pursue my education and career goals.”

Karen moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana when she was nine years old. She attended Jeffersonville High School where she says it was the busiest time of her life. Karen was the president of her class student council, served on the executive board for Anchor Club, and was a member of the Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council.

“Being a part of the Youth Philanthropy Council was a one of a kind experience,” said Karen. “I learned so much about our community, volunteering and philanthropy. It completely changed my perspective on giving. I learned that I can give my time and talent, not just treasure. Since YPC, those three words – time, talent and treasure – rattle around my head and inspire me to help others.”

Today, Karen Gomez is a tax associate with Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C., a local public accounting firm, and she still finds joy in serving others. “I’m so thankful to Mr. Fleshman and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. Between the scholarship and my experience with the Youth Philanthropy Council, I truly believe it changed my life. I am focused on my career and doing what I can to serve others, often helping those with a language barrier learn about taxes and financial literacy. It’s a need I’m passionate about and a way I can give back to a community that has helped me so much.”

CFSI administers more than 260 funds, each of which honors the unique charitable intent of the person who established the fund.

Scholarships

In 2020, CFSI distributed over 110 scholarship awards with a combined value of over $933,000 including our Lilly Scholar awards! Thank you to each of our scholarship fundholders and the donors who make these life-changing scholarships available to our community’s students.

A full list of scholarship funds can be found by clicking here.

Lilly Scholars

Each of these four seniors from Clark and Floyd Counties were chosen from 221 applicants to receive a full four-year scholarship from the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program.

Getting Involved in Giving Back – Your Chance to Make an Impact

Everyone has their own unique interests and ideas on how to give back to their community. Maybe you want to get your children and grandchildren involved as a family in your giving, establish a scholarship, provide support for your church or alma mater, leave a legacy through your will, or simply help address our community’s greatest needs.

Whatever your financial or charitable goals, whatever your means, whatever your passions, the Community Foundation will help make your giving easy, flexible and meaningful. We’ll work with you and your professional advisor to establish a customized charitable fund that supports your favorite causes and makes the most sense for your personal situation. It all starts with you and your passions and ideas for how you’d like to make this a better place. We can help you do that. I invite you to call me, Linda Speed, at (812) 948-4662 and start the conversation about your charitable vision.

Scholarship Funds
Donor Advised Funds
Charitable Checking Accounts
Legacy Funds
Community Impact Funds
Qualified Charitable Distributions (Charitable IRA Rollover)
And more!

Thank you!

To our community, donors, fundholders and Legacy Society members, we say thank you for helping us make a difference in Southern Indiana. We’re applying our resources to address the greatest needs of our community, and because of your support, last year our grants to area nonprofits helped them serve 100,000 people throughout Clark and Floyd Counties. Thank you for allowing us to be the partner, resource and steward for philanthropy in our community. To see a complete listing of our donors and Legacy Society members, please click here.

Advisor Spotlight

Stock Yards Bank and Trust

Damon Massey, Kathy Thompson, Marcia Henderson, and Rebecca Howard

Stock Yards Bank and Trust has served the Louisville and Southern Indiana region for over 30 years. Over that time Stock Yards has established itself as an outstanding community partner who serves the individual needs of their clients.

Damon Massey, with Stock Yards Bank & Trust’s wealth management team said, “I think we’ve been successful because we understand that everyone has their own passions, and financial and charitable objectives. It’s our goal to take all of those considerations and develop plans that serve the unique needs of our clients in a way that is meaningful. This understanding of individuality is why we often work with the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana to achieve our clients’ charitable objectives.”

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) recognizes that everyone is raised differently. Our values are unique and our giving is no different – it’s as unique as our fingerprint. Each day, CFSI works with those individuals, families and businesses who want to create a customized fund to achieve their charitable goals now, and those who want to leave a gift to a non-profit, school or church through their will or estate.

“I know when working with the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana that my clients will be taken care of in a personalized and professional manner,” Damon said. “It’s been my experience that CFSI helps my clients achieve their unique philanthropic goals while simplifying the giving process. There aren’t many organizations that operate with the same level of sophistication and service as CFSI.”

Community Leadership: Making an Impact Together

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana believes in building partnerships that create impact for our community. By working together, we can accomplish so much more than we can by working alone. At CFSI, we provide leadership on important community issues – partnering with other organizations to create change and make a positive impact on our community.

Since 2016, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana has supported the work of Align Southern Indiana (ASI) – helping launch the organization with the help of other area community foundations and organizations – by providing back-office support and more than $240,000 in grants and in-kind support.

Impact 100 Southern Indiana empowers women to dramatically improve lives by collectively funding significant grants that make a lasting impact in our community.

Since 2017, Impact 100 Southern Indiana has awarded more than $343,000 in grants to fund significant projects at three local organizations. This past year, $87,000 was awarded to Genesis House, a transitional home for women in Southern Indiana who are battling addiction.

Youth Philanthropy Council

Screenshot from 2021 YPC Virtual Awards Ceremony

The Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) is a group of bright, energetic, next generation high school leaders who learn about philanthropy, complete community service projects and run a competitive grant cycle.

Since 2002, the YPC has awarded over $140,000 in grants from its endowment fund to area nonprofits to address the needs of our region’s youth.

In addition to their annual grant cycle, in 2020, the YPC’s service project was starting a coat and blanket drive to provide for the needs of area youth.

A Conversation in a Time of Need

School Colors

From 1993 through 2003, Jeffersonville High School introduced students to School Colors, a theatrical performance addressing the role race played in students’ lives. The production, written and performed by Jeff High students, received international attention and shined a light on how race shaped people’s beliefs, experiences and perceptions. The production led to conversations and a better understanding of how we all experience life differently.

Over the summer of 2020, as more attention was given to the issues surrounding race and equality, a group of organizers, made up of some of the original cast, started work to relaunch the production. The group has worked with the Community Foundation to start a fund that will accept donations in support of their efforts.

Today, the reboot, School Colors Now, has launched a series of short vignettes based on personal stories that have been shared virtually with plans to launch a live performance in 2021. If you’d like to help School Colors Now share their story, you can make a contribution to their fund by clicking here, and selecting the School Colors Now Community Project Fund.

CFSI Receives $240,000 Grant for United Community

This year, the Community Foundation received a $240,000 grant as part of the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative.

CFSI is using the grant funds to support the implementation and coordination of the United Community virtual referral platform in Clark and Floyd counties.

United Community is a single point of entry system allowing individuals to be referred to all appropriate services they may need – whether for health, education or social services needs – via this cloud-based and confidential referral system. For instance, if someone comes into the food pantry for food insecurity reasons, but they also need assistance with utilities or housing or medical care, now they don’t have to go from place to place, dealing with transportation issues, hours of operation, or whether or not they are eligible for services.

United Community enables seamless referrals between agencies to meet people’s unique needs and provides essential tracking of outcomes to ensure that an individual’s needs have been met, something that referral agencies have not had the ability to do before, once an individual leaves their agency for another resource.

United Community is available in Jefferson County, Kentucky and to Clark and Floyd county nonprofits thanks to a partnership between Metro United Way and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. Today, the digital platform is being used by 28 Southern Indiana agencies with over 453 referrals through 2020.

Honoring Sam Shine:

A Growing Legacy

This past year, Southern Indiana native and founder of Samtec, Sam Shine, passed away leaving a legacy of giving back and growing our community. Sam and his wife, Betty, have given back in so many ways and to so many different organizations – directly improving the lives and health of countless people here at home, and around the world.

To honor Sam’s legacy and to say ‘thanks’ for leaving this community better than when he found it, the Community Foundation organized a tree giveaway. In just a few hours the 200 Oak trees (Sam’s favorite) were given to countless people from across our community. During the pickups we were privileged to hear many stories about Sam, Betty, their family and how their kindness and generosity have impacted so many people in Southern Indiana.

200 Oak trees (Sam’s favorite) were given away by the Community Foundation to honor Sam’s legacy.

Board of Directors

The members of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana assure that the Foundation’s resources are used effectively and efficiently to accomplish our vision and mission.

Chair: David Hussung
Vice Chair: Lisa Brones Huber
Treasurer: Adam Naville
Secretary: Sharon Handy
Immediate Past-Chair: Bill White

Pictured, from left (Row 1): David Hussung (Chair), Lisa Brones Huber (Vice-Chair), Adam Naville (Treasurer), Sharon Handy (Secretary), Hon. J. Terrance Cody

Pictured, from left (Row 2): Jay Conner, Dr. Melissa Fry, Mike Johnson, Damon Massey, Laura Muncy

Pictured, from left (Row 3): Greg Nash, Amy Newbanks Letke, Larry Ricke, Sue Sanders, S. Butch Shaw

Pictured, from left (Row 4): Catherine Sherrard, J. Scott Waters IV, Robert Woosley, Linda Speed (Ex-Officio)

Not Pictured: Bill White (Immediate Past-Chair)

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