Community Foundation Celebrates 30th Anniversary, Grants $30,000 in Awards to Pair of Area Nonprofits

Hope Southern Indiana and Jacob’s Well Named Recipients of $15,000 Grants

Commemorating an achievement 30 years in the making, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana celebrated its three decades of philanthropy by making two grants totaling $30,000 to a pair of Southern Indiana nonprofit organizations.

Following a community voting process that saw nearly 60 nonprofits nominated and thousands of votes cast electronically, Hope Southern Indiana and Jacob’s Well were named the recipients of the two $15,000 CFSI 30^th Anniversary Grants.

“We are very pleased that we can commemorate the Foundation’s 30 years of philanthropy by making these grants,” said Linda Speed, President and CEO for the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. “We wanted to spotlight our 30 years of giving back to our community, and what better way to do that than to award these grants – based on our community’s input – to two of our area’s vital organizations. As the partner, resource, and steward for philanthropy in our community, this grant award process underscores what we strive to do every day to improve this region where we all live, work, and play.”

For the first two weeks in October, the public had the opportunity to nominate a deserving nonprofit that serves residents of Clark and Floyd Counties. To accept the nomination, each organization had to provide a physical location within Clark or Floyd County, as well as verification they are a 501c3 public charity in good standing with the IRS. Eligible nonprofits were encouraged to apply, with submissions sorted into two categories based on organization’s budget size.

The Community Foundation’s grant-making committee scored all applications and selected five finalists in both categories. Finalists included: Childplace, Inc.; LifeSpan Resources; Providence House; St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Charities; BAYA Corporation; Falls of the Ohio Foundation; Habitat for Humanity Clark & Floyd Indiana; and Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana.

Then, beginning on Nov. 10 and lasting for 72 hours, community members had the opportunity to electronically vote for one organization in each category, which ultimately accounted for 25% of their final score. Winners were selected using the combined score from the Foundation’s grant-making committee, as well as total numbers from public voting.

Ultimately, it was Hope Southern Indiana and Jacob’s Well that eventually took home the night’s top honors.

“We had a lot of deserving nominations from community members all over Clark and Floyd Counties, so it’s always great to be reminded that we live in an area where philanthropy is so engrained within the culture,” Speed said. “With Hope Southern Indiana and Jacob’s Well, we see two outstanding organizations that have made it their mission to support residents in need throughout Southern Indiana. We’re inspired to contribute to these nonprofits whose causes are incredibly meaningful to so many people, and we look forward with gratitude to serving this community for many decades to come.”

To watch the 30th Anniversary Video, please click here.

To watch the Live Stream of the Entire 30th Anniversary Event, please click here.