The Blue River Community Foundation has always supported all of Shelby County through grants from its unrestricted community fund, as well as through other designated and donor advised funds. The Northeastern Hometown Community Fund will serve as an additional funding resource for Northeastern Shelby County.
Once the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund begins making grants, those grants may be awarded to any charitable organization or program that serves Northeastern Shelby County. The Northeastern Hometown Community Fund Advisory Committee will publicize grant opportunities, distribute and collect grant applications, evaluate the applications, and recommend grant recipients to the Blue River Community Foundation Board of Directors. The Advisory Committee is made up of residents from Northeastern Shelby County.
Advisory Committee Members -
Current members are:
Dede Allender, Carolyn Blackford, Bev Carlton, Crystal Culp, Michelle Harroll, Sue Keaton, Linda Muegge, Julie Ramsey, Janet Ross, Dora Scott and Shirley Shepardson.
The Blue River Community Foundation is grateful to each of these committee members for the time and energy they have given to make this fund successful.
2010 Grant Recipients -
1. Morristown High School Marching Band was awarded $1,000 to help with the cost of purchasing a drum major podium that will be used by the student conductors of the band and allows the conductor to be easily seen by all members of the band. The marching band at Morristown HS has grown from 30 members in 2005 to 65 students in 2010. This project, while small in nature, will reach many band students for many years to come.
2. Morristown Boys/Girls Club was awarded $450 to buy a basketball hoop system for the Club that will provide more recreational opportunities to more children and other residents in Morristown. This grant will allow the Club to install an in-ground basketball goal unit at the Morristown Community Park that the Club uses for multiple activities during the spring, summer and the fall.
3. Morristown United Methodist Church received a grant in the amount of $300 to help with the purchase of food and supplies for a weekend meal program for needy children in the Morristown school district. The church is teaming up with Morristown Elementary to help them identify children for the program. This is a project of the Women's group at the church who felt that children that qualify for free lunches during the school year would also benefit from food that is provided at no cost to them during the weekends and vacation periods.
4. Shelby County Life Long Learning on behalf of the Community Aspiration Action Team 1 received a grant of $250 to help with the cost of transportation for Morristown area children to attend a summer Jumpstart program for kindergarten readiness. The program will serve 15 children that will be entering kindergarten at Morristown Elementary this fall and will provide these children help with some skills they need to begin kindergarten. School administrators estimate that an average of 50% of Shelby County children enter kindergarten without all the necessary skills they need to be successful. The program is free and will run for three weeks starting July 12th. The summer jumpstart programming will be offered throughout the County as part of The Aspiration and Action Team 1's work.
2009 Grant Recipients -
1. Morristown Elementary School was awarded $241.50 to help with the purchase of 40 pedometers and cases to be used with all of the elementary students for their physical education classes. The local grant review committee felt that this was a good program in light of childhood obesity issues. According to Nora Mallory, the physical education teacher, "I want all of my students to be aware of the '10,000 steps a day' philosophy of healthy living and that all types of movement will benefit their bodies." 400 children will benefit from this program in just the first year.
2. Kids-N-Motion Summer Camp was awarded $458.50 to help pay for the costs of field trips for the kids attending the camp. This camp for children ages 4-9 encourages continued learning through the summer months through exploration and creativity in areas such as art, reading, math social studies and science. The program, designed by local residents, Rema Tribby and Carrie Thompson, will enhance the children's team skills and social development as well. They will serve approximately 30 Morristown area children this summer.
3. The Pride of Morristown Marching Band received a grant in the amount of $800 to add electrical capacity and other upgrades to their practice field. The local committee was very excited to help this group that has seen their membership almost double in size in the last few years. According to Jason Kahl, Director of Bands at Morristown, they used to practice on the softball diamond and have now been given their own practice area and the group just needed some help making some small upgrades to the area that will serve the band students for many years to come. This includes electricity being added to the area, concrete corner markers and a complete set of new yard line markers. The group has engaged several local volunteers to help with the projects that helped to keep the cost very low.
Examples of other potential grantees could include:
4-H, FFA or other youth-focused educational programming
Civic or social organizations for public beautification, historic preservation or community service projects
Morristown Schools for equipment and/or programming that would enrich the school curriculum or athletics programs
Church outreach programs that provide services for the elderly, young children, or the poor of Northeastern Shelby County
Local Area Volunteer Fire Departments
As gifts are made, a list of donors will be posted (unless the donor has requested to remain anonymous), as well as a regularly updated report on the balance of the Fund. Click here for this information
How to Give -
To make a gift to the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund, you may give online by clicking here, or you may write a check made payable to "BRCF" and note "Northeastern Hometown Community Fund" or "NEHCF" on the memo line. Please mail your check to BRCF, P.O. Box 808, Shelbyville, IN 46176.
Take Advantage of a Match for your Gift!
Until December 31, 2010, the Blue River Community Foundation will match every $2.00 given to the Fund with an additional $1.00, up to a total of $15,000.00. In other words, a gift of $50.00 will be matched with $25.00 making the total gift value $75.00, or a gift of $200.00 will be matched with $100.00 making the total gift value $300.00, and so on. If the Northeastern community takes full advantage of this match opportunity, the fund will have a balance of $45,000.00
Frequently Asked Questions -
What area is covered by the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund?
The area covered by the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund is the area that is included within the Morristown School District. This area is primarily made up of Van Buren, Hanover and Union Townships.
What does "endowment" mean?
When a fund is "endowed," it means that all gifts made to the fund remain in the fund forever, and are invested rather than spent. Grants from an endowed fund are made from the investment earnings. Ideally, not all of the earnings are granted so that a portion of the earnings may be returned to the fund to help it grow. Every gift to an endowed fund, no matter the size, will generate earnings that will make up the grant money to be awarded. By making a gift of any size to the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund, you are leaving a legacy to your hometown community that will serve Northeastern Shelby County for all time!
How is the money in the fund invested?
The Blue River Community Foundation uses a professional investment management firm called Mason Investment Advisory Services to manage its investments. Mason is overseen by the Foundation's Finance Committee and Board of Directors. The Foundation follows a formal investment policy that includes an asset allocation strategy. The Foundation's funds are invested in 14 different asset classes according to the specific percentages for each that are set out in the investment policy. A representative from Mason travels to Shelbyville every quarter to meet with the Finance Committee to review investment performance.
How are the amounts of the grants decided?
The full amount of money that will be available to grant from the Fund each year is determined using a formula that is part of the Blue River Community Foundation's Spending Policy. That formula multiplies 5% times the fund's balance at the end of each previous quarter up to 20 trailing quarters. Because the money in the fund is invested, the fund's value will go up and down depending upon stock market performance. The 20 trailing quarter "look-back" period helps to smooth out dramatic swings in the market to promote more consistent grantmaking.
As an example, a fund with a steady balance of $50,000 would grant $2,500 annually.
Who can receive a grant from the Fund?
Any charitable organization that serves the Northeastern part of Shelby County could receive a grant from the Fund. "Charitable" can include education, healthcare, arts and culture, community improvements (such as beautification), and social services. Because of Internal Revenue regulations, grants cannot be made to individuals or to non-charitable activities. Examples of different Northeastern organizations that could receive a grant from the fund are described above.
Can I designate my gift for a specific organization or program within the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund?
Gifts cannot be designated for specific organizations or programs within the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund. The purpose of the Fund is unrestricted, which means that grants can be used for any charitable purpose that serves the Northeastern part of Shelby County. Because the purpose of the fund is unrestricted, grants from this fund may be used to meet the needs of Northeastern Shelby County today and in the future. It is difficult to imagine what needs our communities may have in another 50 years from now. Whatever those needs may be, grants from the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund may be used to help meet them.
If you have a particular organization or program you feel strongly about and would like to support through an endowment fund, you may establish a new named endowment fund with the Blue River Community Foundation for the benefit of that organization or program. The minimum amount needed to establish a new endowment fund is $5,000 (scholarships require a minimum amount of $10,000). Please contact the Blue River Community Foundation staff for more information on how to establish a new fund.
When will the first grants from the Fund be made?
Although the timing of the first grants depends partly on the success of the fundraising efforts, it is anticipated at this time that the first grants from the fund will be awarded in 2009.
Who will be on the committee that recommends how the grants will be awarded?
The Advisory Committee members listed above have been working with the Foundation to develop "advisory committee guidelines" that set out how future members of the Advisory Committee will be selected. The Advisory Committee may make the grantmaking decisions, or may delegate that decision to a grantmaking committee. Either way, residents from Northeastern Shelby County will be making the grant recommendations. The advisory committee guidelines include term limits, as well as provisions to avoid conflicts of interest in the grantmaking process.
Why must grants be recommended to the Blue River Community Foundation's Board of Directors?
The Blue River Community Foundation's Board of Directors must have the opportunity to approve or disapprove all grants from funds held by the Foundation in order to make certain that no grant is made that could negatively affect the Foundation's public charity status under Internal Revenue Service regulations. However, the Foundation's Board of Directors also has an obligation to follow donor intent to the greatest extent possible.
Is my gift tax deductible?
The Blue River Community is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent permitted by state and federal law.
Can I make a gift besides cash?
The Blue River Community Foundation can receive almost any type of asset that has value - such as stock, real estate, or farm commodities - as a gift to a fund. If you wish to make a gift other than cash, please contact the Foundation or your financial advisor before you make your gift. You will need important information about the required steps for making non-cash gifts.
Can I make a planned gift?
The Blue River Community Foundation would be happy to talk with you about options for planned giving. The most common type of planned gift is a bequest in a will. Other ways to make planned gifts include naming the Northeastern Hometown Community Fund as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a retirement account. The Foundation can also help you make a deferred gift that will generate income to you or a member of your family for a term of years. For more information about these types of gifts, please contact the Blue River Community Foundation staff or your financial advisor.
Are there any fees charged against the Fund?
The Blue River Community Foundation charges a 1% administrative fee on all of its endowed funds. This fee helps to cover the Foundation's operating expenses, and allows the Foundation to provide support for various community activities, such as scholarship workshops, grant writing workshops, board and donor development training for local nonprofits, etc. The fund managers the Foundation uses charge a fee of less than 1%.
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