Competitive Grants made in 2009 -

February Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation did not accept any applications for this grant cycle in 2009 due to decreases in grant funds available.

June Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $47,600 for this cycle and granted $6,850 to the following organizations/programs:

• Central Indiana Council on Aging (CICOA) received a grant of $2,000 to help them better serve their Shelby County clients with small unmet needs. The funds would be used to help clients with one time or unexpected needs such as wheel chair ramps, utility hook ups or deposit fees or small items for their home that will help the client to remain in their home and independent. The funds will only be used if all local resources have been exhausted.   "It's important to support organizations that serve our elderly. They've given their lifetimes to our communities and we need to help those that are working to keep our elderly vital, healthy and independent," says Ensminger. This grant was awarded from the Tobin Family Fund.

• Shelby Community Health Center received a $1,750 grant to support the ShelbyMeds program. This program works with uninsured patients that need certain expensive medications (that are not available in an affordable generic form) to obtain the needed medicine through pharmaceutical companies and other medication assistance programs either for free or at a very low cost. According to Alecia Nash, Executive Director at the Center, they expect to help over 750 patients with close to 1800 prescriptions this year, with a value of over $700,000. She says, "The value of the medications received last year was larger than our agency's annual budget for 2007 and 2008 combined!" The top medications received through this program are related to heart disease, diabetes, depression and smoking cessation. This grant will cover the office expenses for the program to continue for another year. This grant was awarded from the Ewing, Plymate and Showers Family Funds.

• Shelby County Players received a $1,500 grant from the Arts Fund to purchase 5 new body microphones that amplify the actors' voices while they are walking around the sets during performances, making it easier for the audience to hear and thus more enjoyable for everyone. The Shelby County Players have been providing theater experiences to Shelby County residents since 1988 and have enriched thousands of lives with their hard work and dedication. "We truly value the opportunity to support the arts in Shelby County. Having a community that is rich with diverse arts and cultural experiences is a cornerstone piece to a vibrant and healthy community."

• Shelbyville Kiwanis Club was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Marshal and Marie Shaw Fund to fund the start up costs for a new Aktion Club with a group of 15-25 very interested participants from Shares, Inc. According to Don Collins, the Shelbyville Kiwanis Club president, "This project is part of the Kiwanis commitment to bring community service opportunities to all members of our society." By working with the new club members, they will help them to become more integrated in our community, be able to help others in need by working on mutual community service projects and learn leadership skills.  This group will continue to be sponsored and supported by the local Shelbyville Kiwanis Club.

• TURNING POINT was awarded $600 toward the purchase of a new laptop to be used by the local Shelby County staff for daily operational needs as well as local presentations throughout Shelby County. Locally, Turning Point provided 56 education, awareness and training opportunities in 2008 to over 850 local residents. This organization continues to diligently work toward elimination of domestic violence through solutions focused programs. This grant was made from the Showers Family Fund.

October Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $37,203 for this cycle and granted $11,365 to the following organizations/programs:

• Shelby County Community Aspiration/Action Team 1 (Early Childhood Development) received a grant of $5,315 to purchase Brigance assessment materials for Shelby County children getting ready to enter kindergarten in 2010. This assessment is just the first step in better preparing our incoming kindergartners for what they need for success in school. This grant was awarded from the Tobin Family Fund.
• 21^st Century Scholarship Program/IU received a $3,850 grant to support local Shelby County programming for students and their families eligible for the program. The grant will cover the costs for college visits for students and their families as well as several informational community meetings for prospective scholars and interested parents. This grant was awarded from the Ewing, Plymate and Showers Family Funds.
• Shelbyville-Shelby County Public Library received a $1,200 grant from the Tobin Family Fund to purchase 5 new body microphones that amplify the actors' voices while they are walking around the sets during performances, making it easier for the audience to hear and thus more enjoyable for everyone. The Shelby County Players have been providing theater experiences to Shelby County residents since 1988 and have enriched thousands of lives with their hard work and dedication. "We truly value the opportunity to support the arts in Shelby County. Having a community that is rich with diverse arts and cultural experiences is a cornerstone piece to a vibrant and healthy community."

·         Shelbyville Community Band was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Arts Fund to help them obtain their nonprofit incorporation status from the State of Indiana and their 501c3 nonprofit status through the Internal Revenue Service. This work by the Band will move their organization to a higher level of organization and credibility with donors since they will have to establish more internal controls. The Community Band was formed in 1995 and is an all volunteer organization benefiting Shelby County and its neighboring communities. The Band provides Shelby County area musicians with the opportunity to expand or continue their experience in the performing arts with the ultimate purpose of making live, symphonic and ensemble music accessible to all segments of the community. The higher level of organization could help them to attract major donors and compete for more grants.

The SCB exists with the support of grants, donations and member dues. All area musicians with at least a High School music background are welcome. There are no auditions for the concert band. Performances are free to the public. Outstanding musicians from all walks of life, including students, professionals and retirees join together in this community band because of their love for making music.

Competitive Grants made in 2008 -

February Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $56,767 for this cycle and granted $32,267 to the following organizations/programs:

·         CICOA (Central Indiana Council on Aging) - received $8,684 to expand their Shelby County meal programs to include weekend home delivered meals to seniors that are basically homebound. This expansion will allow these often times isolated seniors to get food and human contact on the weekends as well as the weekdays. CICOA delivered over 9,500 meals in Shelby County in 2007. This grant was awarded from the Tobin Family Fund, The Ellison Fund, The McCrea Family Fund and the BRCF Community Fund.

·         The Shelbyville Boys Club - received a $5,783 grant from the Ewing and Plymate Family Funds, the Marshal and Marie Shaw Fund and the BRCF Community Fund for its elementary football program, which provides recreational, athletic and social activity to over 200 area youth each fall. This program has enjoyed a 68% increase in participation over the last two years and this grant will enable the Club to purchase much needed additional equipment for all the children.

·         Morristown Full Metal Jackets Robotics Team - received a $4,000 grant from the Showers and McCrea Family Funds and the BRCF Community Fund to allow the group to purchase laptop computers, software and materials for their robots.

·         Triton Elementary School -  was awarded $2,300 to purchase 12 new mini trampolines for their 'Minds in Motion' program. Every student at the school will participate daily in the program's exercise routines for their brains and their bodies. More than 500 children will enjoy the benefits of this program each year.  This grant was made from the Plymate and Tobin Family Funds.

·         Shelby Senior Services -  received $5,000 from the Ellison Fund, the Tobin Family Fund, the Lemmon Fund and the BRCF Community Fund for a vehicle maintenance fund for the ShelbyGo, public transportation program. ShelbyGo provided over 15,000 trips in 2007 (which is an average of over 58 trips per day) and many of the vehicles are in desperate need of repairs. The money will enable SSS to adopt an aggressive preventative maintenance schedule that will help to lower major breakdowns and lengthen the life of all the vehicles.

·         Shelby Arts Council - received $1,500 from the BRCF Arts Fund as match money for the Blue River Folk Music Festival which will be held in May. This festival has historically hosted professional musicians which perform and host workshops during the day of the event and it is capped off with an evening concert that has drawn attendance from all over the Midwest. This grant will enable the SAC to pay for the professional musicians that draw the attendance to the Festival and to Shelby County.

·         SCUFFY - received $5,000 to help replace broken and deteriorating windows in the historic Fuller Center. This grant from the Ewing, Plymate and Showers Family Funds and the BRCF Community Fund will allow SCUFFY to purchase windows that will maintain the historical beauty of the Center that houses the offices of SCUFFY and several other nonprofit groups.

June Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $94,624 for this cycle and granted $26,578 to the following organizations/programs:

·         Morristown Boys & Girls Club received $6,000 to help them reach their fundraising goal that will assure their continued programming for another year as they work on a plan to increase their annual contributions to allow them to be self sufficient and continue as a satellite program of the Shelbyville Boys Club. This grant was awarded from the Tobin Family Fund, The Ellison Fund, The McCrea Family Fund and the BRCF Community Fund.

·         Flat Rock Volunteer Fire Department received a $5,000 grant from the Ewing and Plymate Family Funds, the Marshal and Marie Shaw Fund and the BRCF Community Fund as part of the local match money needed to accept a $219,000 grant from FEMA to purchase a new tanker truck. The department will be replacing a 1952 truck that they have been using.

·         Court & Child Advocacy Group was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Showers and McCrea Family Funds and the BRCF Community Fund to help this new organization with some of their start up costs. This organization will be stepping into the role of the former CASA program, but will be located in Shelby County. Being local will make recruiting volunteers, educating the local public and providing services to children easier and more efficient.

·         Girls, Inc. was awarded $3,232 to help them implement a pregnancy prevention program (Living Our Values Everyday) to girls aged 9-18 in Shelby County.  This grant was made from the Ewing, Plymate and Showers Family Funds.

·         The Strand Theatre of Shelbyville received $3,100 from the Arts Fund to purchase additional sound equipment for the theatre.

·         Purdue County Extension Services received $2,500 from the Showers Family Fund and the BRCF Community Fund to help support the 2008 Farm Tour which is being held in Shelby County this year.  This tour normally draws between 3,000 - 5,000 people into the hosting county.

·         Turning Point received $1,200 to help support their community prevention initiative for Shelby County teens and adolescents with regards to healthy relationships and interpersonal violence. This grant was made from the Plymate and Showers Family Funds.

·         Pregnancy Care Center received $546 to purchase educational videos to help their clients with various life skills issues. This grant was made possible through the Tobin Family Fund.

October Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $118,232 for this cycle and granted $35,471 to the following organizations/programs:

·         THE SHELBY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER received $10,000 from the Showers Family Fund and the BRCF Community Fund, to support the continuation of their ShelbyMeds program that helps over 400 low income individuals every year that are not insured or underinsured, to secure necessary medications for ongoing and chronic illnesses. This program has helped to secure over $500,000 in prescription medications for patients that may otherwise do without and it has helped many of those patients gain control over chronic illnesses.

·         THE STRAND THEATRE OF SHELBYVILLE received $10,000 from the BRCF Community Fund to help pay for materials needed to upgrade the electrical system in the historic old building. This grant will help the Strand with their continued efforts to restore the old theatre and provide many great entertainment opportunities for all people through this wonderful venue.

·         HEAD START/HUMAN SERVICES received $9,671 from the Ewing and Tobin Family Funds and the BRCF Community Fund to help put a new, pitched roof on the HeadStart building in Shelby County. This will replace the current flat roof on the building and save the program thousands of dollars in annual water damage repair costs. The HeadStart program serves around 80 low income preschoolers and their families every year in Shelby County.

·         Shelby County Reads was awarded $1,000 to help support their annual community reading event which brings together hundreds of residents each year and provides books to all of our County's schools. This grant was made from the Ewing Family Fund.

·         Loper Elementary received $1,500 from the Arts Fund to help with a 5^th grade musical production that will involve the collaboration of the arts, physical education and classroom teachers and the whole 5^th grade class.

·         D.A.R.E. received a grant in the amount of $900 from the Plymate Family Fund and the BRCF Community Fund to purchase a set of fatal vision goggles that help to demonstrate to youth the effects that alcohol has on a person's ability to drive, walk and do other normal activities.

·         Shelby County Players received $2,400 from the Arts Fund to help with the costs of offering the December children's play to all of our County's 2^nd graders. This will help to ensure that all 2^nd graders are able to participate and enjoy the experience of seeing a live play and interacting with the cast at no cost to the student.

Competitive Grants made in 2007 -

February Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $61,613 for this cycle and granted $46,213 to the following organizations/programs:

·         Salvation Army - $5,000 to complete the drawings and plans for the kitchen renovation project.

·         Shelbyville High School - $1,040 to help with some innovative programming for the new pilot Student Achievement Center.

·         Johnson County ARC/Gateway Services - $14,000 for local match money for ShelbyGo, the public transportation system for Shelby County.

·         Shelby County C.A.P.E. Program - $14,173 to fund a Young Audiences Residency program in all 16 C.A.P.E. classrooms for the 2007-2008 school year.

·         Morristown Volunteer Fire Department - A 1:1 matching grant of $2,000 toward the purchase of new equipment that was obsolete or irreparable.

·         Shelby County Association of Academic Achievement - $5,000 to fund the annual banquet for all Shelby County students that have maintained straight A records.

·         Shelby Community Health Center/Planned Parenthood of Indiana - $5,000 to help pay for post partum testing, exams and supplies for Shelby County women that have no health insurance.

June Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $70,355 for this cycle and granted $30,470 to the following organizations/programs:

·         Shelby County Players - $4,500 ($2,000 is a challenge grant that will match funds they raise 1:2) for the purchase of a new mobile keyboard and sound system.

·         Girls, Inc. - $2,100 to pay for the development of endowment building marketing materials.

·         Sanctuary of Shelbyville - $15,000 to help toward the completion of the nine apartment units that will enable them to open their program doors.

·         Turning Point - $2,500 to support a legal advocacy program for Shelby County clients.

·         Dugout Club - $370 toward the purchase of a new lawn tractor to maintain the baseball diamonds for the middle school and high school.

·         Boy Scout Troop #39 - $6,000 to restore the old Morrison Park entrance sign and to landscape around the entrance.

October Grant Cycle -

                The Foundation received requests totaling $66,820 for this cycle and granted $65,060 to the following organizations/programs:

·         Salvation Army of Shelby County - $35,000 to make up the shortfall of their goal of raising $205,000 to totally renovate their kitchen and meal area for their free lunch program.

·         D.A.R.E. of Shelby County - $2,500 to purchase the Darin the Lion Mascot Costume for their programs and activities.

·         City of Shelbyville - $3,000 to help with the Downtown Holiday Celebration activities.

·         Shelby County Reads - $2,000 to help pay for expenses related to author visits for the 2008 program.

·         Gibault, Inc. - $10,000 to help with the start up of a new girls group home for Shelby County.

·         The Strand Theatre Group - $9,500 to pay for a new sound system for the Strand Theatre.

·         Shelby Senior Services - $1,500 to cover the costs for development and printing of marketing materials for their endowment building campaign.