LEGACY
Let’s Chat
The Community Foundation works best through partnerships. This year, we’ve focused on strengthening existing relationships and building new ones to meet our mission to enhance the quality of life of Muncie and Delaware County.
In this issue of Legacy, we are highlighting a few of those partnerships. We share the story of the KAKATU Foundation, a family foundation that established a fund at The Community Foundation to provide permanent support to the family’s hometown. We serve as a partner, linking family members to the needs and opportunities in Muncie and Delaware County. We also highlight Hillcroft Services, which celebrates 70 years of serving our community and has partnered with the Foundation since our inception. You’ll also read a list of grantees from this quarter’s Community Grants totaling more than $240K and building grant-based partnerships with 19 local organizations.
I also want to extend a personal invitation to you to join us for a ribbon cutting and open house on October 5 from 4:00 to 6:30pm. And if you can’t make it, I invite you to reach out to schedule a visit. We want to be your partner, too. Let’s chat!
Marcy Minton President & CEO
Philanthropy: Doing good while staying connected
Each year, David Meeks Jr. gathers with 20 or more family members for coffee and doughnuts on the porch of a family cottage in Michigan for the annual meeting of the KAKATU Foundation. The “formal” meeting, part of an annual family vacation, brings together generations of the Meeks family for fun and philanthropy.
“We have a lot of fun, but philanthropy has added another dimension to our relationship,” said David about his family, who serve as the board for the family’s foundation. “It’s just one other thing to unite your family. It’s giving together.”
David Meeks, Jr. is one of four children of David and Joanna Meeks, who spent much of their lives in Muncie. David was born in the community and was introduced to Joanna through mutual friends. The two married in Hawaii before David served in the diplomatic corps.
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VOL. 33 NO. 3
SEPT 2023
Rural Delaware County
Joanna and David Meeks, Sr.
The couple returned to Muncie, where David took over Meeks Mortuary, a family business.
David Jr. recalls his parents’ active life and wonderful friends across Muncie. The family regularly gave their time and resources to community projects.
In memory of David and Joanna, the Meeks children and grandchildren established the KAKATU Foundation in 1999 to give back the communities their parents called home. The name is a contraction of the Hawaiian names by which David and Joanna were known to their grandchildren –Kanaka for oldtimer (or grandfather) and Tutu for grandmother.
With no family members living in Muncie anymore, they struggled to identify the local needs and priorities. The family partnered with The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County to establish the KAKATU Foundation/David and Joanna Meeks Fund, a field of interest fund focused on the same areas of priority as their foundation – education, health, environment, arts, and social services.
Today, that fund is used to support Community Grants. Since its first grant was awarded in 2010, nearly 50 grants have been awarded, totaling more than $165,000.
$249,100 Awarded in Community Grants
Community Grants were awarded to the following 19 organizations during the third quarter of 2023:
Action for Animals
Ambassadors for Gods Creatures
Ball State University
College Mentors for Kids
Cornerstone Center for the Arts
Daleville Community Schools
East Central Indiana Chamber Orchestra
Funders Forum Fund at The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County
Indiana State Police Department
Little Red Door Cancer Agency
Masterworks Chorale
Minnetrista
Muncie Arts and Culture Council
Muncie Delaware County Area Senior Citizens Center
Recovery Café Muncie
Refugee Alliance of Delaware County, Inc.
Selma Athletic League
Soup Kitchen of Muncie
Whitely Community Council
Read More!
For the full story, scan the QR code or visit cfmdin.org/news/2023-08-grants
While the grantmaking of the KAKATU Foundation covers communities across the country, the KAKATU Foundation/David and Joanna Meeks Fund at The Community Foundation ensures that the Meeks family legacy of giving will continue to make a difference for organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County.
“The Community Foundation is important in helping families develop a plan for philanthropy,” said David. “They provide a service to people trying to make a difference in the community.”
Read More!
For the full story, scan the QR code or visit cfmdin.org/news/kakatu
Community Grants have been awarded from The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation and the following funds:
Alpha Center Fund, Stefan and Joan Anderson
Unrestricted Fund, Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Fund, Bassett Family Fund, Gordon and Pam Cox Fund, Linda and Connie Gregory Fund, Historical Preservation Fund, Jane E. Hughes Fund, KAKATU Foundation/David and Joanna Meeks Fund, Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund, Ellen Lacey Endowment Fund for Companion Animals, Jeff and Beth Lang Fund, Maxon Foundation Fund, Mutual Legacy Fund, Liberty Perry Selma Town Endowment Fund, Jim and Mary Rosema Fund, Anna Winick Schwarz Memorial Fund, Jeanne and John Smith Fund, Jeanne and John Smith Unrestricted Fund, Nancy J. Smith Fund, Laura Stanley Keppler Fund, and Faye Wingate Fund
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The Meeks Family at the KAKATU Foundation Annual Meeting
Grants in Action: Whitely Community Council
For nearly 70 years, the Whitely Community Council has served the Whitely neighborhood through its mission to serve and be a voice in the community. Today, the Whitely Community Council serves with a focus on education, health & and wellness, and community safety for its neighbors. This quarter, The Community Foundation awarded $26,500 to Whitely Community Council to support core mission work and education initiatives. A similar grant last year provided middle schoolers a chance to explore colleges and included a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) college tour in Washington, DC, pictured.
Additionally, The Community Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Ball State University for a project that will connect geography students with Whitely community members to produce maps and other visual materials illustrating the history and culture of the neighborhood. Whitely Community Council will serve as a partner for this project, which result in a sustainable, freely accessible online repository that serves as a placemaking tool for the Whitely neighborhood.
Celebrating 70 Years of Supporting Individuals with Disabilities
Hillcroft Services supports more than 600 people with disabilities in our community and surrounding communities each year. This year, the organization is celebrating its 70th anniversary of helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In 1953, three families – the Kings, Satryans, and Taylors – started Hillcroft Services to provide a unique, quality education for their children with disabilities. The three families quickly grew to around 25 members who banded together to help the organization thrive.
Today, Hillcroft Services helps people of all ages develop living and social skills through group homes, supported living services, and respite care. With behavioral support services, music therapy, and recreation, Hillcroft Services offers something for everyone.
Earlier this year, The Community Foundation awarded a grant to Hillcroft Services to support a year-long 70th-anniversary awareness and
recognition campaign. Hillcroft Services planned various events for clients and the community to celebrate. In February, they hosted a Birthday Bash for clients and staff. Later this year, Hillcroft Services is moving its annual Thanksgiving Appreciation Luncheon to the Horizon Convention Center and inviting the public to join clients and staff as they celebrate 70 years of service.
For over 30 years, The Community Foundation has partnered with Hillcroft Services by providing more than $688,000 in grant funding. Additionally, Hillcroft Services benefits from the Hillcroft Services Fund, a designated endowment fund housed at The Community Foundation.
For more information on Hillcroft Services and all the great things they do for individuals with disabilities in our community, visit Hillcroft.org.
Read More!
For the full story, scan the QR code or visit cfmdin.org/news/hillcroft
Anniversary on February 13, 2023! 3
Clients & Staff Celebrating Hillcroft’s 70th
PO Box 807, Muncie, IN 47308
Join in the Celebration!
The Community Foundation wants to celebrate our new office space with you! Join us for a ribbon cutting and an open house.
302 E Jackson St. | Muncie, IN 47305
Thursday, October 5, 2023
4:00 - 6:30 PM | 4:00 PM Ribbon Cutting
Memorials and Honorariums
Branch out! Bring a friend to get to know the Foundation, then spend some time downtown for ArtsWalk.
Full building tours available at 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM. Email commfound@cfmdin.org to reserve your spot.
Legacy is a publication of The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, Inc.
The following individuals were remembered or honored through gifts to The Community Foundation from June 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023.
Honorariums
Suzanne Gresham
Patty Guize’s 70th Birthday
Nicholas Peter Shear
Boone Wingate Shear
Memorials
Daphne Chapman
Larry Childs
Josie Creasy
Tony Dietrich
Susan Dillon
James David Duncan
David Farver
Wilma and Rick Frazee
Ted Fullhart
Donna Gilkison
Fred Wiley Grant
Greg Hill
S.Don Holt
Robert Johnson
Mary Bess Lunsford
Adelaide Esther Midanek
Marta Moody
Bill Page
David R. Pence
Elizabeth Pyle
Thomas Sargent
Janet Carolyn Schnelle
Jeffrey Ray Schrecongost
Elaine Smith
Willie Spry
Pets
Gabi
Oullie
Contact Us Today!
Phone: 765.747.7181
Email: commfound@cfmdin.org
Website: cfmdin.org
Board of Directors
Sara Shade Hamilton, Chair
Casey Stanley, Vice Chair
Dave Heeter, Treasurer
Magi Kirkpatrick Sikora, Secretary
Trent Dowling, Ex Officio
Staff
Marcy Minton President & CEO
Kallie Sulanke Chief Community Partner for Outreach & Donor Relations
Amanda Kavars Chief Community Partner for Program & Nonprofit Relations
Carol Kosisko Community Partner for Donor Relations
Molly Harty Community Partner for Program & Nonprofit Relations
John W. Anderson Jr.
Derron Bishop
Jaime Faulkner
Mia Johnson
Daniel Stallings
Trina Bowling Finance Officer
Rachel Spodek Outreach & Donor Relations Manager
JoAnna Darda Program & Nonprofit Relations Manager
Rachel Lunsford Operations Support Manager
Professional Counsel
Steven D. Murphy Legal Counsel
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MUNCIE, IN PERMIT NO. 807
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GIVE BY MAIL Send your donation to PO Box 807, Muncie, IN 47308 GIVE ONLINE Visit cfmdin.org to make your donation
