LEVERAGING TRUST AMID UNCERTAINTY

Students play at Destiny Christian Academy – Central Childcare Center. A grant awarded from The Unrestricted Fund to Destiny Christian Center International will support facility updates and improvements at the center.

A gift to The Community Foundation is rooted in trust. In most cases, donations made today last forever. The governance structure of the Foundation including the Board of Directors, Investment, Finance, and Grants Committees, ensures that every dollar invested is put to good use to grant today or grow for the challenges of tomorrow.

“The Community Foundation is one of the best-stewarded organizations around,” said Wil Davis, a former Foundation Board Chair. Wil and Cindy Davis regularly support The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation. “We feel really good if we are able to join forces with the Foundation on occasion.”

Donors like Wil and Cindy trust the Foundation Board of Directors and staff to respond to the needs in the community. In 2020 The Community Foundation responded quickly to the local impact of a global crisis, while remembering the value of a long-term commitment to the community.

This year, The Community Foundation awarded $971,600 in quarterly competitive grants, primarily from unrestricted funds. At the same time, the Foundation continues to respond to the community’s needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-term trust of Foundation donors in The Unrestricted Fund made it all possible.

In March, as Delaware County saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19 and armed with the knowledge that the pandemic would impact the local community, the Board approved $20,000

COVID-19 response grants supported Open Door Health Services utilizing funds from The Unrestricted Fund.

Previously awarded grantees were given the flexibility to repurpose grant dollars if programming changed because of the pandemic. The first $20,000 in emergency response funding provided 12 organizations $1,000 to $2,000 grants for personal protective equipment for staff, food or supplies for food distributions, medical supplies, nutrition supplements, and more.

The conversations with nonprofit organizations continued. Understanding that the need for emergency response funding would continue, the Foundation began to have conversations with donors as well. It was decided that gifts to The Unrestricted Fund from April through June would be used directly for COVID-19 response efforts. Donors and local funders contributed more than $67,000 to The Unrestricted Fund during this period. That funding has supported more than 44 organizations.

"Giving to The Unrestricted Fund gives The Community Foundation more leverage to meet community needs or capture grants to bring funding to our community,” explained Cindy Davis. “Through the Foundation, we trust that our gifts are a piece of the bigger picture of community giving.”

Delaware County Emergency Management utilized a COVID-19 response grants to purchase PPE to distribute across the county.

When donors come together to support The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation, the impact to the community is great. Unrestricted funds make it possible to be responsive to the community’s changing and emerging needs. The Foundation is grateful for those who have already put their trust in the Foundation and will continue to earn the trust of the community today, tomorrow, and always.

UNRESTRICTED CHAMPIONS

We are pleased to recognize Unrestricted Champions. These individuals have put their trust in the Foundation through lifetime giving to The Unrestricted Fund of $25,000 or more.

Mrs. Bertha L. Arbogast

Norman E. and Joyce M. Beck

Mr. and Mrs. R. Donald Bell

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Bracken

Richard W. and Dorothy J. Burkhardt

Edwin F. Koch, Jr. M.D.

Laurie Lunsford

David and Joanna Meeks

W. Robert Porter

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ringoen

Charles W. and Catherine Rothhaar

Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert C. Schade

Ms. Patricia Schaefer

Carol E. Seals

Mr. and Mrs. Van P. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Reed Voran

Mrs. Geraldine Whitinger

Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler

Individuals who have established named unrestricted funds at The Community Foundation are also Champions.

Gary W. Addison

Stefan and Joan Anderson

Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball

Phillip and Esther Ball

Mr. and Mrs. Larry L. Bassett -

J. Robert and Joanne Baur

Waldo and Louisa Beebe

Patrick and Jane Botts

Jack and Jane Buckles

Patrick and Marilyn Cleary

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon D. Cox

William C. and Margaret H. Dutton

Ermalene and Edgar Faulkner, Jr.

Edgar and Anissa Faulkner III

Ron and Cheryl Fauquher

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Fisher

Buelah M. Frogge

Michael and Catherine Galliher

Linda Gregory and Connie Gregory

Mr. Julian and Dr. Suzanne Gresham

Gayle and Jeannine Harrold

Richard D. Hughes

Ms. Roni Johnson

John and Marcia (Ressler) Kelly

Jeff and Beth Lang

John and Katherine Littler

Michael O. and Nicole T. Lunsford

John R. Miller

Jon and Barbara Moll

Bill and Kate Pingry

Jerome and Edie Reaves

Jim and Mary Rosema

Martin D. and Helen B. Schwartz

Mr. and Mrs. Hamer Shafer

Kent Shuff and Steve Fennimore

Jeanne and John Smith

Kelly and Donna Stanley

Daniel and Catharine Stewart

Charles V. and Claudia B. Sursa

Mr. and Mrs. David Sursa

Gary and Amy Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. B. McClellan Warrell

Joe and Lani Wilson

We are thankful for the trust placed by the Foundation’s unrestricted donors. With this continued support, the Foundation will remain responsive to the ever-changing needs of Muncie and Delaware County.