JANUARY newsLETTER
From the Community Foundation’s Program Team
Happy New Year! We wish you all a good start to a year of learning and success. Many of us use a new year as a time to reflect on the successes and learnings of the past year and set intentions for the upcoming year. As your organizations consider where to focus, remember that your program officer is ready to support and strategize with you. We appreciate your ongoing partnerships in improving the quality of life in Elkhart County.
Grant deadline approaching
We have two major deadlines a year for Community Investment Grant applications of more than $25,000. The next one is fast-approaching on February 15, 2023.
The application is unchanged and we remain committed to our areas of emphasis:
- Early Childhood Development & Education
- Career Awareness, Exploration & Employability Skills (grades 4-12)
- Internship & Apprenticeships (grades 4-12)
- Vibrant Downtowns
- Parks
- Connected Network of Trails
Scholarship application open
Our Universal Scholarship Application is open for both high school students and adults who are hoping to further their education.
We are seeking diverse, motivated applicants for a huge range of scholarships. The online application helps determine eligibility as someone applies.
Our adult application will determine eligibility for six different scholarships. Employees of nonprofits working on undergraduate or graduate degrees, or even certifications, are encouraged to apply. The deadline for application is March 1.
Our high school application is connected to 32 different scholarships. We partner with donors and organizations to offer a wide range of scholarships for a student seeking many forms of higher education.
The deadline for application is March 1.
The Blakesley eighth-grade scholarship for students who excel at mathematics has a deadline of March 6.
You can download brochures at our website or fliers for the adult and high school scholarships.
Read more about the INSPIRE and Tom Grove scholarships in our 2022 Annual Report.
Building Strong Brains
The Community Foundation is co-leading with four other organizations a community-wide effort to improve kindergarten readiness among the youngsters in Elkhart County.
This initiative launched on November 1 and is in its infancy. The goal of the partnership formed by the Community Foundation, Horizon Education Alliance, The SOURCE, CAPS – Child And Parent Services, and Crossroads United Way is to identify and address the barriers hindering children from reaching their full potential.
The launch event with author and expert Dr. Dana Suskind demonstrated that many stakeholders across sectors in our community are passionate about improving outcomes for our youngest neighbors.
Our community was recently invited to apply for a National Institutes of Health grant. The application process itself is likely to help shape the work and timetable for Building Strong Brains and winning a grant would do so even more.
THe Learning center and other training
Our free workshops for nonprofits in Elkhart County and those serving Elkhart County have been a huge success this year.
The workshops on Storytelling, Marketing to a Hispanic Audience, Seeking Grants and Foundation Support in Your Fundraising were particularly well attended in recent months.
We have just a few events remaining on the schedule in our fiscal year, which ends in June.
- February 7: Learn To Evaluate Systems & Programs Using Results-Based Accountability
- April 13: The Many Hats of a Volunteer Manager — A TLC workshop
ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Noble County Community Foundation hosts a Nonprofit Leadership Training Series
Four workshops are scheduled for February, May, August and November; two virtual and two in person.
Promote your events
If you are having fundraisers or other events, two places may be able to help promote them.
- The Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau has an online event calendar and you can submit your event.
- Good of Goshen also has a Goshen events calendar and if you create a profile you can add your event.
CONNECT Transit Plan
The Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and South Bend Public Transportation Corporation (Transpo), through a Federal Transit Authority (FTA) grant, are conducting the CONNECT Transit Plan. It could shape how Trolley routes wind through our community.
Your feedback is welcome. You can view the draft plan and take the survey »