On December 8th, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County awarded $2,320,000 of Key Initiative Grants in total to five organizations to end the first grant cycle fiscal year 2016-2017. The competitive grant awards come from the Community Foundation’s unrestricted fund, Fund for Elkhart County. This is the third year under the new grant model which was established in July 2014.
KEY INITIATIVE GRANTS
Key Initiative Grants are awarded to organizations whose requests are above $250,000 and whose work is related to the Community Foundation’s three priorities: Youth Development, Vibrant Community, and Quality of Life. These grant requests begin in the Community Investment Grant (CIG) process and upon approval of the respective CIG committee are forwarded to the Key Initiatives Committee. The Key Initiatives Committee is comprised of the chairpersons of the CIG committees, current board members and former board members.
Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, $150,000 / fulfillment of two-year challenge grant, Construction of the trail between County Road 33 and County Road 20
Goshen Theatre, $1,000,000 / 2:1 Challenge Grant*, Renovation
*The Goshen Theatre will need to raise $2 million in order to receive the Community Foundation’s $1 million award.
IUSB Elkhart, $300,000, Elkhart Center Health Sciences Graduate School Program
Walnut Hill Early Childhood Center, $350,000, New Child Care Center Building
Wa-Nee Community Vision 2020*, $520,000 / 2:1 Challenge Grant**
*The Vision 2020 project is a collaborative effort between the Boys and Girls Club of Nappanee, City of Nappanee, Elder Haus Senior Center, Family Christian Development Center and Wa-Nee Community Schools.
**The organizations involved with the project will need to raise $1.04 million in order to receive the Community Foundation’s $520,000 award.
“The Key Initiative Committee was pleased with the transformative nature and high quality of programming these projects have,” says Jill Sigsbee KIC chairperson, “As local agencies work to advance their mission, so too does the Community Foundation work to improve the quality of life in Elkhart County.”
