Connect In Elkhart County will launch movement to improve trails in Elkhart County
June 24, 2021 ELKHART COUNTY – The Community Foundation of Elkhart County has engaged a team led by Cincinnati-based urban growth firm YARD & Company to develop Connect In Elkhart County, a mobility master plan for Elkhart County. The project is being led by the Community Foundation’s Placemaking Committee, whose goal is to create open communities in Elkhart County that inspire, attract, engage, and connect people to enrich their living experience. “Our amazing community has a strong network of trails and pathways,” said Becky Bontreger, Chairwoman of the Placemaking Committee. “We can’t wait to gather more people from across our Read More »
Brian D. Cook joins Community Foundation of Elkhart County as Director of Marketing
Cook joins the management team, overseeing a new marketing and communications department June 22, 2021 ELKHART — Brian D. Cook is now leading the marketing efforts for the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. Cook joined the foundation in early June as Director of Marketing. In his career spanning 25 years, he has managed marketing teams and implemented strategies in a variety of settings. He worked at the University of Notre Dame from 2005 to 2019, including as director of marketing for the Mendoza College of Business from 2017 to 2019. During that time he oversaw a digital-first marketing and advertising Read More »
Northridge Middle School eighth-grader earns $5,000 college scholarship
ELKHART, Indiana — You don’t have to be a math whiz to understand that a $5,000 scholarship will help an eighth-grader as they consider college four years from now. Rhiannon Cass is this year’s recipient of the John G. Blakesley Mathematics Scholarship from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. She is the daughter of Lauren Brown and Stephen Cass. The scholarship recognizes exceptional, early aptitude in mathematics by an eighth-grade student completing math honors coursework. This scholarship inspires the development of mathematical interest and understanding. John G. Blakesley was born in Goshen, Indiana on February 26, 1931 and was raised Read More »
100 Women Who Care gives $10,000 to Rollerskate to Liberate
May 11, 2021 ELKHART — When 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County gathered in April for its spring meeting, the group made a decision to fund an organization on the move. Sarah Virgil founded Rollerskate to Liberate in August 2020 and its first event is coming up on June 12. The organization wants to gather advocates, empower survivors, and take preventative action to protect people from sex or labor trafficking. It is partnering with local organizations such as Bashor Children’s Home, as well as national organizations. As volunteers move to raise money, the organization can both prevent trafficking, raise awareness Read More »
Community Foundation of Elkhart County awards Community Investment grants
The Community Foundation invests nearly $1.8 million in Elkhart County April 27, 2021 ELKHART, Indiana – The Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Board of Directors approved $1,793,999 of new and multi-year grants to multiple nonprofits and programs throughout Elkhart County. The grants were given in the categories of placemaking, kids and families, and career pathways, reflecting the priorities of the Community Foundation. “We are thrilled to make these Community Investment Grants to support key initiatives in Elkhart County,” said Candy Yoder, Chief Program Officer. “These grants will help improve our downtowns, how we traverse trails, and increase access to housing, education, and Read More »
100 Women Who Care gives $10,000 to Elkhart Education Foundation’s EdCamp
February 9, 2021 ELKHART — The first virtual meeting of Elkhart County’s social philanthropy group 100 Women Who Care resulted in a $10,000 donation to help Elkhart students navigating e-learning. Since 2014, women have gathered every three months to learn about local needs and then pick a charitable cause to support with the combined total of their $100 gifts. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the January meeting happened virtually. The Elkhart Education Foundation’s EdCamp was selected in a close vote and is being awarded $10,000. The donation from 100 Women Who Care will help families who need support with e-learning Read More »
Community Foundation of Elkhart County awards Career Pathways grant
Community Foundation invests $692,594 in three education efforts January 12, 2021 ELKHART, Indiana – The Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Board of Directors approved $692,594 of new and multi-year grants to three nonprofits who are key to the education and development of career pathways in Elkhart County. The Career Pathways committee of the foundation recommended awarding a multi-year grant to Goshen College and single-year grants to ETHOS and Horizon Education Alliance. The board approved the grants at its December meeting. “These grants to ETHOS, Goshen College and Horizon Education Alliance will enhance the ways people in our community can access Read More »
Community Foundation congratulates 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars and Guy D. Gundlach Memorial Scholars
Eight local students receive substantial scholarships December 17, 2020 Eight Elkhart County students are being honored with significant scholarships from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Lilly Endowment Inc. Three students from Elkhart County will receive Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships (LECS) which provide full tuition, fees and $900 a year for required books and equipment to any accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana. The selected students are: Camri Garretson, Jimtown; Samantha Markham, NorthWood; and Noemi Vela, Goshen. Since its inception in 1998, Elkhart County has honored 91 Lilly Scholars. In addition, the Community Foundation is also Read More »
Well Foundation’s Greatest Need Fund awards $154,710 in annual grants
Community Foundation of Elkhart County gives grants that honor founders’ wishes December 14, 2020 ELKHART, Indiana — Committee members overseeing the Well Foundation Greatest Need Fund awarded $154,710 in grants to improve health in Elkhart County. The grants are being made from funds that were part of the Well Foundation, formerly named the Goshen Hospital & Health Care Foundation, which was created in 1969 to provide strength and stability to Goshen General Hospital so that future generations might have access to high quality health care. The Foundation gave more than $6 million to health needs of the surrounding community during Read More »
Community Foundation of Elkhart County receives $2 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant
December 7, 2020 Contact Information: Pete McCown, President, Community Foundation of Elkhart County, (574) 295-8761, [email protected] ELKHART — Community Foundation of Elkhart County has received a Large-Scale Community Leadership Grant of $2 million through the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative. The grant will support efforts to construct and operate a new Tolson Center for Community Excellence in Elkhart. Community Foundation of Elkhart County is one of 11 community foundations in Indiana to receive a Large-Scale Leadership Grant as part of a competitive component of the GIFT VII initiative. Through GIFT VII, Read More »
