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 »

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 »

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 »

December 7, 2020 Contact Information: Pete McCown, President, Community Foundation of Elkhart County, (574) 295-8761, Pete@InspiringGood.org 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 »

Columbus Survey shows ongoing growth of Community Foundation of Elkhart County      November 18, 2020                                               ELKHART, Indiana. — The Community Foundation of Elkhart County is ranked among the top 75 community foundations nationally in four key categories, according to the recently released Columbus Survey. Each year CF Insights, a national association of community foundations, publishes peer data collected from community foundations across the country. Earlier this year, Community Foundation of Elkhart County voluntarily submitted the institutional data along with 237 other foundations for the 2019 fiscal year. The report shows the ongoing growth of assets, grants and number of gifts and Read More »

October 23, 2020 ELKHART, Indiana – The Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Board of Directors approved $2,102,822 of new and multi-year grants to dozens of 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. “Even in this challenging era, we are able to partner with nonprofits in our region who serve Elkhart County to build our community,” said Candy Yoder, Chief Program Officer. “Our committees, staff and board are working with others to build more and improved pathways in our community.” Read More »

Money will help plan for new Tolson Center & Park October 5, 2020ELKHART, Indiana — Community Foundation of Elkhart County has received a Community Leadership Grant of $200,000 as part of the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative. With the grant, the Community Foundation will continue planning for a new and improved Tolson Center & Park. Community Foundation of Elkhart County is one of 84 foundations in Indiana receiving grants through this round of GIFT VII grantmaking. Lilly Endowment created GIFT in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic Read More »

Fifteen people join the board to lead process of rebuilding neighborhood center in Elkhart August 10, 2020 ELKHART — The new Tolson Center board met for the first time in the closing week of July to begin the process of rebuilding the facility and how it serves the residents in surrounding neighborhoods. A total of 15 people were named to a board after a nomination process involving the public, Mayor Rod Roberson and both the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce.  The volunteer board is comprised of Nekeisha Alexis, Norman Anderson, Kenya Barhams, Kevin Bullard, Read More »

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Board of Directors approved $2,940,325 of new and multi-year grants to dozens of nonprofits and programs throughout Elkhart County in April 2020.

The COVID-19 Community Response Fund, created by United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties and the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, has received a gift of 10,000 N95 respirator face masks, donated by Bill and Kristin Fenech.