Author: CFBMC Staff

Join us in welcoming our new Service Corps Fellow from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. A native of Bloomington, Rebecca Aleman is a first-year graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in policy analysis. She has a background in nonprofit management and has served as a volunteer and mentor at South Central Community Action Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana, College Mentors for Kids, and City of Bloomington’s Latino Programs and Outreach.

Rebecca believes in the strength of our community. Through engagement and building capacity of our local nonprofits and organizations, she believes we can work together to build an even stronger, healthier, and happier community. Rebecca will be working with the Foundation in the areas of grantmaking, asset development, and communications.

We can’t wait for you to meet her!

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has opened the grant application for its annual Community Impact Funding Initiative. This competitive granting program, co-funded by Smithville Charitable Foundation, is designed to fuel innovative ideas and lasting impact in our community through funding opportunities to meet our community’s most pressing needs and seize its most compelling opportunities. This year, priority consideration will be given to projects and programs identified as potential solutions in the Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan.

“The Community Foundation is proud of the role that we play in supporting the advancement of the Indiana Uplands region,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson. “We want to ensure that our children, families, and employers have every reason to stay in the Indiana Uplands and Monroe County. By aligning this year’s impact grants to the Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan, we will enhance the live, work, play environment for the benefit of all and improve our ability to attract and retain talent in our community.”

Peterson added, “We are also grateful for the generosity of Community Foundation donors and Smithville Charitable Foundation for entrusting us to invest in innovative programs and ideas to improve the quality of life for all who call Bloomington and Monroe County home.”

Impact Grant Timeline and Process

Local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and tax-exempt entities are eligible to apply. This includes nonprofits, units of government, school corporations and education institutions, and religious organizations.

The Community Impact Funding Initiative uses a two-part grant proposal process. Interested agencies should submit a two-page (maximum) letter of intent to the Community Foundation by September 6, 2019. View specific instructions for letters of intent.

Following a review of the letters of intent, selected organizations will be invited to submit full grant applications online, which will be due October 30. The 2020 Community Impact Grants will be awarded at the Community Foundation Grant Reception on December 12.

Grant Information Workshop: August 7^th

For additional guidance on preparing letters of intent and applications that align with the Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan, the Community Foundation will host a workshop on Thursday, August 7, 10am-12pm at the Fountain Square Ballroom. Attendance at this workshop is recommended. RSVP for the Aug 7th Grant Workshop by contacting Marcus Whited at [email protected].

The Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan

Developed through the Regional Opportunity Initiatives’ (ROI) Ready Communities Initiative, the Monroe County plan was completed in 2019 through a community engagement process co-led by the Community Foundation and Bloomington Economic Development Corporation. A 28-person advisory team of community stakeholders served as the advisory team and provided input to ensure the plan was locally relevant.

The ROI Ready Communities Initiative helps communities plan, develop, and implement projects and programs that build quality of place, grow regional capacity for workforce development and attraction, and improve the attributes and amenities that make the Indiana Uplands a desirable place to live, work and play.

The Monroe County plan identifies specific priorities and projects to improve quality of place and attract the in-demand, highly skilled workforce that will draw diverse opportunities, innovation, and high-paying jobs to our community. View the Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan.

Impact Grant Funding

Local 501(c)(3) organizations and other organizations exempt from filing for 501(c)(3) status may apply for the 2020 grants Initiative with requests ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Grant funding is designed to support a broad range of community needs such as arts and culture, social and health services, education, recreation, beautification and preservation, animal welfare, the environment, and community development opportunities.

Guidelines and instructions for the 2020 grant initiative are available online at https://cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-grant/community-impact-grants/. For more information on eligibility and application procedures, contact CFBMC Program Director Marcus Whited at (812) 333-9016 or [email protected].

About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $27 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $32 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.

About Smithville Charitable Foundation: Inspired by altruism, The Smithville Charitable Foundation was established in 2007 as a desire to enrich lives by creating opportunities and bringing necessities to the communities served by Smithville Communications. As a private foundation, Smithville Charitable Foundation works closely with community foundations in the 17 counties of its service territory to support a variety of causes related to religion, education, health, the arts, relief of poverty or distress, and various public organizations.

Deadline to apply for eligible high school seniors is August 26, 2019

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) has opened applications for the 2020 Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Interested high school seniors have until Monday, August 26 to submit their applications to be considered for the scholarship program. Apply now.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded four-year, full tuition scholarships to pursue baccalaureate degrees at colleges or universities in Indiana. The scholarship also includes up to $900 annually for required textbooks and equipment. In selecting recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic performance, and leadership potential. Semifinalists for the scholarship will be identified in September. Finalists will be identified in October, and the two 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Monroe County will be named in December 2019.

“To ensure that every eligible student has the opportunity to apply, we want students and families to be aware that the timeline for the Lilly Scholar program is earlier than many other scholarship programs,” said Program Director Marcus Whited. “We encourage students to review the Lilly Scholarship application online this week and reach out early to teachers, school staff, and others for the required recommendations.”

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicant must be a resident of Monroe County.
• Applicant must attend an accredited Monroe County high school and/or the Indiana Academy for at least three consecutive years.
• Applicant must graduate by June of 2020 from one of these eligible schools: Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Bloomington Graduation School, and Lighthouse Christian Academy.
• Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or above (on a weighted four-point scale) through the end of their junior year.
• Applicant plans to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an Indiana college or university beginning in the Fall of 2020.

Evaluation Process:

Applications are blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Lilly Scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify semi-finalists. The number of semi-finalists identified is reflective of each school’s senior class size.

Next, the Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee will evaluate the semi-finalists applications from each school. This committee, which is made up of members of the community and former Monroe County Lilly Scholars, blindly reviews and scores applications from the semi-finalists to select ten finalists. In October, each finalist will be interviewed, and their interview scores will be combined with scoring from the written application. The finalist’s rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship nominees, will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County prior to announcement in December.

“We are grateful that the Lilly Endowment in collaboration with Independent Colleges of Indiana continues to incent young people to pursue their post-secondary education at Indiana’s world-class higher education institutions,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “Exceptional career opportunities exist here in the Uplands and across the state as well. Our hope is that these students not only stay here for school but to work and raise their families, too. Our thriving industries offer great opportunities and are hungry for talent.”

Since 1998, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has assisted more than 4,626 Indiana high school graduates statewide with more than $392 million in tuition to pursue baccalaureate degrees at Indiana colleges and universities. The program is administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana and community foundations in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.

For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director at 812-333-9016 or [email protected].

About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $25 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $32 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.

🎓We’re proud to share that 20 high school and college students in Monroe County have been awarded Community Foundation scholarships this year!

These scholarships are possible each year thanks to the generosity of donors who have established funds to benefit talented young people in our community.

See the complete list of 2019 scholarship recipients.

Levi Burdine, a senior at Bloomington High School South, has been awarded the 2019 Carl Deal, Jr. Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. Established at the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, this scholarship is presented annually to a current, or former Boys & Girls Club member for post-secondary education or training.

Carl Deal’s wife Berit with longtime friend Tommy Richardson were joined by Community Foundation Program Director Marcus Whited to award the scholarship to Burdine at the school’s scholarship presentation on May 6, 2019.

“Burdine was selected for having demonstrated a good work ethic, outstanding citizenship, and a positive mental attitude in and out of the classroom,” said Whited.

About Carl Deal Jr.

Born in 1959, Carl “King” Deal Jr. grew up in the Crestmont neighborhood on Bloomington’s northwest side. He attended Fairview Elementary and Dyer Jr. High, and was a graduate of Bloomington High School North. Carl also worked for over 25 years at General Electric in Bloomington. As a child, his father coached youth sports at what was then the Boys Club, where Carl and his brother Steve were active members. Carl developed lifelong friendships through his involvement with the Club. He appreciated the commitment and impact that the Boys and Girls Club had on his life and wanted to give back to the young people of this community. Carl was known for his big personality, for his generous nature, and as an advocate for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington and the families they serve.

After his unexpected death in 2012, Carl’s wife Berit, friends, family, and co-workers launched an annual fundraiser to support the Boys & Girls Club and to create a scholarship in Carl’s memory. Held in August, the King’s Blues, BBQ & Funk Fest at Upland Brewing Co. has drawn 400 people each year since 2013.

“Carl was a strong believer in the power of education, and it is my hope that, through this endowment, kids who wouldn’t normally receive such an award, will be able to achieve things that might not have been possible before,” said Berit Deal.

“Carl and Berit understood fully what it means to ‘pay it forward,’” said Jeff Baldwin, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. “They both recognized the value in the Club and what it did for them and for other youth in the community.”

Information and eligibility requirements for the Carl Deal, Jr. Memorial Scholarship can be found at https://cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/deal/.

Congratulations to Indiana University student Eleanor Nieman on receiving the 2019 Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club Betty Burnett Welke Scholarship through the Community Foundation.

“Ellie” just finished her sophomore year, and was selected for the award in the amount of $1,300 for her outstanding academic performance, service to the community, and commitment to the local Pi Beta Phi chapter.

About Betty Burnett Welke

In 1932, Elizabeth (Betty) Burnett was initiated into the Indiana Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi and served her chapter as the social chairman, rush chairman, and panhellenic representative during her years as an active member. Her membership and devotion to Pi Phi lasted throughout her entire life. She was a Golden Arrow member (fifty years of membership), a member of the House Corporation from 1949 to 1993 and served as chairman for thirty-two years from 1952 to 1984. In 1993, during the chapter centennial celebration, the local chapter named an addition to the Chapter House “The Betty Burnett Welke Wing” in honor of her dedication and service. It was her dedicated service to Pi Phi that formed much of Betty’s legacy. Applicants’ service to the chapter, therefore, is a major consideration in awarding this scholarship.

The amount of the award varies from year to year and the scholarship may be applied towards IU tuition, fees, and textbooks.

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County announced today that it received a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation for $13,500 to support early literacy and parent engagement in Monroe County. The grant will provide books for children at wellness checks through IU Riley Physicians pediatric offices in Monroe County.

Let’s Read is a program of the Community Foundation’s Monroe Smart Start initiative. Housed in all Monroe County IU Health Riley Physicians’ offices, the Let’s Read program encourages doctors and nurses to read books at pediatric wellness checks and discuss with families the important role that reading has in school readiness. Free books are distributed to children ages six months to five years along with a packet of literacy resources for families.  To date, more than 8,000 children and families have received literacy materials and developmental resources through Let’s Read.

“Let’s Read opens the door to academic success,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson. “This grant will provide families and our community’s youngest learners with resources to develop essential vocabulary, language, and reading skills before kindergarten. The Community Foundation is grateful to Duke Energy Foundation for supporting early childhood education and for helping to prepare children for success in school.”

More information on the Monroe Smart Start Let’s Read program: https://www.monroesmartstart.org/families/lets-read-literacy-program/

Duke Energy Foundation’s Let’s Read grant is part of its 2019 Powerful Communities program. In April, Duke Energy announced $3.2 million in innovative education grants as part of Powerful Communities. In Indiana, $448,250 has been awarded to support 29 nonprofit organizations with educational and reading programs, and initiatives that advance energy, engineering, and environmental education.

“The Duke Energy Foundation is pleased to partner with CFBMC on this literacy program,” said Duke Energy government and community relations manager Bruce Calloway.  “Having doctors and nurses engaging young patients and their parents in reading can certainly inspire a love of reading.”

About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $25 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $32 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.

About Duke Energy Foundation:

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

About Duke Energy Indiana:

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 125 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit. Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit’s regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2019 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list, and Forbes’ 2019 “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.