News

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.

The Monroe County Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan is now available for viewing.

The plan was developed through the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI)Ready Communities Planning Grant to advance quality of place and workforce attraction strategies in the Indiana Uplands region.

ROI has opened up applications for its first round of Ready Communities Implementation Grants for projects in counties that have completed a Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Plan. Three rounds of funding will be available at $1 million per round for a total of $3 million in implementation grant funding. The second round will open in summer 2019, and the third round opens in early 2020. Grants will be available in amounts from $100,000 to $250,000 per grant in each round. View details on the ROI website.

In 2018, Author Solutions, LLC, employees worked together to publish “Btown: A Day with Hoagy and Lemon Limestone” as a way to celebrate Bloomington’s Bicentennial and give back to the community. The book’s title characters explore significant Bloomington landscapes and monuments.

Author Solutions selected the Community Foundation as the beneficiary of book sales during Bloomington’s bicentennial year. On February 25, Author Solutions presented the Community Foundation with a check for $5,000. As a gift to the Community Foundation’s unrestricted fund, this donation is eligible for matching funds from the Lilly Endowment. Because the Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed, we’re proud to share that Author Solutions total gift will equal $15,000 to support Monroe County’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities. Read more about the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s seventh phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative.

“We would like to thank Author Solutions for bringing to life this literary adventure to commemorate Bloomington’s bicentennial,” said Community Foundation president and CEO Tina Peterson. “It will be treasured by families, children, and the Foundation for many years to come.”

Author Solutions also donated 300 of these great books to support Monroe County Smart Start’s Let’s Read Literacy Program  – putting this local literary adventure in the hands of children throughout the community.

“We were thankful to receive overwhelming support—from local businesses that sold copies of the book to events such as Bicentennial on the B-Line and the Holiday Market. We were blown away by the response and support from fellow Bloomingtonians,” said Bill Elliot, president at Author Solutions.

“I saw an opportunity to gather a group of people and do something special for our little town. It’s really a love letter to our amazing community,” said Keegan Allanson, manager of corporate design and R&D, as well as the catalyst behind the idea.

About Author Solutions:

With corporate headquarters in Bloomington, IN, Author Solutions is the world leader in supported self-publishing with services to enable authors to publish, promote and distribute their books. With imprints on six continents, the company has helped more than 225,000 authors bring to market nearly 300,000 titles. Visit authorsolutions.com to learn more about Author Solutions’ supported self-publishing services.

Marching grant funds to support unrestricted, Thrive by Five, agency, field of interest, and donor advised endowment funds.

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) has received a grant of $1 million as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s seventh phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative. With GIFT VII, the Endowment is making up to $125 million available to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the towns, cities, and counties they serve.

“The Endowment’s commitment to accelerating the growth of Community Foundations in all 92 Indiana counties speaks to their belief in the role that local philanthropy should play in advancing opportunity at home and across the state,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson. “How fortunate we are that the Endowment not only helps community foundations grow strategic resources but also allows us the flexibility to do so in the most locally relevant way.”

CFBMC will use this matching fund grant to build endowment assets to support our charitable activities. At least two-thirds ($667,000) of the matching fund grant must be designated to support the growth of CFBMC’s unrestricted endowments, which over time will provide flexibility to help the Foundation to meet the community’s most pressing needs or compelling opportunities. The Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to CFBMC’s unrestricted funds during the matching period, October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020.

CFBMC has designated up to one-third of the matching fund grant ($333,000) to support other charitable endowment funds that support our community’s priorities. The Endowment will provide 50 cents for every $1 for gifts to these endowment funds during the matching period. The CFBMC Board of Directors has selected three types of funding opportunities available for this portion of the matching grant:

• The Thrive by Five Campaign & early learning endowment gifts: Launched in 2017, Thrive by Five is an endowment campaign with a goal to raise $1 million to sustain early learning initiatives in Monroe County through the Community Foundation’s Monroe Smart Start program. Thrive by Five endowment funds will be used for increasing access to high-quality education, improving quality of programs, cultivating family engagement and community partnerships, developing training opportunities for educators, and providing required community matching funds for On My Way Pre-K students.
  
• New and existing agency endowments: Matching funds are available for selected 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to establish a new agency endowment funds or grow existing endowments at the Community Foundation. Local nonprofits were invited to submit an application to participate in the agency matching program, and all the nonprofits that applied were accepted. The match period for this funding opportunity begins in February 2019. Participating agencies and more information can be found at: https://cfbmc.org/agency-matching-program/

• Field of interest and donor advised fund gifts: Support for field of interest or donor-advised endowments at the Community Foundation. Contributions to these types of funds give donors opportunities to target areas from basic needs to economic development, arts to the environment, health and recreation to social services for local families and more.

“The strategy we have chosen for maximizing the impact of GIFT VII will allow donors the flexibility to support their personally philanthropic passions,” added Peterson. “With only a few exceptions, we can deploy match dollars to support any type of endowed fund or charitable purpose. This gives us the opportunity to enhance our capacity as a strategic grant maker while also helping local nonprofits grow their capacity. Any way you look at it, it’s a win for Monroe County!”

The GIFT initiative is part of Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking to strengthen Indiana communities and has been a priority of the Endowment since the first phase of GIFT in 1990. The initiative’s primary aim is to help Indiana community foundations develop the philanthropic capacity to identify, prioritize and address local opportunities and challenges. 

To encourage the engagement of CFMBC’s board of directors, the Endowment also will award an additional $100,000 unrestricted grant if the foundation achieves 100 percent financial support from each of our board members during the period January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.

“The Community Foundation board of directors has always valued leadership giving as an imperative of board membership,” said CFBMC Board Chair and Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington Jennie Vaughan. “In the last round of Endowment matching, our board members personally contributed over $100,000 toward the matching goal. There is no question that our board will once again participate in GIFT VII by supporting both the matching goal and the board giving goal, as well.”

This year, CFBMC will also have the opportunity to apply for more funds through GIFT VII’s community leadership grants. This component includes both planning and implementation grants, which are available to help the Foundation deepen its understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our community; convene key local stakeholders and explore how it can effectively play a leadership role in implementing initiatives and strategies that enhance the quality of life in Monroe County.

“The Community Foundation Board and Staff are exploring topics and strategies for which we are uniquely positioned to address through a leadership initiative, said Peterson. “We will be looking for feedback and input from stakeholders from across our community to ensure that our efforts are locally relevant and specific.”

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment exists to support causes of community development, education, and religion. Lilly Endowment’s community development grantmaking is designed to support efforts that enhance the quality of life in Indianapolis and Indiana.

Scholarship season is in the air! Thanks to the generous support of donors and community partners, the Community Foundation is proud to administer a number of educational scholarship funds for students in Monroe County.

Help us get the word out to high school seniors and families you know. The following scholarships have upcoming application deadlines!

Stinesville High School Alumni Scholarship

Deadline to apply: February 28, 2019

This scholarship is awarded to an Edgewood High School senior who has a Bean Blossom Township School affiliation. Consideration is given for academic as well as other achievements, leadership activities, extra-curricular skills, financial need, and the student’s work record.  View more information about Stinesville High School Alumni Scholarship.

Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club Betty Burnett Welke Scholarship

Deadline to apply: February 28, 2019

This memorial scholarship honors Betty Burnett’s years of service and commitment to the Pi Beta Phi chapter at Indiana University. Applicant must be a member in good standing of the Indiana Chapter of Pi Beta Phi; be a sophomore or junior currently attending IU – Bloomington; have at least a 2.50 overall GPA, and exhibit outstanding service to the chapter and to IU. View more information about Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club Betty Burnett Welke Scholarship.

Monroe County Ag Day Scholarship

Deadline to apply: March 17, 2019

This scholarship is awarded to a current senior in high school who meets at least one of the following criteria: raised on a farm, member/former member of the Monroe County 4-H program, current member of an FFA chapter in Monroe County. Scholarship(s) may be used for college tuition, fees, books, and/or equipment necessary for coursework. Applicants may major in any area of study; however, preference will be given to those individuals majoring in Agriculture, Home Economics or Natural Resources. View more information about Monroe County Ag Day Scholarship.

Carl Deal, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Deadline to apply: March 17, 2019

This scholarship was created in honor of Carl Deal Jr. Mr. Deal felt a strong passion for The Boys & Girls Club and their strong commitment and success in our community, the lives of his family and friends and he appreciated the commitment and impact that BGCB had on his life.  Carl was a long-time Boys & Girls Club member and wanted to give back to the young people of this community. Upon his death, his friends, co-workers and family coordinated an annual fundraiser known as “King’s Blues, BBQ & Funkfest”, in order to raise funds to create a scholarship to be presented annually to a current, or former Boys & Girls Club member, for post-secondary education or training. For more information and the online application, View more information about the Carl Deal, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

Thomas Moeller Memorial Scholarship

Deadline to apply: April 15, 2019

This memorial scholarship honors Thomas Moeller’s musical talents and provides opportunities for students to pursue music education. Applicants are high school students – grades 10 to 12 who reside in Monroe County and wish to pursue music endeavors. Examples of expenses eligible for this scholarship award include, but are not limited to, rental or purchase of a musical instrument, music lessons, fees for musical competition, recording projects, vocal lessons, tuition for music camp (college tuition/fees for music and/or music education major may be considered). View more information about the Tom Moeller Memorial Scholarship.

For a complete list of Community Foundation scholarships, visit the Apply For A Scholarship page.

For specific questions on these or other scholarship opportunities, please contact Program Director Marcus Whited at [email protected] or 812-333-9016.