The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. makes a positive difference in our community. We help people who are passionate about giving back to our community, take the lead on community initiatives and partner with nonprofit organizations to support a broad range of projects that make a positive impact. Browse our website for more information about our work, and see the difference that philanthropy can make!
The Community Foundation is now accepting applications for our 2024 Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Series. With the changing face of the nonprofit landscape, it is more important than ever for those leading these organizations to hone their nonprofit management skills. Focusing on the fundamentals of nonprofit management, this series is designed to do just that. This class is limited to 25 participants so applications must be submitted in a timely manner in order to be considered. The class will consist of six individual sessions held one Tuesday a month, January through June, at the Community Foundation offices at 215 W. Sycamore Street in Kokomo. Each session will focus on a particular area of management for nonprofit leaders:
• Board Governance, Jan. 23, 2024
• Strategic Planning, Feb. 20, 2024
• Outcomes, March 19, 2024
• Nonprofit Marketing, April 16, 2024
• Fearless Fundraising, May 21, 2024
• Grants, June 18, 2024
• Learn More | Click Here for the PDF Application (download to complete)
Applications Due* | Committee Meets | Board Action** |
March 11 | April 9 | April 17 |
May 20 | June 11 | June 19 |
July 15 | August 13 | August 21 |
September 9 | October 8 | October 16 |
*Letter of Intent (LOI) must be submitted through the grant portal and approved by staff prior to application. LOIs are welcome year-round from groups engaged in charitable projects. We recommend submitting the LOI at least two weeks before the target grant deadline to allow adequate time to construct a full proposal.
**Projects may begin the day after board approval
The Community Foundation of Howard County received a Planning Grant through the Lilly Endowment Inc. Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow Community Leadership Initiative.
This funding allowed the Foundation to evaluate our local landscapes and identify and prioritize community needs and assets, develop a deeper understanding of what our roles should be within the community, strengthen relationships with local stakeholders and potential collaborators, build internal capacities to act as an effective leader, and prioritize and develop strategies to address high-priority challenges and opportunities.
The Community Foundation did this by conducting 16 community conversations in Howard County to determine the emerging aspirations that citizens feel are important to the future well-being and growth of our community. The conversations revealed four aspirations: mentally healthy/drug-free, safe, economically healthy and culturally diverse.
Howard County Community Conversation Report
Following the community conversations, the Foundation invited key service providers/experts to participate in a Taking Effective Community Action (TECA) Meeting related to each aspiration. The TECA approach is a part of the Harwood Method of turning outward to enable communities to become a collective force for change. During these meetings service providers were invited to share current programs and services being offered in the area of the specific aspiration and actions that would make a difference in the community.
TECA Report – Mentally Healthy/Drug-Free
TECA Report – Safe
TECA Report – Economically Healthy
TECA Report – Culturally Diverse
The process also included a compilation of major community assessments throughout Howard County, as well as strategic community plans that were conducted within the last three years.
Howard County Assessments Report
We invite you to use these findings as a way to learn more about your community and to create opportunities and actions through collaboration for positive impact.