Community Foundation Awards $750,000 in Impact Grants to Clinton County Nonprofits
The Clinton County Community Foundation has awarded $750,000 in Impact Grants to four local nonprofit organizations, supporting large-scale projects designed to address needs and opportunities identified throughout the county. The grants were made possible through funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative.
The funding was designed to give community foundations flexible funding to address compelling, near-term needs in their counties. This flexibility allowed the Foundation to create the Impact Grant program, giving nonprofit organizations the opportunity to pursue significant projects at a scale beyond its grantmaking capacity.
In Clinton County, the minimum grant request was set at $100,000, an amount that would typically represent an exceptionally large request through the Foundation’s grant programs. For the Impact Grant program, however, it was the starting point, allowing nonprofits to think on a larger scale and pursue projects that may not have otherwise been possible.
Clinton County Impact Grant recipients celebrate alongside Clinton County Community Foundation board members and Community Foundation staff following the awarding of $750,000 in Impact Grants to local nonprofit organizations.
“This was an opportunity for us to think beyond what is possible through our traditional grantmaking and give local nonprofits the ability to dream big,” said Todd Moser, president of the Community Foundation serving Howard, Clinton and Carroll Counties. “These projects build on important work already happening in Clinton County while expanding access to resources and services that can make a meaningful difference in residents’ everyday lives.”
The Foundation's 2024 Community Conversations report helped inform the Impact Grant process by identifying the community’s aspirations, concerns and priorities for Clinton County’s future. While proposals were not required to address one of the priorities identified in the reports, nonprofits were asked to demonstrate a clear community need and explain how their project would make meaningful progress towards addressing it. Together, the projects selected address several priorities identified by Clinton County residents, including affordable housing, transportation, early childhood development, education, social and human services, and mental health and recovery.
The four nonprofit organizations selected to receive impact Grants and their projects include:
Healthy Communities of Clinton County—Clinton County Community Engagement Center
The Clinton County Community Engagement Center will bring health, social services and early childhood education together under one roof, including a new 75-seat Early Learning Center and space for multiple community organizations, creating a centralized resource for Clinton County residents.
One80 Recovery Resources Inc.—Transitional Housing Project
The project will construct transitional housing for men completing One80’s residential recovery program, providing a safe and supportive step between structured treatment and independent living. The housing will help address barriers graduates may face in securing stable housing while keeping them connected to recovery resources, peer support and accountability as they transition toward greater independence.
Paul Phillippe Resource Center—Public Transportation Expansion Clinton County
The expansion will add two accessible vehicles and additional drivers to increase public transportation capacity, reduce trip denials and improve access to employment, medical care and other essential services, including expanded transportation opportunities for Clinton County’s outlying communities.
Clinton County Economic Advancement Foundation—YMCA Revive Clinton County
In partnership with the Lafayette YMCA, the project will support reopening the former Clinton County YMCA facility, restoring services lost when the facility closed. The reopened YMCA will provide Clinton County families and residents with renewed access to childcare, fitness, recreation and opportunities for community connection.
“These projects represent meaningful investments in Clinton County’s future,” said Gene Marshall, chair of the Clinton County Community Foundation Board of Directors. “They address needs we know are important to our residents while creating opportunities for people to access services, find stability and stay connected to their community. Together, they make Clinton County an even stronger place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Foundation will remain engaged with Impact Grant recipients throughout the grant period to help ensure projects move forward as proposed and create meaningful impact for Clinton County residents. As those projects continue, the Foundation looks forward to providing updates on their progress.
About the Clinton County Community Foundation
The Clinton County Community Foundation was established in 1996 as a not-for-profit charitable organization with a mission to improve the quality of life in the community through the accumulation and stewardship of enduring charitable gifts. Through vision, effective organization and good stewardship, the Foundation serves as a catalyst for stimulating and funding initiatives that benefit the citizens of Clinton County.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds program throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
