ELKHART, Ind. — The Community Foundation of Elkhart County celebrated the successes of the last fiscal year, awarded grants to nonprofits, and announced leadership changes at its Annual Celebration recently.
Strongly supported by the RV industry, The Community Foundation of Elkhart County partners with donors to leverage their philanthropy in ways that transform lives. Since 1989, the Community Foundation has helped generous donors to meet community needs, provide scholarship opportunities to local students, and make grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve Elkhart County. The Community Foundation strives to be a local entity known for inspiring good and impacting success. To learn more, go to www.InspiringGood.org.
As Candy Yoder retires as Chief Program Officer at the end of 2024, two people will take over those duties, according to President Pete McCown.
Guy Fisher, who joined the Community Foundation a year ago, will become the new Chief Program Officer as well as continuing as the Career Pathways program officer. Guy has past experience at Bethel University and Goodwill Industries. He will coordinate grantmaking with Vonnie Trumble and Ray Caldwell, as well as the other staff and volunteers who help with that process.
Andy Murray will become Director of Strategic Initiatives for Building Strong Brains and the Pumpkinvine Trails Coalition, initiatives the Community Foundation is leading. Murray retired from Lippert Components Inc. and is passionate about helping others as a board member and now as a foundation employee.
“I am deeply grateful to Candy for her immense work on behalf of the foundation and grateful that she is staying involved to help guide Building Strong Brains in her retirement from full-time work,” said McCown. “Guy and Andy are capable leaders who will help our collective work moving forward.”
At the annual celebration with 350 people gathered in the Lerner Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, McCown announced that the Community Foundation closed the 2023-24 fiscal year with $461 million in total assets. As the foundation’s assets grow, the amount it can grant to the community grows, too.
The foundation received $39 million in gifts and granted $31 million to the community in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Prior to the annual celebration, the Community Foundation’s board met and approved the following grants:
Kids and Families grants totaling $488,800
- CAPS, Healthy Workplace Initiative, $79,000
- Horizon Education Alliance, Early Childhood Research, $35,000
- RETA, Operational Support, $225,000
- Ryan’s Place, Operational Support, $50,000
- 11 grants of $25,000 or less totaling $99,800
Building Strong Brains Initiative
- Expenditures of $385,278 were approved from reserved funds to support the Building Strong Brains Initiative.
Career Pathways grants totaling $692,500
- enFocus, Fellowships and Catalyst Internships, $125,000
- ETHOS, GLC Operational Support, $200,000
- Startup Moxie, $90,000 (split over three years)
- Horizon Education Alliance, Triple P Teen, $120,000
- Premier Arts, Annex Expansion, $100,000
- 3 grants of $25,000 or less totaling $57,500
Placemaking grants totaling $506,750
- Elkhart County Parks Department, DeFries Gardens Homestead Renovation, $100,000
- Elkhart County Symphony Association, Operational Support, $65,000
- Humane Society of Elkhart County, Capital Campaign – Clinic Expansion, $100,000
- 32 grants of $25,000 or less totaling $241,750
Connected Network of Trails Initiative
- Expenditures of $367,586 were approved from reserved funds to support the Connected Network of Trails Initiative.
Opportunity Fund
- 34 grants for sponsorships and memberships totaling $245,095 were approved
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