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AFFILIATES:
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Attica
ATTICA
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Covington
COVINGTON
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Southeast Fountain
SOUTHEAST FOUNTAIN
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Vermillion County
VERMILLION COUNTY
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
About wicf-INC.org
The Western Indiana Community Foundation is a public charity, founded in 1990, conceived by a group of citizens whose desire is to use donated monies for the betterment of their communities. The Foundation shares the same dream as its forefathers: prosperity, expansion, and enhancement for its citizens. The Foundation has four separate and distinct affiliate funds serving their geographical areas, which consist of:


Fountain County, IndianaFOUNTAIN COUNTY AFFILIATES
Attica
Covington
Southeast Fountain

Vermillion County, IndianaVERMILLION COUNTY AFFILIATES
Vermillion County

Mr. Dale White
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Dale White

The Community Foundation can make is simple for your gift to grow.  Please call our office at (765) 793-0702 and make an appointment with one of our staff members to discuss your gift.  Donations can also be made 24/7 through our secure online portal at Donate Here.

Recent Foundation News

Posted: March 04, 2024
AFFILIATES - All
Covington Community Foundation Hosts 58th Semi-Annual Family Night

Covington Community Foundation will host its 58th semi-annual Family Night on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, from 4:30-6:15 p.m. featuring ventriloquist, David Crone.

From pure comedy entertainment to highly customized serious messages on leadership, service, and living life on purpose, David leaves the audience ready to take on their next big challenge with renewed energy, and best of all, joy and laughter. With over 30 years of experience, his unique perspective on office life, incredible ventriloquism skills, and a cast of crazy characters combine to create a program like no other.

Enjoy dinner and a show with the Covington Community Foundation! Tickets MUST be purchased in advance at 135 S. Stringtown Rd., Covington, or by calling (765) 793-0702, ext. 8. Tickets are $5.00 for adults and children are FREE. Seating is limited for this event.

 



Posted: February 27, 2024
AFFILIATES - All
Recent Grant Recipients

Congratulations to recent grant recipients:
Clinton Police Department ($500), Parke-Vermillion Adult Education ($1,250), American Legion Post 263 ($1,500), Black Diamond Fire Department ($4,500), Covington High School ($5,200), Food Finders ($4,000), North Vermillion Elementary School ($1,000), Cayuga Lions Club ($1,500), Sugar Creek Food Pantry ($10,000), Veedersburg Food Pantry ($10,000), Covington Food Pantry ($10,000), North Vermillion High School ($3,500), Fountain County 4H Horse and Pony ($17,417.50), Cayuga Christian Church ($1,000), Victory Baptist Church ($750),Servants at Work ($8,000), Community Action Program of Western Indiana ($2,833), Attica Elementary School ($2,300), North Vermillion High School ($1,000), Reading Boot Camp, Inc. ($2,500), Parke-Vermillion Christian Youth Mission, Inc. ($8,500), South Vermillion High School ($500), Covington Fire Department ($3,500), Hillsboro Church of the Nazarene ($500), Covington Elementary School (1,000), Wildcat Christmas Store ($2,000), Covington Youth Soccer ($46,793.66), Food Finders Food Bank ($4,000),   More →



Posted: February 13, 2024
AFFILIATES - Attica - Covington - Southeast Fountain
Parks and Recreation in Fountain County Community Survey

The Western Indiana Community Foundation is embarking on an exciting initiative to understand and address the needs of our residents, and we need your valuable input!

We’ve created a brief Community Needs Survey to gather insights and perspectives from individuals like you in Fountain County. Your responses will play a crucial role in shaping future initiatives and making our community an even better place to live. Specifically, creating a better quality of life for our communities through parks and recreation.

Would you be willing to take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors? Your collective input will help us prioritize projects and allocate resources where they are needed most.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. Your voice matters, and together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant future.

Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7MD3MT9



Posted: February 09, 2024
AFFILIATES - Vermillion County
Transforming Ernie Pyle Elementary: Childcare in Vermillion County Community Survey

The Vermillion County Community Foundation, in partnership with the Vermillion County Redevelopment Commission, is embarking on an exciting initiative to understand and address the needs of our residents, and we need your valuable input!

We’ve created a brief Community Needs Survey to gather insights and perspectives from individuals like you in Vermillion County. Your responses will play a crucial role in shaping future initiatives and making our community an even better place to live. Information from this survey will also be utilized as the Vermillion County Redevelopment Commission continues work on the Ernie Pyle Childhood Center. The future center could include an additional wing that may house a partner organization and collaborate with the child care center. To optimize its use for the community, we are actively seeking input on the most effective ways to utilize this space.

Would you be willing to take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors? Your collective input will help us prioritize projects and allocate resources where they are needed most.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. Your voice matters, and together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant future.

Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VermillionNeedsAssessment



Posted: January 19, 2024
AFFILIATES - Attica - Covington - Southeast Fountain - Vermillion County
New Funds to Benefit Area Communities

A variety of new endowment funds have recently been established to benefits area communities and high school students.  For more details click on the link to learn more about each fund.

The new funds include: Fountain County Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program, Dallas Ponder Memorial Scholarship, Mark and Kathy Haas Unrestricted Fund, John & Pauline Bossaer Unrestricted Fund, Clinton Community Improvement Fund, E. Stanley & Vera Shew Unrestricted Fund, Lawrence & Patricia DeSutter Family Farm Memorial Scholarship, Dr. William Somerville Scholarship Fund, Robert & Helen Shelby Community Fund, Marilyn’s Village Inc., John & Madeline Ives Community Fund, Judy Ashton Ferrell Unrestricted Fund, Hunger Relief Fund, Paul & Pat Coolley Fund,  Terry A. Badger III Scholarship Fund, Jackson Township Fire Department Fund, Coal Creek Cemetery Endowment & Pass-Through Funds, and more!

To learn how you can establish a fund to benefit your community contact Dale at (765) 793-0702 or by email at dwhite@wicf-inc.org.



Posted: January 03, 2024
AFFILIATES - All
Memorial & Honor Giving

Fountain and Vermillion County are home to many wonderful people who have made a deep impact in the community.

Are you looking for a way to memorialize a loved one or friend who is no longer with us?  Or perhaps you would like to honor a family member, friend, co-worker, or service provider who has a positive influence in your daily life?  MEMORIAL & HONOR GIFTS are great ways to honor those who are or have been significant in your life or the life of your community. Your gift will go to the fund you specify, in the name of the one you’re honoring.

The following individuals have recently passed away and the families have designated donations in their memory go to the Community Foundation.  We honor the following individuals (click on the name for more details): Irma Lee Crist, Vera Shew, Ethan Whyde, Mike Stump, Judy Ashton Ferrell,  John Ives, Dr. Donna (Summers) McGrady, Louise Houmes, Gregory Spragg, Brenda Phillips, Carlotta Auter, Harold VanDame, Marvin Potter, Rose Martin, Kenneth Scheurich, Stan Shew, Bill Smail, Richard Pattengale, Jeff Henry, Page Lane, Barbara White, Tim Thomas, Harold R. Long, Cameron Cheuvront, Darleen Swingle, Duaine Ramey, Wanda Clawson, Terry Holland, Marvin ShawDr. Francis McGrady, Jr., Matt Milach, Joe HendersonGinger Orr, Raymond Bush, Carl DismoreRichard Klage, David Rothrock, Ann JohannesRonald Smith, Charles McKinney,  Joe HathawayEdward C. Grubb, Sharon Sue Craft, Henry Meadows, Janice Vietti, Edward “Ed” George, and Carl Swinford.

All memorial and honor gifts are acknowledged to the person or people you designate so that the loved one’s family, or the person you are honoring, is aware of the gift.  Or you can make an anonymous gift if you desire to do so.  The amount of the gift is, of course, confidential and only you will receive a gift acknowledgement for tax purposes.  It’s very easy to give a memorial or honor gift – just CLICK HERE to get started.



Posted: December 19, 2023
AFFILIATES - Vermillion County
Vermillion County Community Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant from Lilly Endowment

Vermillion County Community Foundation has received a $50,000 planning grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII). With the grant, the community foundation will work closely with RJL Solutions, a Terre Haute-based consulting firm, and the Vermillion County Redevelopment Commission to conduct a Vermillion County Needs Assessment to learn more about the need for additional childcare resources, which could be utilized in the former Ernie Pyle Elementary School. These resources could include but are not limited to, before and after-school care, early learning initiatives, summer learning programs, and adult education learning opportunities. The closure of Ernie Pyle Elementary School at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, due to declining enrollment and its impact on state funding, has prompted the Redevelopment Commission’s commitment to preserving the facility. In Vermillion County, an estimated 345 children under the age of six and 257 school-aged children are in need of childcare services.

The Vermillion County Community Foundation is one of 92 community foundations and affiliate funds in Indiana receiving planning grants through GIFT VIII. These grants are designed to help community foundations collaborate with local partners to engage broad and diverse stakeholders in their communities and deepen their understanding of their communities’ highest-priority challenges and opportunities. In 2024, Vermillion County Community Foundation will have the opportunity to request funding to implement strategic initiatives and activities developed during the planning period that address especially compelling needs in Vermillion County.

“Great communities work tirelessly to identify strategic ways to support employers, families, and childcare providers in a community as well as to labor vigorously to advance childcare, early learning initiatives, and provide local opportunities for advancing adult education.  Through our partnerships with the Vermillion County Redevelopment Commission and RJL Solutions we are looking to understand the unique needs of Vermillion County and help turn vision into reality,” said Dale White, CEO of the Vermillion County Community Foundation.

Residents are encouraged to keep an eye out for public meetings and both online and in-person surveys as part of collaborative efforts concerning additional childcare resources needed in Vermillion County. This work will take place over the next four months.

Lilly Endowment created the GIFT initiative in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges and work with other organizations to help their communities thrive. Through GIFT VIII, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $210 million to support Indiana’s community foundations in growing their financial resources and further strengthening their ability to address their community’s highest-priority challenges and opportunities.

Vermillion County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Western Indiana Community Foundation, is a not-for-profit public charity established in 1996 to serve donors, award grants and scholarships, and provide leadership to improve all of Vermillion 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 significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.



Posted: December 19, 2023
AFFILIATES - All
Tri-County Community Foundation Partnership Receives $50,000 Regional Grant from Lilly Endowment

A tri-county partnership comprised of the Western Indiana Community Foundation (Fountain County), Vermillion County Community Foundation, and Warren County Community Foundation have received a $50,000 regional planning grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII).  With the grant, the community foundations will engage with Indianapolis consulting firm Kimley-Horn to help create the Wabash River Blueway Plan.  Fountain, Vermillion, and Warren counties have over 60 miles of the Wabash River forming their borders.  The river has untapped potential for recreation, historic and scientific education, the arts, and attracting visitors. The next four months will be spent looking at some of the possibilities.

Western Indiana Community Foundation and Warren County Community Foundation are among the 92 community foundations and affiliate funds in Indiana receiving planning grants through GIFT VIII.  These grants are designed to help community foundations collaborate with local partners to engage broad and diverse stakeholders in their communities and deepen their understanding of their communities’ highest-priority challenges and opportunities.  In 2024, Western Indiana Community Foundation and Warren County Community Foundation will have the opportunity to request funding to implement strategic initiatives and activities developed during the planning period that address especially compelling needs in Fountain, Vermillion, and Warren Counties.

“The GIFT VIIII opportunity to apply for a regional planning grant gives us the unique opportunity to collaborate with our neighboring counties.  We look forward to working with experts in the formation of the Wabash River Blueway Master Plan,” said Dale White, Chief Executive Officer of the Western Indiana Community Foundation.

Residents should watch for an invitation to a public meeting for collaboration regarding the Wabash River through Fountain, Vermillion, and Warren counties.  This work will take place over the next four months.

Lilly Endowment created the GIFT initiative in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges and work with other organizations to help their communities thrive.  Through GIFT VIII, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $210 million to support Indiana’s community foundations in growing their financial resources and further strengthening their ability to address their community’s highest-priority challenges and opportunities.

Western Indiana Community Foundation, established in 1990, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt philanthropic organization that was founded as Western Indiana’s partner, resource, and steward in philanthropy.  The Foundation manages $34.3 million in charitable assets and administers over 315 charitable funds – each of which supports the unique charitable intent of the donor who established the fund.  Annually, the Foundation awards nearly 1.2 million dollars in grants and scholarships to support Fountain County communities and is a National Standards certified community foundation.

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 significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.



Posted: December 19, 2023
AFFILIATES - Attica - Covington - Southeast Fountain
Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant from Lilly Endowment

The Western Indiana Community Foundation (Fountain County) has received a $50,000 planning grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII). With the grant, the community foundation will engage with Kimley-Horn an Indianapolis-based consulting firm to evaluate the quality of existing parks and facilities within Fountain County, Indiana based on existing conditions including but not limited to park infrastructure, amenities, and buildings. These grant dollars will be used to further enhance the efforts to create a better quality of life for our local communities through parks and recreation.

The Western Indiana Community Foundation is one of 92 community foundations and affiliate funds in Indiana receiving planning grants through GIFT VIII. These grants are designed to help community foundations collaborate with local partners to engage broad and diverse stakeholders in their communities and deepen their understanding of their communities’ highest-priority challenges and opportunities. In 2024, the Western Indiana Community Foundation will have the opportunity to request funding to implement strategic initiatives and activities developed during the planning period that address especially compelling needs in Fountain County.

“Great parks are more than just a place to play. When careful planning and design come together, parks can provide beauty and tremendous environmental, economic, and social benefits to a community.  This planning grant will provide a thorough study of the 15 parks throughout Fountain County which consist of over 2,000 acres of green space.  We are looking to understand the unique needs of Fountain County and help turn vision into reality,” said Dale White, CEO of the Western Indiana Community Foundation.

Residents should anticipate a needs assessment survey, in both online and printed formats, seeking public input for the project. An in-person kick-off meeting will discuss the project’s vision, goals, and key issues. Concurrently, the consultant will interview key stakeholders, conduct site evaluations, and lead virtual meetings over the next four months.

Lilly Endowment created the GIFT initiative in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges and work with other organizations to help their communities thrive. Through GIFT VIII, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $210 million to support Indiana’s community foundations in growing their financial resources and further strengthening their ability to address their community’s highest-priority challenges and opportunities.

Western Indiana Community Foundation, established in 1990, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt philanthropic organization that was founded as Western Indiana’s partner, resource, and steward in philanthropy.  The Foundation manages $34.3 million in charitable assets and administers over 315 charitable funds – each of which supports the unique charitable intent of the donor who established the fund.  Annually, the Foundation awards nearly 1.2 million dollars in grants and scholarships to support Fountain County communities and is a National Standards-certified community foundation.

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 significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.



Posted: December 10, 2023
AFFILIATES - All
Fall Newsletters Released

Check out the Fountain County & Vermillion County Fall Newsletters at: WICF – Publications (wicf-inc.org)


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135 S. Stringtown Rd.
P.O. Box 175
Covington, IN. 47932
Phone: 765-793-0702
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