Education as a Catalyst: HCCF Invests in Community Partners to Support Lifelong Opportunity

When the Hamilton County Community Foundation (HCCF) was shaping its new strategic plan in response to community feedback, education and workforce development were quickly identified as priority areas – and with good reason.

To that end, HCCF has partnered with key organizations such as Grace Care Center and Ivy Tech Community College – Hamilton County Campus where supportive services, education, and community connections are helping residents build stronger futures.

Hamilton County has 40 food pantries, – including education and mentor opportunities. Its goal is to move people from a point of crisis to one of stability, to walk with them until they’re no longer in need.

English classes are an extremely popular educational offering at Grace Care Center. Currently, volunteers and even some class graduates are teaching 150 English learners across four different levels. Last year, Grace taught about 300 people to improve their English.

“These classes level up language skills for many people in our community,” said Grace Care Center Executive Director Cara Augspurger. “They often have the ability to get a better job or maybe move up in their career because they now can speak English a lot better.”

In addition to English classes, Grace Care Center also offers a co-op program in which families work one-on-one with a volunteer mentor or coach to identify and address barriers to progress and financial stability. Augspurger said some people in the program are new to the country and held professional roles in their home nations, but with so many county residents already active in the workforce, securing well-paying jobs can be challenging. Grace volunteers review clients’ educational credentials and help guide them toward appropriate jobs here. These workforce training services give participants the tools to strengthen their skills and translate their credentials.

This effective service model is what allowed Grace Care Center to be named the first ever Center for Working Families site in Hamilton County in August of this year. The Center for Working Families, A United Way of Central Indiana initiative since 2015, provides one-on-one coaching and services to put families on a path toward economic stability.

HCCF supports Grace Care Center’s work through its annual competitive grant program, which provides unrestricted financial support that helps Grace consistently serve individuals. The Foundation has also connected Grace with other organizations in the community, creating opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another, something nonprofits in Hamilton County repeatedly embrace.

“We admire and are inspired by the Hamilton County Community Foundation,” Augspurger said. “They have a pulse on the needs in the county and who in the county is doing good work, and they’re putting resources behind many organizations working hard to make this a great place to live and work. The connections and collaborations we’re making with other area non-profits…I feel like we’re all working together to make a big impact here.”

HCCF understands the importance of impacting and supporting education and training in all its forms. While Grace Care Center focuses on soft skills education and workforce preparation, another HCCF partner, Ivy Tech Community College, provides post-secondary education, career guidance, and skill development support to prepare students for a changing workforce.

Christina Collins, executive director of Career Link for Ivy Tech’s Hamilton County campus, oversees career development services including career coaching, upskill training, work and learn opportunities, internships, job postings and more. Her team also creates career-development plans for all students to ensure they meet career milestones while completing their education.

Externally, Collins also partners with employers and organizations to understand their workforce training needs so that Ivy Tech can align those with work already happening on campus. Ivy Tech’s focus on education, career coaching, and employability training ensures that students and community members are prepared not just for today’s job openings, but for tomorrow’s shifting opportunities.

As part of this initiative, community members attend short-term training that helps them identify personal skills and attributes, as well as gaps in their training and where they have opportunities for additional education.

“HCCF has been instrumental in allowing us to expand our career coaching offerings to our students and also to individuals who are considering education but haven’t quite defined what it is they want to do,” Collins said.

That kind of expansion is especially important in Hamilton County, where job growth in 2024 fell short of projections by more than 10,000 positions—even though the county still outperformed both state and national averages.

“HCCF and Ivy Tech have a great existing relationship,” Collins said. “As the community continues to focus on workforce training, I anticipate we will continue to partner and find solutions to challenges. The greatest predictor of economic growth is making sure that you have a well-equipped workforce, and I know that the foundation will continue to be a good collaborator in that way.”

Strong educational and career pathways are vital to economic opportunity in Hamilton County. HCCF is proud to support organizations like Grace Care Center and Ivy Tech Hamilton County that use their unique strengths to prepare students and adults for meaningful employment and lifelong success.