Philanthropic Partnership Opportunities with The Indianapolis Foundation
As we approach the conclusion of 2022, we know that you—our valued fundholder and philanthropic partner—are planning year-end grants to organizations that serve your philanthropic interests.
We would like to share the list of not-for-profit organizations awarded grants from The Indianapolis Foundation in November—to provide you the opportunity to join us in our community investments.
The Indianapolis Foundation community leadership team thoroughly reviewed all applications through a competitive process to ensure the equitable distribution of funds—resulting in a total of $365,760 granted to 42 organizations.
Initial funding requests totaled $972,550, and while we are thrilled with the level of support we were able to provide, a gap of $606,790 still exists to support projects, initiatives and operational needs of the below organizations..
As always, we thank you for your commitment to the betterment of our community.
| Organization | Project and Organization Description |
|---|---|
| 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, Inc | This is the local chapter of a national youth development organization that offers mentoring-based educational programs to Black youth. Their full request asks for funding for a variety of needs, including staffing, a curriculum, marketing and college field trips. |
| Brightwood Community Center Inc. | BWCC focuses on the transformation of lives through enhancing spiritual, educational and physical growth. Their request is to increase their staff capacity to scale their programming, specifically to hire a Program Coordinator that will include case management services, coordinate volunteers and staff for current programs. |
| Brothers United Inc. dba BU Wellness Network | BU Wellness Network is a grass-roots organization focused on increasing HIV testing and education among Black people in Central Indiana. The requested funds will be used for operating support. |
| Castleton United Methodist Church, Inc. - fiscal for Still Waters Adult Day Center | Castleton United Methodist Church (CUMC), fiscal agent for Still Waters Adult Day Center, requests $35,000 in general operating support. This center serves seniors and provides support to their caregivers. |
| Christel House Academy, Inc. | Christel House Academy is a school requesting support to implement a strategic plan to hire more teachers of color, impacting student achievement and sense of belonging, as well as purchase language translation devices to help with family communication. |
| Communities In Schools Indiana | Communities in Schools partners with schools to connect students with outside services and wraparound support to meet their non-academic needs that schools are not otherwise equipped to address. Requested funding will help create a director-level position to support MSD Decatur school personnel in our strategic plan to increases equity and improve outcomes for low-income, first generation and BIPOC students. |
| Earth Charter Indiana | Earth Charter Indiana (ECI) requests general operating support. ECI exists to inspire and advance sustainable, just and peaceful living in Indiana by promoting the values and principles of the Earth Charter. To serve its mission, ECI supports education of youth regarding climate impacts, and helps them in expressing themselves to make their voice heard. |
| Eastgate Christian Church, Inc. dba Autumn Leaves of Eastgate Adult Day Center | Eastgate Christian Church, Inc. requests general operating support for Autumn Leaves of Eastgate Adult Day Center (ALOE). ALOE provides a coordinated program of services for primarily elders with cognitive impairments and their care partners in a community-based setting, east of 16th street. |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis, Inc. | Flanner House works to support, advocate for and empower individuals, children and families by applying education, social and economic resources that move members of the community towards stabilization, and self-sufficiency. Requested funding would support the administrative costs of supporting individuals through the homeownership program. |
| HE CARES | He Cares, Inc. requests programmatic support for their, “I Want to Play Outside” program. He Cares is a small, BIPOC-led, grassroots organization that serves the Far Eastside community centering crime prevention and intervention. The “I want to Play Outside” program will work with justice involved youth and adults under 40yo from three different apartment complexes to create safe spaces for youth to play and engage in a variety of ancillary activities. |
| Health by Design, Inc | The Health by Design coalition works at the intersection of the built environment and public health, invested in four core program areas: walking, biking, transit and land use. They are requesting funding for their operating support. |
| Hoosier Environmental Council | HEC is Indiana’s leading educator and advocate for environmental issues and policies whose goal in all of its work is to make Indiana a better place to live, breath, work, and play. They request program support for Advancing Environmental Justice in Indianapolis - Community Engagement, Policy, and Planning. |
| Indiana Performing Arts Centre | IPAC presents full theatrical seasons: programming focused on improvement, support, and encouragement for aspiring actors, singers, dancers, musicians and playwrights—focused on people of color and under-served groups. They are requesting funds for operating support. |
| Indianapolis Ballet Inc. | IB and Indianapolis School of Ballet work to provide dynamic performances, visionary new works, extraordinary training, and transformative community outreach programs to diverse audiences with the philosophy: students of all ages and backgrounds have the right to explore the joys of dance. They are requesting funds for operating support. |
| Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, Inc. | (ILAS) is a non profit law office that provides non- criminal based legal assistance and advice to residents of Central Indiana with incomes less than 125% of the federal poverty guidelines; such as marriage dissolution, custody disputes and offender re-entry. They are requesting operational funding to support in attorneys and social workers providing wrap around services free to those served. |
| Indy Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. | The Indy Black Chamber of Commerce works to bridge the racial wealth gap of developing Black entrepreneurs, providing information and tools to develop and scale through quarterly workshops, free consulting services/ coaching and micro-loan programs. Funding support will further their mission by eliminating the cost of membership and addressing operational costs for programming. |
| Indy Convergence, Inc. | Indy Convergence works alongside the Near Westside neighborhoods of Indianapolis in asset-based community development, collaborating with the area's Quality of Life Plan through resident-led committees and volunteer groups. Many programs utilize professional artists and wrap-around to provide resources to further the development of the artists themselves. They are requesting funds for operating support. |
| Knot Today, Inc. | Knot Today is a newer not-for-profit organization that serves as an intermediary to provide outcome-based support to generate awareness and initiate prevention strategies to end sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children. Additionally, they provide capacity-building support for service providers for children who have experienced sexual trauma and assist in the development of innovative healing and restorative programs. They request general operating support for its Child Sex Abuse, Exploitation, and Trafficking Prevention Program. |
| Little Red Door Cancer Agency | Little Red Door Cancer Agency’s Rides of Hope program addresses the need of central Indiana’s lowincome and medically underserved cancer fighting community for access to free, secure and reliable transportation to their chemotherapy and radiation treatments. They are requesting funds for operating support of this program. |
| Martin Center, Inc. | Martin Center Sickle Cell Initiative (MCSCI) provides the following supportive services to individuals and families affected by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): general counseling, referral services, emergency financial assistance, transportation assistance, food assistance, and support group assistance. They are requesting funding for operating support. |
| Naptown United | Naptown United was founded in 2021 by experienced Latino community organizers to create equitable access to competitive and recreational soccer for Indianapolis youth and families. The work to close opportunity gaps in youth development and family stabilization for BIPOC (especially immigrant). Their funding request includes materials, field rentals, coaching stipends, and barrier-buster funds as well as operational expenses related to the league and social services. |
| Outreach, Inc. | Outreach operates drop-in centers where youth ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness can: get emergency assistance including a hot meal, shower, laundry, access to computers, secure permanent basic health, social and personal needs assistance. They request funding to support general operating needs. |
| Project Azul, Inc | Project Azul (PA) provides individuals with flexible training and financial assistance to transition from under/unemployment into full-time positions offering higher wages, access to benefits and a pathway to career advancement. Enrolled participants get hands-on training and receive industry-recognized certifications, which are then matched with employer partners. Requesting admin support for direct service staff, success coaches and coordinator training. |
| Project Transformation Indiana | Project Transformation is the local branch of a national organization that works in partnership with the United Methodist Church to train college students who are interested in a career in ministry to lead summer literacy programming. They request funding to support their year-round work as they prepare for summer 2023 programs and beyond. |
| St. Mary's Child Center | St. Mary’s Child Center operates a high-quality pre-school serving 152 marginalized students at two sites in Lawrence and downtown. This request supports operations at both locations for 39 weeks of the year, offering full day care, three meals/day and full/partial scholarships. |
