VOL. XXIX NO.3
NOVEMBER 2019
L E G A C Y
White River Greenway
Where neighbors create legacies
LET’S TALK This year, The Community Foundation has had many reasons to celebrate. We successfully met Lilly Endowment Inc.’s matching grant opportunity for unrestricted funds to extend our grantmaking. We’ve taken time to talk to donors, partners, and people across the community to better understand how the Foundation can move the needle on pressing issues. We look forward to what we can accomplish in 2020.
FUND SUPPORTS STUDENT AND TEACHER SUCCESS AT MUNCIE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
We have celebrated with volunteers and donors, like Michelle Bade, who received the Mayor’s Arts Award for her role as an advocate of the arts and Kelly Stanley, who was named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter. Sometimes that celebration is mixed with sorrow. It is a new experience for me as the Foundation’s president to communicate the death of a current advisory board member. Pat Botts was an active member of the Foundation’s Investment Committee. Pat was also serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of BY5, the Foundation’s supporting organization. Pat’s unexpected passing in October created a gap in the community and at the Foundation. However, his life and the example he set for those he served and served with is worth celebrating. I learned a great deal from working beside Pat. He was always prepared for meetings, wasn’t afraid to ask questions when there was confusion and was always smart and thoughtful in his recommendations. He had a vision for long-term success. Through his service on the BY5 Board, it was clear that Pat valued investing in our young people to create a stronger community in the future. And it was with this same vision of the future for our community that Pat and his wife, Jane, established an unrestricted fund, the Pat and Jane Botts Fund, at the end of 2018. This fund was able to make its inaugural grant to the 8twelve Coalition this year. As we move forward into the new year, I am sure our hearts will still feel the weight of this loss. However, we can also celebrate the legacy that Pat left in our community. I know I will not forget what I learned from working closely with him. Perhaps, each of us can find a way to invest in the future of our community. Let’s celebrate the difference we can make together. Kelly K. Shrock, President
A student expands reading skills using techniques learned during teacher professional development.
This summer, The Community Foundation awarded $111,722.18 to Muncie Community Schools for teacher professional development. MCS used this funding to provide 65 elementary school teachers and administrators professional development to support grade-level reading and give stipends to teachers who participated in a district-wide subscription to online training for all teachers called K-12 Boost. It was the first grant distribution from the Successful Schools Fund, a fund established by the Foundation’s Board of Directors to support the partnership between Ball State University and Muncie Community Schools. In 2018, the Foundation Board of Directors established the Successful Schools Fund to support professional development opportunities for certified staff. The Board restricted the use of the fund to MCS for its first three years and made an investment of up to $200,000 in total over those three years. Because continued on page 2