Eight years ago, the Community Foundation began providing matching funds to build local agency endowments. By providing matching dollars to Matchstick agencies, we aim to build long-term partnerships that will allow effective agencies to build a perpetual source of unrestricted funding for their organizations.
Matchstick provides a 1:2 matching of funds; $1 from the Community Foundation for every $2 donated to the agency endowment. The match is applied after an agency reaches its fundraising goal. The list of agencies that have participated in the program includes:
- Amethyst House
- Area 10 Agency on Aging
- Bloomington Community Band
- Bloomington Parks and Recreation
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Monroe County
- Christole (now LIFEDesigns)
- Community Kitchen
- Ellettsville Mainstreet
- LIFEDesigns
- Lotus Arts and Education Foundation
- Middle Way House
- Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM)
- Pinnacle
- RBB Community School Foundation
- South Central Community Action Program
- Volunteers in Medicine
- WFHB Community Radio
- Windfall Dancers
Interested agencies may apply for an inclusion in the Matchstick program by completing and submitting our Assessment and Application document (see link below). Agencies participating in Matchstick within the last 2 years should use our Continuation Request document (also below). Within the application, agencies will specify a goal between $10,000 and $100,000 to be met within one year from the start date. Example: a $10,000 goal would require the agency to raise $6,667 from agency donors (donor goal) in order to receive a $3,333 Community Foundation match.
In 2012, the Community Foundation provided a matching gift to the following organizations:
Lotus Education and Arts Foundation – $6,667
Monroe County United Ministries – $3,500
Volunteers in Medicine – $3,333
Click the links below to download the Matchstick Grant Guidelines and Application materials:
Matchstick Agency Endowment Guidelines January 2014
Matchstick Agency Fundraising Events
Matchstick Agency Endowment Assessment & Application January 2014
Matchstick Agency Endowment Continuation Request January 2014