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Community boosts Thrive by Five Campaign on Giving Day with $119,000 in gifts
Thanks to 26 local early learning heroes, 17 local businesses and more than 500 donors, Thrive by Five Giving Day raised more than $119,000 for early learning in Monroe County, exceeding the day’s goal! Our early learning heroes also lived up to their titles by raising more than $70,000 through the peer-to-peer fundraising blitz on April 25.
On Giving Day, corporate partners received an “Eat Like A Kid” lunch kit & Jellyfish Craft Kit to share with their offices. A discerning panel of pre-K kids evaluated jellyfish created by Giving Day partner businesses. Congratulations to the winner IU Riley Physicians Clarizz. Pre-K kids joined the fun, too, with early learning project kits delivered to local classrooms.
Thank you to the Giving Day partners, heroes, and donors who stepped up to ensure that all Monroe County kids thrive by age five. As a result, the Thrive by Five Campaign has raised more than $720,000 towards its $1 million goal for early learning initiatives. Thank you also to the Lewis Family for establishing the Lewis Fund for Early Childhood Education with their lead campaign gift.
View the Thrive by Five Superhero Leaderboard to see how much each hero raised on Giving Day.
Community Foundation awards $560,000 in grant initiatives
CFBMC awarded $560,000 in competitive and proactive grants this year to local organizations. The grant recipients were honored at a special event at Hoosier Energy.
Thirteen nonprofit organizations received Community Impact Grants, a competitive granting initiative totaling more than $270,000. The Community Impact Funding Initiative is co-funded by the Community Foundation and Smithville Charitable Foundation.
2018 Community Impact Grant Recipients:
- Banneker Community Center for a 15-passenger vehicle
- Catholic Charities Bloomington to expand mental health and counseling services
- Ellettsville Main Street for a paved, handicap accessible parking lot at the Heritage Trail
- Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools for the STEM Collaboration Lab at Bachelor Middle School
- Girls Inc. of Monroe County for a programmatic needs assessment
- Humanetrix Foundation for events to increase the number of women pursuing computer science, technology, and entrepreneurship
- Middle Way House to expand violence prevention programming into elementary schools
- New Hope Family Shelter to support the purchase of property for a new facility
- People & Animal Learning Services for the construction of new fencing to expand therapeutic and educational programs
- Teachers Warehouse to expand free school classroom supply services to high school teachers
- Volunteers in Medicine of Monroe County for a feasibility assessment for gaining Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status
- Wheeler Mission Ministries for the installation of a fire suppression system
- WonderLab Museum for STEM-focused museum experiences for children ages birth to 3 years
The Community Foundation also announced that it is distributing $290,000 in proactive grants this fiscal year to serve Monroe County. These grants are generally awarded from field of interest funds established by donors to address specific focus areas along with the Community Foundation’s unrestricted funds.
2018 Proactive Grant Recipients:
- Centerstone for transitional housing and treatment for women in recovery
- Monroe County Community School Corporation to support the creation of an additional pre-K classroom at Grandview Elementary School
- Monroe County United Ministries to support expansion of the Compass Early Learning Center
- Monroe County Community School Corporation and Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation to support and facilitate the parental engagement program
- Women Writing for (a) Change Bloomington to expand community creative writing programs
- Community Development Finance Institutions. The Community Foundation is working with the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association and the City of Bloomington to explore the potential for employing Community Development Finance Institutions to generate economic growth and opportunity, in particular among underserved populations.
Transitional housing and treatment program for women now open
This year, the Community Foundation awarded a proactive grant to Centerstone for a new transitional housing and substance abuse treatment program for women. We’re pleased to share that the program, officially named Centerstone Recovery Transitional Housing (CRT), formally opened in April.
The six-bed program is Bloomington’s first to serve women recovering from substance abuse who are pregnant or who have young children. It provides childcare support and parenting education along with substance abuse treatment. This recovery option enables mothers to keep their young children with them, rather than leave children with family members or in foster care. In addition to fully furnishing the housing facility, Centerstone has also hired a residential coordinator and recovery coach, three behavioral health technicians and an admission coordinator to support the program.
“CRT is filling a vital service gap in our community’s fight against addiction and is helping save lives and save families,” said Centerstone Director of Advancement Beth Rodriquez. “We are excited to share continued updates of our progress as this program grows.”
Community Foundation receives $145,000 legacy gift from Jean Langbak
Throughout her life, Jean Langbak helped others advance their careers, families, and communities. Her legacy now lives on through a gift from her estate of more than $145,000 to the Community Foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment Fund and the Boys and Girls Club Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation.
Born in South Dakota during the Great Depression, Langbak and her family moved to Logansport, Indiana as a teenager. After graduating from Logansport High School in 1941, Jean began a career as an operator with Indiana Bell Telephone Company. During her time there she was promoted to supervisory roles becoming the first female district manager in the company’s history. She remained with the company after it was purchased by AT&T and relocated several times around the state.
Longtime friend Denny Smith first met Jean as a colleague at Bell Telephone. Denny described Jean as “a strong, independent, and effective manager in the workplace. She was a very caring person, so focused on being responsible for herself.” She eventually took a position in Bloomington where she retired from the company and made the city her home.
Denny later went on to become Jean’s professional financial advisor and worked with her on how she could create a philanthropic legacy with her estate. Because Jean wanted to broadly support a number of the organizations, Denny and Jean’s attorney Tom McGlasson suggested the Community Foundation, which could put her gift to work through a number of local nonprofits to meet the community’s most pressing needs. She could also designate a portion of her gift specifically to the Boys and Girls Club through an agency endowment at the Community Foundation.
Jean’s gift will distribute grants to the Boys & Girls Club every year to support its mission in Monroe County. Her gift to the Community Foundation Unrestricted Endowment Fund will annually provide strategic grantmaking funds to address Monroe County’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities.
Jean’s legacy will significantly impact the local community and enhances the Foundation’s $32 million+ endowment. “This is one of many gifts that have advanced the Community Foundation toward a goal set in 2012 to double our endowment to $40 million by 2022,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson.
“Through careful stewardship, wise financial management, and informed grantmaking strategies, the Foundation is well equipped to honor the intentions of the growing number of donors, like Jean, who have entrusted us with planned gifts. We are honored to serve in this trusted role for the benefit of our community.” For more information on making a legacy gift, contact Development Director Meagan Niese.
New planned giving website! Discover resources to leave a legacy.
Have you seen the new planned giving resources on our website? Learn how to create a lasting legacy in our community through your will, retirement plan, insurance policy, or other estate plans.
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Applications for On My Way Pre-K now available for children starting pre-K programs in August
Help us get the word out! On My Way Pre-K applications are now open for children that will start pre-K programs in August.
On My Way Pre-K is Indiana’s first state-funded prekindergarten program or low-income children. Funding is available for up to 200 eligible 4-year-olds in Monroe County for the 2018-2019 school year!
Grants for FREE, high-quality pre-K programs are available for children who will be 4-years old, but not yet 5-years old by August 1, 2018, and will be attending kindergarten in the 2019-2020 school year. Grants will be awarded until all available slots have been filled. Families are encouraged to apply early.
On My Way Pre-K is a program of the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration and is locally supported by the Community Foundation and its Monroe Smart Start initiative. Go to www.OnMyWayPreK.org for more information or call 1-800-299-1627 for assistance.
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Congratulations to our community’s 2018 scholarship recipients
The Community Foundation is proud to help local students and adults to fund their educational dreams. Established by generous individuals and companies, CFBMC’s scholarship programs help members of our community pursue continuing education, develop their unique potential, and enhance their ability to contribute to Monroe County and society.
Congratulations to the Community Foundation’s 2018 scholarship recipients. We wish them well as they begin their educational journeys and pursue their career aspirations.
See List of 2018 Scholarship Recipients
Bloomington launches new strategy for attracting national financing for community development
Bloomington is developing and piloting a new model for bringing national financing to local community development. Bloomington is encouraging and incentivizing community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to work here by becoming a “CDFI Friendly City.”
The Community Foundation is working with a local CDFI working group, Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association and the City of Bloomington to explore the potential for employing Community Development Finance Institutions locally.
CDFIs are financial intermediaries that provide capital and services to underserved populations – low-income, low-wealth and other disadvantaged groups and areas. For more than 30 years, CDFIs have produced substantial community impact through jobs, affordable housing, and sustainable community facilities, as well as solid financial returns. More than 1,000 CDFIs operate in the U.S., providing billions of dollars of financing annually. But smaller markets, including cities such as Bloomington, often face challenges attracting CDFI financing.
“Flexible, affordable financing from CDFIs attracts investments from national and regional banks and foundations into local communities,” said President and CEO Peterson. “These combined investments can help address a community’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities, supporting nonprofit enterprises, catalyzing small business growth, and expanding affordable housing. These areas traditionally struggle to secure the capital necessary to optimally serve those who need community support to succeed and thrive, and we are excited about the potential that CDFIs bring to Monroe County.” Read More
Upcoming events and important dates
August 1: 100+ Women Who Care Quarterly Meeting. More information.
September 19: 50+ Men Who Care Quarterly Meeting. More information.