The Clinton County Community Foundation has awarded $750,000 in Impact Grants to four local nonprofit organizations, supporting large-scale projects designed to address needs and opportunities identified throughout Clinton County.
The grants were made possible through funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative. The funding provides community foundations with flexible resources to address compelling, near-term needs in their communities.
That flexibility allowed the Clinton County Community Foundation to establish its Impact Grant program, giving local nonprofits an opportunity to pursue significant projects at a scale beyond the Foundation’s traditional grantmaking capacity.
In Clinton County, the minimum Impact Grant request was set at $100,000. While that amount would typically represent an exceptionally large request through the Foundation’s other grant programs, it served as the starting point for the Impact Grant program, encouraging nonprofits to think bigger and pursue projects that may not otherwise have been possible.
“This was an opportunity for us to think beyond what is possible through our traditional grantmaking and give local nonprofits the ability to dream big,” said Todd Moser, president of the Community Foundation serving Howard, Clinton and Carroll Counties. “These projects build on important work already happening in Clinton County while expanding access to resources and services that can make a meaningful difference in residents’ everyday lives.”
The Foundation’s 2024 Community Conversations report helped inform the Impact Grant process by identifying community aspirations, concerns and priorities for Clinton County’s future.
While proposals were not required to address a specific priority identified in the reports, nonprofits were asked to demonstrate a clear community need and explain how their projects would make meaningful progress toward addressing it.
Together, the four selected projects address several priorities identified by Clinton County residents, including affordable housing, transportation, early childhood development, education, social and human services, and mental health and recovery.
Grant Recipients and Projects
Healthy Communities of Clinton County — Clinton County Community Engagement Center
The Clinton County Community Engagement Center will bring health, social services and early childhood education together under one roof. The project will include a new 75-seat Early Learning Center as well as space for multiple community organizations, creating a centralized resource for Clinton County residents.
One80 Recovery Resources Inc. — Transitional Housing Project
One80 Recovery Resources will construct transitional housing for men completing the organization’s residential recovery program. The housing will provide a safe and supportive step between structured treatment and independent living.
The project is designed to help address barriers graduates may face in securing stable housing while allowing them to remain connected to recovery resources, peer support and accountability as they transition toward greater independence.
Paul Phillippe Resource Center — Public Transportation Expansion Clinton County
The Paul Phillippe Resource Center will use its grant to add two accessible vehicles and additional drivers, increasing public transportation capacity and reducing trip denials.
The expansion is expected to improve access to employment, medical care and other essential services while providing expanded transportation opportunities for residents in Clinton County’s outlying communities.
Clinton County Economic Advancement Foundation — YMCA Revive Clinton County
In partnership with the Lafayette YMCA, the YMCA Revive Clinton County project will support the reopening of the former Clinton County YMCA facility.
The reopened facility will restore services lost when the YMCA closed and provide Clinton County families and residents with renewed access to childcare, fitness, recreation and opportunities for community connection.
“These projects represent meaningful investments in Clinton County’s future,” said Gene Marshall, chair of the Clinton County Community Foundation Board of Directors. “They address needs we know are important to our residents while creating opportunities for people to access services, find stability and stay connected to their community. Together, they make Clinton County an even stronger place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Foundation will remain engaged with the Impact Grant recipients throughout the grant period to help ensure the projects move forward as proposed and create meaningful impacts for Clinton County residents.
The Foundation said it looks forward to providing updates as the projects progress.
About the Clinton County Community Foundation
The Clinton County Community Foundation was established in 1996 as a not-for-profit charitable organization with a mission to improve the quality of life in the community through the accumulation and stewardship of enduring charitable gifts.
Through vision, effective organization and good stewardship, the Foundation serves as a catalyst for stimulating and funding initiatives that benefit the citizens of Clinton County.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation established in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company.
The Endowment is a separate entity from Eli Lilly and Company, with its own governing board, staff and location.
In keeping with the founders’ wishes, Lilly Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on religion, while maintaining a special commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana, the founders’ hometown and home state.