The Community Foundation presented checks totaling $47,524 to eighteen (18) non-profit organizations supporting Randolph County at their Annual Dinner on November 9th at the Towne Square Community Centre in Winchester. The Foundation stewards its unrestricted dollars to assist non-profits in competitive grant cycles each Spring and Fall. The Foundation’s Grants Committee, having reviewed applications based on established criteria and scoring, selected the following organizations to receive support for the 2021 Fall Grant Cycle.
|
Historic Farmland USA |
$955 | To update their computer and accounting system |
| Randolph County United | $1,000 | To fund the 2021 John C. Maxwell LIVE2LEAD |
| Randolph Southern Jr.-Sr. High School | $3,000 | For marching band uniforms to help get a new marching band started |
| Randolph County 4-H
(Future Needs Committee) |
$5,000 | To replace old water supply lines from the 3 wells on the fairgrounds |
| Sweet Dreams for Randolph County Kids | $2,500 | To help achieve their 2022 goal of building 40 beds for Randolph County kids |
| Winchester Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund | $1,400 | To create an interactive website for the Winchester Alumni Endowment Fund and its Golden Graduate project |
| Winchester Youth Football Program | $2,500 | To upgrade their equipment |
| Community Christmas Corporation | $4,000 | To pave Harter Park’s parking facility |
| Lynn Preservation Society | $1,480 | To fund their “History of the Union Literary Institute” booklet |
| Freedom Life Church (on behalf of Sharks Swim Team) | $2,600 | To replace their lane lines and reels |
| Randolph Central School Corporation | $2,500 | To help replace the marching band’s 50-year-old band tower |
| Youth Service Bureau of Jay County | $2,000 | To fund a new BASE (behavioral, academic, social education) incentive program |
| Jay-Randolph Developmental Services | $2,000 | To upgrade their sprinkler system |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana | $3,000 | To support a portion of The Big Idea school initiative |
| Randolph County Historical Society | $2,000 | For shelving, storage room renovation, and increased microfilm holdings |
| Community Help Center | $6,000 | To have their walk-in freezer built |
| PAWS Animal Rescue & Shelter | $2,089 | For kennel covers and a storage shed |
| Fountain Park Cemetery Association | $3,500 |
To replace the Chapel’s 28-year-old roof and gutters |
Grants were made possible from the generous support of the Foundation’s Community Enrichment Fund, the Union City Community Fund, the Rural Randolph Cares Agricultural Fund, and the Whitacre Family Charitable Fund. “We are grateful for the services that these organizations provide for Randolph County citizens, and we are proud to be a community partner,” said Luke Rowles, Program Officer at the Community Foundation.
The Community Foundation of Randolph County would also like to recognize The Winchester Foundation for celebrating 75 years of service. Chris Talley, Chairman of their board, gave a speech detailing the history and mission of their organization, as well as its relationship with the Community Foundation. He closed by announcing that The Winchester Foundation, in honor of their 75 years, would be donating $75,000 to the Community Foundation. “This generous grant from The Winchester Foundation will further the Community Foundation’s current initiatives and provide additional capacity for grantmaking practices in our county; we are incredibly grateful for this contribution,” said Lisa Jennings, Executive Director at the Community Foundation.
Lisa Jennings, Executive Director of the Community Foundation; Chris Talley, Chairman of the Winchester Foundation
Additionally, Indiana Landmarks presented their Sandi Servaas Memorial Award to the Community Foundation of Randolph County and Randolph County United. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in historic preservation, and it will be proudly displayed at the Randolph County Historical Museum. The award was given for the two organizations’ efforts to bring every third-grade student in the county to downtown Winchester to tour the historic courthouse and historical museum while interacting with first-person interpreters.
Ceann Bales (RCU), Missy Williams (RCU), Lisa Jennings (CFRC), Marsh Davis & Suzanne Stanis (Indiana Landmarks)
The night also included a fundraising opportunity for the Randolph County Fund for Education, which was established to help address the needs of educators and education in our community. The Community Foundation is challenging the community to give to this endowed fund by offering a $1 to $1 match opportunity, meaning that donors’ gifts go twice as far and make twice the impact. Towne Square Cinema offered a wonderful gift basket, with a donation functioning as a raffle ticket. The recipient of that basket was Katie Rowles.
The next competitive grant cycle will be Spring 2022. Please contact the Foundation at 765-584-9077 or visit www.randolphcountyfoundation.org to learn more or to make a donation.