MARSHALL COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS SPRING COMMUNITY FUND GRANTS

Supporting programs to make Marshall County a better place to live, work, and play

The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) announced the Spring 2022 grant awards from Community Funds totaling $47,043 and the Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr. Fund totaling $2,500.

Twice each year, nonprofit organizations are invited to submit funding requests for projects that improve the quality of life in Marshall County. MCCF Grants Committee members evaluate the proposals and conduct site visits during a competitive application process. The Spring 2022 grant awards will fund a wide variety of projects and programs.

MCCF Community Fund grant awardees shared about the impact the grants will make in their programs and for the Marshall County community at an awards event on April 14.

“The mission of Marshall County Parks and Recreation is to preserve, protect, and steward the County’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources. We can’t be good stewards until we know exactly what those treasures are,” said Adam Thada, Vice President, Marshall County Parks and Recreation Board. “This MCCF grant will enable a comprehensive, professional inventory of the habitats at Mill Pond and Memorial Forest, invaluable information to help us plan properly and launch into the next phase of Marshall County Parks.”

Community Fund Grants
Community Funds are the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s funds in addressing current and emerging needs. Grants from unrestricted endowment funds typically support projects focusing on the arts, education, health and human services, recreation, and the environment.

The first grants from unrestricted Community Funds at MCCF were awarded in 1995; since then, the MCCF has awarded over $4.2 million in total grants from these funds alone. In addition to the Marshall County Community Fund, the following ‘named’ unrestricted funds support competitive grant rounds in Marshall County. These funds include the Barbara and Ralph Winters Community Fund, the Billy and Vickie Ellinger Community Fund, Brian and Patricia Kitch Family Community Fund, the C & M Overmyer Unrestricted Endowment Fund, the Eleanor and Randy Danielson Community Aesthetic Improvement Fund, the First Merchants Bank Community Fund, the Gibson Community Fund, the John and Kay Finlay Community Fund, the Paul and Carol Nye Community Fund, the Philip and Sylvia Bieghler Community Fund, and the Will and June Erwin Community Fund.

Spring 2022 Community Fund Grants

  • Cultivate Culinary School and Catering: $5,000 to support the Cultivate Cares Food Network, a food pantry support system program providing food and meals to Marshall County food pantries.
  • Culver Community Schools:  $2,5000 to purchase ice and hot water machines for the elementary cafeteria program at Culver Community Schools.
  • Culver Youth League:  $4,500 to repair the baseball and softball restroom facilities.
  • Marshall County Parks and Recreation: $17,297 to conduct a Natural Feature Inventory for Mill Pond and the Marshall County Memorial Forest.
  • Oakhaven Community:  $4,746 to purchase computers and computer equipment for the residents of Oakhaven, which serves individuals aged 62 and older.
  • Triton Summer League Baseball/Town of Bourbon:  $3,000 to purchase upgraded baseball and softball machines for youth.
  • Leadership Marshall County: $10,000 matching grant to support expansion of the program.

Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr. Grants
The Ralph C. Vonnegut Jr. Fund was established to provide annual funding for environmental, educational, or recreational projects directly related to Lake Maxinkuckee. This grant cycle, $2,500 was awarded to the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund to help fund the painting of murals in and around Culver teaching artistic and environmental concepts related to Lake Maxinkuckee.