On Friday evening, October 24, 2014, President Carolyn Branson and Pat Wilkinson, grant writer, accepted a check for $3,388.00 from the Clay County Community Foundation at the former Lark Theater in Brazil, Indiana. Each year the Clay County Community Foundation awards grants to non-profit organizations in Clay County. A small copier, which will be used to provide copies of researched materials for patrons, will be purchased with the larger portion of the grant. The remaining funds will be applied to the renewal of the annual lease for the large copy machine, which costs over $1,100 annually. The quarterly newsletters, brochures, and materials for sale by the Society are printed with the large copy machine.
This year the Community Foundation awarded grants totaling $25,038 to six organizations from the fifteen that had applied. These grants were possible due to the unrestricted endowment funds held for the benefit of Clay County by the Community Foundation.
For a limited time Lilly Endowment, Inc. is providing a $1 for $1 match in funds, up to $500,000, for donations to the Clay County Community Foundation for the Clay County Community Grant Fund or another unrestricted endowment fund to benefit Clay County residents.
Every dollar donated to a current unrestricted Clay County endowment or the creation of a new unrestricted Clay County endowment, will be matched by Lilly Endowment regardless of the amount donated until the goal of $500,000 is reached. For example, a donation of $25.00 would result in Clay County receiving $50.00; a donation of $100.00 would increase to $200.00, etc. If the Clay County Community Foundation receives $500,000 in donations for unrestricted endowments and Lilly Endowment matches that amount, the Clay County Community Foundation will gain one million dollars from which to earn funds for grant giving to non-profit organizations in Clay County.
If you would like to help provide future grants to non-profit Clay County organizations in perpetuity, please contact the Clay County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, at 812-232-2234.