January 2024 Annual Meeting

MARSHALL COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNUAL MEETING HELD JANUARY 30, 2024

The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) conducted an Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, January 30 at the REES Theatre in Plymouth.

The REES was selected as the site for the annual meeting to highlight the impact of local philanthropy. This six-year community project is considered a shining star for community collaboration! The project was supported by Stellar, Regional Cities, READI 1.0 and MCCF grants including matching funds through the Lilly Endowment GIFT VII initiative. In addition, thousands of monetary and in-kind donations were received from other funders, private, and corporate donors to make this dream project a reality. The REES is an anchor institution in downtown Plymouth for lifting up the arts and culture community in Marshall County and the region. It was the perfect venue to celebrate investments in Marshall County’s quality of life to date and the opportunities ahead for more ideas to take flight.

In speaking of community leadership and collaboration in Marshall County, MCCF Executive Director, Linda Yoder, gave special recognition to the local nonprofit network. She noted that at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all organizations quickly reinvented how they delivered services. In 2023, they persisted with strong efforts to address a forty percent increase in requests for basic needs assistance as Marshall County families continued to struggle due to disruptions in the workplace and rising prices from inflation.

Yoder also presented updates on opportunities ahead, including multiple grant initiatives recently announced by the Lilly Endowment. She noted that affordable housing and child care are listed as priority funding areas for the READI 2.0 through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). Regional applications will be submitted in February with awards announced later this spring. In January, Lilly Endowment issued a $250million grant that will be reviewed in tandem with READI 2.0. The funds will help accelerate the state’s support for rehabilitating deteriorated or abandoned properties and strengthening varied arts and culture initiatives. This grant was the single largest award given in Lilly Endowment’s 86-year history. MCCF will host a grant seeker information in February to help entities identify and access these new resources.

Special guest speaker, Ginny Munroe, shared updates on the accomplishments of One Marshall County, the regional planning team, and what projects lie ahead with READI 2.0. Randy Danielson spoke about the REES Project, and the community drive, passion, and partnerships that were developed over the six-year renovation project and continue to grow a strong arts and culture presence in downtown Plymouth and Marshall County.

Recognition was given to the generous donors of the 2022/23 fiscal years and the growing list of John Marshall Legacy Society members. Recognition and thanks were also given to those in 2024 officer positions: Dr. Jim White as President, Martin Oosterbaan as Vice President and Mark Feldman as Secretary/Treasurer.