GRANTS AWARDED BY MCCF
SPRING 2023:
Spring 2023 Community Fund Grants
- Argos Parks and Recreation Department: $10,000 in a challenge grant to revitalize the Argos Memorial Park playground.
- Bremen Pickleball Club: $10,000 toward the construction of eight stand-alone pickleball courts in the Sunnyside Park area.
- Hospice Foundation: $25,000 for support of the capital campaign to renovate a new location at 1419 N Michigan St, Plymouth, and expand and enhance programs and services for residents of Marshall, Fulton, and Starke Counties.
- Marshall County Blueberry Festival: $3,500 to purchase a new Blueberry Hank and revamp Hank’s House.
- Marshall County Council on Aging: $11,981 for a medium transit bus to provide safe and reliable public transportation in Marshall County.
- Marshall County Crossroads: $10,000 to support the Marshall County Collaborative Council Study facilitated by enFocus.
- Marshall County Historical Society: $3,500 to upgrade their website as a learning hub and to create and implement a new logo.
- Marshall County Solid Waste Management District: $5,000 toward the Yard Waste Collection Facility Feasibility Study.
- Plymouth Junior League: $10,000 for the construction of a new infield and dugouts in Packard Woods.
- Plymouth Park Department: $10,000 to construct additional pickleballs courts in Centennial Park.
- Potawatomi Wildlife Park: $9,000 toward the purchase of an accessible and safe maintenance utility vehicle.
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 in Culver. This grant cycle, $18,671.02 in total grants were awarded to the following groups:
- Lake Maxinkuckee Association: $15,671.02 for a speed awareness initiative and intelligence-based policing.
- Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund: $2,500 for a dragonfly building mural project.
FALL 2022:
Fall 2022 Community Fund Grants
- Antiquarian & Historical Society: $10,000 to replace the pergola in Heritage Park.
- Beaman Home: $2,350 to fund internet and a point-of-sale system for their basic needs center.
- Bread of Life Community Food Pantry: $4,277 for a security system.
- Cardinal Services: $1,555 for a fence for the Bremen group home.
- Garden Court: $7,000 to purchase playground equipment for Serenity Place.
- Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana: $2,500 to support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) Program.
- Historic Bremen: $3,150 to construct a large digital interactive panel to display clothing items.
- Ivy Tech: $12,500 to support tractor safety through agriculture education programs.
- Just In Case Foundation: $12,500 match for implementation of the Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) and Safety Program for Marshall County residents.
- Lifelong Learning Network: $22,500 to sponsor an enFocus Fellow to assist in building foundation for successful implementation of their business plan.
- Marshall County Humane Society: $5,000 in support of the PURRFECT program to spay/neuter community cats.
- Marshall County Neighborhood Center: $13,000 for the installation of an outdoor freezer/cooler.
- WNIT: $2,500 in support of the Education Counts program.
SPRING 2022:
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.
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.
FALL 2021:
Community Fund Grants:
- Bremen Community Cares $20,000 to purchase a chair lift to help meet American Disabilities Act requirements for the Bremen Community and Performing Arts Center.
- Culver Park Department: 10,000 to upgrade existing public basketball court with new recreational options allowing diverse engagement across ages, physical abilities, and mobility levels.
- Drew’s Gift of Music: $5,000 toward refurbishing and procurement of instruments for children in need and help promote music education for local schools and communities.
- Marshall County Historical Society: $8,927 to help purchase technology that will help improve audio-visual systems.
- Servants at Work (SAWS): $3,200 to build ADA compliant wheelchair ramps for Marshall County residents.
- WNIT: $2,500 to support the Education Counts Michiana Program that works to strengthen education and economic systems.
- Wythougan Valley Preservation: $7,000 to create interpretive signs and historic markers to help the community and visitors understand and honor Marshall Country history.
Multi-year grants:
- $12,500 from the Community Funds for Marshall County Crossroads Stellar projects.
- $20,000 to the Rees Theatre for the purchase of an Ultra HD LED Display Screen (NEW). Total grant award $60,000.
- $25,000 to Marshall County Crossroads Regional Planning for a multi-year and county-wide systems approach to health and well-being (NEW). Total grant award $100,000.
SPRING 2021:
Community Fund Grants:
- Ancilla College of Marian University: $25,000 to support the growth of new academic programs for ACMU.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Southern Lake Michigan Region: $15,000 to support youth mentoring program for elementary and middle school students at Culver Community Schools.
- Boys & Girls Club of Marshall County: $9,935 to support the CODE in CLASS (CiC) program
- Corvilla Inc.: $5,760 to purchase appliances and commercial kiln for new Bremen location providing care for adults with disabilities, day and employment services and supported living services.
- Culver Community Schools: $2,500 to provide materials and supplies for childcare program at Culver Community Schools.
- Dustin’s Place: $14,750 for start-up and expansion costs for staffing, storage facility, and a family check-in station.
- Marshall County Neighborhood Center: $15,000 to operations support for food/clothing/household pantry providing basic needs to vulnerable families.
- The Time is Now: $2,150 to support start-up costs for new support center assisting survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence.
- Tippecanoe Improvement Association: $22,500 to support a community park development project.
- United Way of Marshall County: $10,000 in support of the Marshall County Blue Zones Phase 1 Community Development and Readiness Assessment.
Multi-year grants
$10,000 was awarded from Community Funds for the Marshall County Crossroads Stellar project for Culver biking/walking trails and the Beach Lodge.
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, $2,000 was awarded to the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund to purchase water sampling equipment and supplies and $4,619 was awarded to Maxinkuckee Adventure Sailing to purchase one Zest sailboat and accessories.
FALL 2020:
Community Fund Grants:
- Antiquarian & Historical Society of Culver: $1,950 towards the rejuvenation of Heritage Park.
- Cultivate Culinary School & Catering: $10,500 to serve at-risk children healthy meals over the weekend, when their schools cannot.
- Culver Boys & Girls Club: $4,000 to purchase new technology and STEM equipment.
- Culver Union Township Volunteer Fire Department: $2,150 to purchase medical supplies for the creation of a medical first responder program.
- Intrepid Phoenix: $8,000 to sponsor a fitness program at Fitness Forum for people in substance abuse recovery.
- Ivy Tech: $12,000 for purchasing training equipment to expand pre-nursing/nursing program.
- Leadership Marshall County: $2,050 for new student athlete leadership program and scholarships.
- Marshall County Council on Aging: $11,900 for purchase of a transit bus.
- Plymouth Community School Corporation: $2,300 to enhance student exposure to technology using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) in classroom settings.
- SAWS: $2,000 to build ADA compliant ramps for two low-income, disabled Marshall County residents.
- Wild Rose Moon: $4,000 for new equipment.
- WNIT: $2,500 to support Education Counts Michiana.
Multi-year grants:
- $12,500 from the Community Funds for Marshall County Crossroads Stellar projects (Biking/walking trails and David’s Courage).
SPRING 2020:
Community Fund Grants:
- All Things New: $1,000 to provide residential addiction recovery program with support for indigent care, purchase of program curriculum, resident education, and licensed counselor continuing education.
- Bourbon Main Street Initiative: $800 to install two benches for the downtown Bourbon square.
- Bremen Girls Softball League: $4,800 to repair the softball fields.
- Crossing National Inc: $7,500 to fund the construction of updated, ADA compliant restrooms and funds for Direct Student Support.
- David’s Courage: $5,000 for COVID-19 assistance.
- Drew’s Gift of Music: $5,000 for refurbishing instruments for children in need.
- Dustin’s Place, Inc: $9,000 in start-up costs to purchase accordion wall, printer, scanner, and projectors to facilitate peer-to-peer grief support.
- Marshall County Neighborhood Center: $16,277 for ADA compliance and safety and security upgrades.
- Potawatomi Park: $4,800 to purchase a 7’ Woods BB8400X heavy duty rotary chopper.
- United Way of Marshall County/Fund the Essentials: $40,834 to provide food, housing, and utility assistance to Marshall County families impacted by COVID-19 through the Marshall County Community Response and Recovery Fund.
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, $5,977 was awarded and presented toMaxinkuckee Adventure Sailing to enhance the safety of their public, low-cost learn-to-sail programs.
Multi-year grants:
- $30,000 from the Community Funds for Marshall County Crossroads Stellar projects (Culver biking/walking trails and Habitat for Humanity).
- $10,000 from the Vonnegut Fund for the Marshall County Crossroads Stellar project for Culver biking/walking trails.
FALL 2019:
Community Fund Grants:
- Argos Izaak Walton: $4,500 to rebuild foundation wall and restore a piece of Marshall County’s history.
- Bremen Community Cares: $18,000 to construct a new men’s and women’s American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible bathroom in the Bremen Community Center.
- Culver Main Street Corporation: $4,250 for a creative, artistic place-making project for the local firehouse. Plans include a large painted mural and seating space along Lakeshore Drive.
- David’s Courage: $3,750 assist in application and surveyor’s fees to obtain national accreditation.
- Discover Plymouth: $12,500 to complete a funding match for a comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for Marshall County.
- Heartland Artists Gallery: $2,445 to host three pop-up art exhibits in various locations throughout Marshall County in 2020.
- Marshall County Council on Aging: $17,767 in matching dollars to help purchase two replacement vehicles for Marshall County public transit programs.
- Plymouth Lions Club: $3,000 to purchase a pediatric auto refractor to perform vision screenings for young school age children.
- Walkerton Public Safety: $10,000 to upgrade the dispatching radio equipment.
- WNIT Public Television: $2,500 to support the Education Counts program.
Multiple year grants
- David’s Courage: $6,250 to support David’s Courage and their new addiction treatment center.
- Garden Court: $25,000 to support the building of a new Permanent Supportive Housing project to provide wrap-around services to the chronically homeless population in Marshall County.
- Marshall County Crossroads Stellar Application: $6,250 to support a Walk to School and Wellness Bucks program to encourage healthy physical activities among Marshall County’s students.
SPRING 2019:
Community Fund Grants:
- American Legion Post 27: $5,000 to bring the Traveling Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall to Marshall County.
- Argos Youth League: $6,350 to purchase items for youth baseball fields and one new baseball pitching machines.
- Beaman Home: $5,000 to purchase a vehicle to transport Beaman Home clients to appointments in Marshall, Fulton and Kosciusko Counties.
- Cultivate Culinary: $5,000 to support an innovative food rescue program and build necessary capacity for new partnerships in Marshall County to reach hungry families with nutritious food.
- Intrepid Phoenix: $14,500 for program support for individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions.
- La Paz-North Township Fire Department: $1,750 to help purchase one water suit for the fire department to aid in cold water rescues.
- Marshall County 4-H Fair Association: $10,620 to purchase tables for use during 4-H Fair and other events.
- Marshall County Habitat for Humanity: $20,000 to help build affordable homes in Marshall County for families in need of assistance and participating in the unique and proven Habitat for Humanity model.
- Maxinkuckee Players: $1,000 to support a summer production of the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls.
- Plymouth High School band: $1,000 to help in the purchase of new band uniforms for the students.
- Tippecanoe Improvement Association: $15,000 to assist in the development of a new Community Park.
- Town of Bourbon: $1,040 to support the cycling community with a bike repair station, bicycle rack and places to rest for bicyclists.
- Wild Rose Moon: $16,794 to further develop production facilities, purchase necessary equipment.
- Women’s Care Center: $6,000 to support the programs Healthy Babies and Building Kids with Character for underprivileged/at-risk pregnant women and young children.
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, $6,942 was awarded and presented to:
- Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council: $6,500 to replace the Kline Wetland Levee, an important project to protect Lake Maxinkuckee’s waters far into the future.
- Sea Scout Ship 1901: $442 to purchase equipment to start a ship and attend the World Scout Jamboree.
MORE GRANT ROUNDS: