News & Events

Board Chair Coaching Series Back By Popular Demand

Seminars are 12 noon to 1 pm and will be held on the first Thursday of the month from March 2012 to August 2012. Brown bag lunches are encouraged.

Eligibility includes current or future board chairs, board members in leadership positions, and executive directors (IF they are accompanied by a Board member). 

Cost is $100 for the series of six seminars. Fee will be refunded to the not-for-profit organization if board attendance is perfect and if homework tasks are completed. Executive director attendance will NOT be counted as board attendance.

For more information, click here.

To apply, return this contract and make checks payable to The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette.

Goals of the Series:

Enhance the ability of nonprofit boards to govern their organizations.

Increase community leadership in Tippecanoe County.

Provide participants with tools for training others in “Leadership Through Governance.”

Topics will include:

Governance

Fiduciary responsibility

Governance as leadership

Policy development

Strategic planning

Facilitating Board meetings

Schedule:

All sessions are 12 noon – 1pm. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.

March 1, 2012

April 5, 2012

May 3, 2012

June 7, 2012

July 5, 2012 

August 2, 2012

2012 Douglas W. Eberle

Not-For-Profit Board Governance Series

An education series designed to improve the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by strengthening boards of directors has been developed by The Community Foundation and is being jointly sponsored by NCHS, United Way of Greater Lafayette, Ivy Tech Corporate College, and The Community Foundation. This series, named after the late Douglas W. Eberle, is especially designed for the volunteer leaders on the Boards of Not-For-Profit Corporations.

Click here for more information, including an online application.

Agency Endowment Matching Campaign

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette is pleased to announce a new funding initiative that will provide an incentive for not-for-profits in Tippecanoe County to establish permanent endowment funds.  The Foundation hopes the program will highlight the value of permanent philanthropy by making people aware of the benefits of permanent sources of support for important non-profit programs.

To view guidelines and calendar click here.
 
To view slides from our October 4, 2011 campaign training seminar, click here.

Newsletter
Click here to view our Winter 2011 issue.

Click here to view our Fall 2011 issue.

Click here to view our Summer 2011 issue.
Click here to view our Spring 2011 issue.

Click here to view our Winter 2010 issue.

Click here to view our Fall 2010 issue.
Click here to view our Summer 2010 issue.

Annual Report

Click here to view the 2010 Annual Report.
Click here to view the 2009 Annual Report.

Click here to view the 2008 Annual Report. 

(requires Acrobat Reader, available as a free download at www.adobe.com)

Free Web Link to Community Information and Referrals

Thanks to funding by The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, the Tippecanoe Department of Child Services, and United Way of Greater Lafayette, the Lafayette Crisis Center has launched their comprehensive human service database on the web. This service is free and, like all Crisis Center services, available every hour of every day. Click here to check it out.

Visit our Facebook Page

Show your support, follow us on Facebook. Click on the icon above and become a fan today.
 

Training Opportunities in the Community

If you are interested in seeing a list of training workshops that have been publicized to The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, click here. If you would like your training program listed, email the information to Cheryl Ubelhor, Program Director. link

Youth Building Grant Awards Announced

The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette is pleased to announce the projects selected for the Youth Building Initiative, a new funding opportunity to benefit youth.

Up to $100,000 was made available through discretionary funds to seed Youth Building initiatives. The Community Foundation staff and Board sought the best thinking of citizens, not-for-profit organizations, research institutions, and public agencies serving Tippecanoe County in Indiana. The Foundation studied community need and then, in November 2010, issued a “Youth Building” Request for Proposals (RFP) focused specifically on strengthening Tippecanoe County youth by addressing the root causes of alcohol and other drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and gangs through a collaborative effort by local and regional organizations.  The application deadline was May 2, 2011.

Grants Chair person, Rick Olson, said, “The selection process was very competitive. Every proposal received was well thought out and worthy of funding. However,  both the Grants Committee and the Board of Directors agreed that these two projects stood out as innovative and effective ways to help the youth in our community overcome issues that lead to substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and gang involvement.”

Two agencies received grants from this Youth Building initiative:

$25,000      

Lyn Treece Boys and Girls Club

Youth Employment Program

Executive Director Barry Richard said, “Thanks to The Community Foundation, we are able to pilot a Youth Employment Program, which is a three part program in which participants are exposed to curriculum about personal discipline, independent living skills, and employment skills; real-world experience in the form of internships at charitable organizations in the community; and then life-changing opportunities in the form of job interviews and, ideally, employment.”

$75,000      

Lafayette School Corporation – Oakland High School

Construction of a science lab to meet certification requirements

Oakland High School Principal, Clare Lutgen, said, “I want to thank The Community Foundation for helping to fund the Science Discovery Lab, a state-of-the-art science laboratory located within Oakland High School. The community approach fostered by Oakland ‘s Science Discovery Lab will encourage students to stay in school and complete their education while promoting promising careers in science and mathematics. Opening in the fall, Oakland High School is a small, community high school committed to increasing the high school graduation rate within our community.  High risk behaviors and other issues related to poverty and social pressures have increased the number of students who lack the adult support and enriching environment necessary to be successful in traditional school settings. They often fail to graduate from high school and even greater numbers fail to graduate with the necessary skills to enter college or the work force. Often times they become victim to the same high risk behaviors evidenced in their home environment as they lack significant adult advocates. Educational research states that one significant adult in the life of a child can change the life of that child. That adult does not need to be a parent but they must be an adult who is willing to invest in the development of a strong relationship that serves the immediate needs of the child. When a student is faced with a life circumstance that hinders their educational prospects, the staff at Oakland will actively seek community support to meet the social/emotional needs of the student while continually encouraging progress towards graduation.”

Greg Kapp, President and CEO of the Community Foundation said, “Our Board of Directors issued this RFP as way to get the entire community thinking together about ways to help our youth and, ultimately, to benefit all of us. From the effort put into each proposal, and the many good ideas we have heard, I would say it worked. We are all very interested in seeing how these two projects progress and hope to see them thrive and, perhaps, even be expanded or replicated to help more youth.”

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, established in 1970, serves the Tippecanoe County area.  Its mission is to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities served. More than 125 charitable funds totaling $28 million in assets make up The Community Foundation.  During its history, over $13 million has been granted to not-for-profit organizations, mainly in Greater Lafayette. In 2010, 69 nonprofit organizations received grants, and 48 individuals received scholarships totaling $636,224 in 2010. An Annual Report is available electronically. For additional information, visit www.cfglaf.org or call (765) 742-9078.

Governor Proclaims July 25 “Community Foundation Day”

Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette is 1 of 95 in Indiana

Governor Mitch Daniels is again recognizing the important work of Indiana community foundations by proclaiming Monday, July 25, 2011 as Community Foundation Day. 

Greg Kapp, President and CEO of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette says, “As a member of the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance, The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette (CFGL) partners with foundations state-wide to create fresh approaches to grantmaking, fundraising and addressing community needs.  For forty-one years, CFGL has worked closely with leaders of local not-for-profit organizations, businesses and governmental agencies to help strengthen our community.”

Foundations actively strategize and work together to create a better future for Indiana communities.  Where foundations provide added benefit is their strategic approach to giving.  It takes planning to be prepared to respond well to grim circumstances as they arise.  Significantly, it takes even more effort to prepare for the future.  Community Foundation leaders take it upon themselves to know the geographic regions in which they fund.  They often focus their grantmaking on a particular need or type of funding.  Foundations have the leeway to take risks where others cannot, strategically funding research or incubating pilot projects that often lead to break-through solutions.  Innovative new programs at Oakland High School and Lyn Treece Boys and Girls Club received grants from CFGL on July 19 as a result of The Foundation’s Youth Building Initiative.  The foundations and grantmakers represented by Indiana Grantmakers Alliance have been leaders and partners in initiatives with local, state and national impact.

Every resident in each of Indiana’s 92 counties has access to a community foundation or affiliate fund in their home county—an asset no other state enjoys.  In 1990, Lilly Endowment Inc. created the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative to seed the development of community foundations across the state.  These organizations both raise funds and give funds back to the communities they represent.  They provide the structure that helps people come together to plan and give wisely.

Take time to learn about and support your county’s community foundation.  The community foundation locator is found at www.incommunityfoundations.org.

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, established in 1970, serves the Tippecanoe County area.  Its mission is to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities served. More than 125 charitable funds totaling $28 million in assets make up The Community Foundation.  During its history, over $13 million has been granted to not-for-profit organizations, mainly in Greater Lafayette. In 2010, 69 nonprofit organizations received grants, and 48 individuals received scholarships totaling $636,224 in 2010. Individuals may become involved in a variety of ways, including donating to an existing fund, giving through their estate plans, or participating on a community panel or committee.  An Annual Report is available electronically. For additional information, visit www.cfglaf.org or call (765) 742-9078.

Scholarship Recipients announced for 2011

The Community Foundation is proud to help area students fund their educational aspirations. Since 2000, through the generosity of many local families and other caring donors, The Foundation has assisted over 200 students in helping them fulfill their educational dreams.

On an event at the Lafayette Country Club on May 24, 2011, The Foundation awarded scholarships to forty-eight students, including three Lilly Endowment Scholarships. To see the complete list of recipients, click here.

This year we have a one-time only scholarship that came about because of The Foundation’s 40^th Anniversary Celebration – Gems and Jeans Gala. Volunteers allocated $10,000 from event ticket sales and twenty-four local corporate sponsorships and asked that the funds be awarded for four scholarships. 

We would like to thank our corporate sponsors for providing this support to help four local students pursue their higher educational goals. Those sponsors are:

IRA Charitable Rollover Act for 2010 and 2011

Great news for gift planners!  On the afternoon of December 17, 2010, the President signed into law The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. This bill restores the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2010 and permits its use in all of 2011. The act is retroactive to January 1, 2010, so donors who previously made 2010 IRA rollovers will qualify. 
 

The rollover provision allows individuals age 70 1/2 and older to transfer up to $100,000 directly from their Individual Retirement Account to charitable organizations such as The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette in 2010 or 2011 and pay no federal income tax on the distribution.  Given the late passage of this bill, you may elect to have a distribution made in January 2011 treated as if it were made in 2010. 

Your gift can be made by notifying your IRA plan administrator of your intent to make a current transfer to The Community Foundation or other charity.  For more information on how to make an IRA rollover gift, click here.  We hope you will call on us anytime that we can help you with your estate or charitable gift planning.

If you are interested in more information or need sample letters to your IRA plan administrators to help facilitate a gift using this provision, please contact The Community Foundation at info@cfglaf.org or (765)742-9078.  Thank you and Happy New Year!

Community Needs Survey - Results Released

An informal online survey about community needs in Tippecanoe County was conducted Spring 2010 and here are the results:

Summary of Findings     and     Detailed Comments

Philanthropy Marketplace Open for Business

Shopping around for a way to spend your charitable dollars, but not sure what to fund?  Wondering what nonprofit organizations around the Greater Lafayette area need?  Wish there was a one-stop shop to survey local needs?

Now there is – The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette ’s Philanthropy Marketplace.

Philanthropy Marketplace connects donors and local charitable organizations.  It allows donors to help in a very specific way by linking them with projects that fit their interests.

The Marketplace web pages list area organizations, projects, and contact information.  It’s easy to use:  simply browse the listings; when you find something they want to fund, contact the organization or visit their website for more information.

Check it out now – click here to start shopping.
 

Charitable Gift Annuities Offered

The  Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette has always offered a variety of ways for donors to fulfill their charitable wishes. One gift option that is not as well known as the others is the charitable gift annuity.  For an overview, click here; for more information contact The Foundation for details.

Stopping Child Abuse-Neglect Initiative

For past reports on activities in our community, click here and here. 

If you would like to receive the e-letter that is emailed about efforts to help children, contact Cheryl Ubelhor.

The Our Kids Are Our Community! Council has been very active in our community. Visit www.ourkidstippecanoe.org for more info.

There is now a Facebook page for Our Kids Are Our Community: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&ref=mb#!/pages/Our-Kids-Are-Our-Community/109081989149252?ref=sgm