This year, nonprofits in Steuben County have faced new financial challenges. Canceled and postponed fundraising events disrupted their anticipated cash flows. Some individuals lost jobs, making it difficult to donate as generously. In the midst of this challenging time, SCCF was able to award more than $320,000 in grants to 74 organizations through donor-established designated funds.
For the past two years, SCCF has celebrated this annual distribution at our annual public meeting.
“We decided that in the midst of COVID-19, our decision to cancel the public meeting shouldn’t overshadow these grant awards. We wanted to give our local nonprofits a reason to celebrate a little!” shared Jennifer Danic, SCCF President and CEO.
Over the course of three days, staff from SCCF hand-delivered checks to 18 local agencies and reached out by phone or video chat to many of the remaining nonprofits to offer personal congratulations.
Each designated fund at SCCF was established by a donor who was passionate about an organization and wanted to provide permanent support. Gifts to a designated fund are permanently invested. The SCCF board and a committee of volunteers carefully oversee these investments, and the interest income is used to provide an annual distribution to a specific organization. These grants are awarded automatically, in contrast to SCCF’s application-based grantmaking cycles. In an uncertain year like 2020, designated funds are designed to offer a reliable funding source to help build a nonprofit’s financial sustainability.
The majority of designated funds award grants for general support of the organization. This allows nonprofits some additional flexibility as grants are used to pay utility bills, to purchase program supplies, or even to offset unexpected expenses in the midst of a pandemic.
Designated funds account for the largest share of grant dollars awarded by SCCF every year at just over 40%.
SCCF is proud to help carry on donor legacies through facilitating this annual grant distribution to support their work in perpetuity. If you have questions about how to support a nonprofit through a designated fund, please contact the SCCF office at 260-665-6656.
Grantees
The following list includes the grantees receiving designated grants from SCCF in 2020:
- 101 Lakes Trust Inc.
- Acres, Inc.
- American Legion Post 117
- Angola Band Boosters Association
- Angola Elks Lodge #2398
- Angola High School Academic Achievement
- Angola Kids League
- Angola United Methodist Church
- Art Museum of Greater Lafayette
- Blue Heron Ministries
- BSA- Anthony Wayne Council
- Cahoots Coffee Cafe
- Calvary Lutheran Church
- Cameron Palliative Care
- Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County
- Charles McClue Reserve
- City of Angola
- City of Defiance/ Cemetery Enhancements
- Clear Lake Fund
- Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy, Inc.
- Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy Maintenance Fund
- Clear Lake Yacht Club
- Community Harvest Food Bank of NE IN, Inc.
- Community Humane Shelter
- Crawford County Care Center
- Defiance City School Foundation
- Defiance Society of Artists
- Downtown Angola Coalition (DAC)
- Easterseals RISE, Inc.
- Faith Community Health Clinic, Inc.
- First Congregational United Church of Christ
- Forever Improving Steuben County Together Fund
- Freedom Academy
- Fremont Community Schools
- Fremont United Methodist Church
- Fremont United Methodist Church Youth Church Camps Fund
- Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana
- Goshen Health
- Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana
- Hamilton Life Center
- Holy Family Episcopal Church
- Indiana Humanities Council
- Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana
- Lake James Christian Camp & Retreat Center
- Land of Lakes Family Health Services, Inc.
- Leader Dogs for the Blind
- Metz Christian Church
- Metz Volunteer Fire Dept.
- National MS Society
- Northeastern Center
- Pokagon State Park Nature Center Fund
- Powers Church Preservation & Maintenance Fund
- Project Help
- Questa Foundation for Education
- Salvation Army of Lafayette
- St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
- Steuben County 4-H Association
- Steuben County Council on Aging
- Steuben County Economic Development Corporation
- Steuben County Historical Society
- Steuben County Lakes Council
- Steuben County Literacy Coalition
- Steuben County United Way
- Steuben County Vocational Education Fund
- St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- St Mary’s Catholic Church Maintenance Fund
- St Paul’s Catholic Chapel
- Tippecanoe County CASA
- Trine University
- Turning Point of Steuben County, Inc.
- Women’s Fund
- Wood-Land-Lakes Resource Conservation & Development
- YMCA of Steuben County
- Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana, Inc.
