Although most people celebrate New Year’s in the winter, SCCF enjoyed the sunny skies that accompanied the end of our fiscal year on June 30, 2020. This past year, SCCF granted $1.14 million to the community from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. Some donors have specific organizations or causes they love to support, and approximately 75% of our grants are awarded with a donor’s defined intent in mind. However, some donors have a general love for the community and want the flexibility of supporting a variety of organizations as the needs in Steuben County change over time. They choose to support SCCF’s unrestricted grantmaking, meaning 25% of our grants are made by possible by donors who trust us to assess the current needs in our community and find ways to make a difference. SCCF uses a committee of local volunteers to represent perspectives from throughout Steuben County, reviewing grant applications and making recommendations to the SCCF board of directors for this unrestricted grantmaking. This unrestricted grantmaking fund is known as the Spirit of Community Fund.
In the past year, SCCF granted $173,989 from the Spirit of Community Fund to 31 organizations to meet a variety of needs in the community. These include:
- Angola Balloons Aloft
- Angola Kids League
- Boomerang Backpacks
- Brightpoint
- Cameron Hospital
- Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana
- City of Angola
- Community Anti Violence Alliance
- Community Harvest Food Bank of NE IN, Inc.
- Compassion Pregnancy Center
- Downtown Angola Coalition
- Erin’s House for Grieving Children, Inc.
- Forever Improving Steuben County Together
- Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce
- Fremont Elementary School
- Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry
- Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana
- Lake of Lakes Family Health Services (Well Child Clinic)
- LaGrange First Church of God/Lighthouse Montessori Education Center
- Little Lambs Daycare
- McMillen Health
- Pleasant Lake Lions Club
- RISE, Inc.
- Science Central
- Shape Up Steuben
- Steuben County Council on Aging
- Steuben County Literacy Coalition
- Steuben County United Way
- Trine University
- Wee Creations Preschool
- Women’s Care Center of NEI
As of the end of June, the Steuben County Disaster Response Fund has awarded $84,190 to 10 nonprofits in Steuben County who have been affected by COVID-19. These grants were awarded through a funding partnership with the Steuben County United Way. A more detailed update on the Disaster Response Fund will be provided in August 2020.
In total, 240 organizations received a grant from one or more of the 222 funds at SCCF in 2020, all of which are made possible by generous donors.
Nonprofits may apply online for a variety of grant opportunities at SCCF’s website: www.steubenfoundation.org/grants. The deadline for the health and human services cycle is July 31, education grants are due January 31, and requests for the arts, culture, environment, recreation, and other cycle are due April 30. Nonprofits may submit a letter of inquiry for the Impact Grant Cycle until August 15.
Contact SCCF with questions about ways to support local nonprofits in need or to apply for grant funds, at 260-665-6656 or sccf@steubenfoundation.org.
