Old, Planned Museums Among Those Receiving $20,000 In New Grants

(Ripley County, Ind.) - Four organizations are sharing in $20,000 in grants named after the former executive director of the Ripley County Community Foundation. The groups applied for the Sally Morris Community Impact Grants. Morris recently retired as the foundation’s leader after 17 years. Amack’s Well Coffee House, Kids Discovery Factory, the Southwestern Indiana YMCA, and the Milan ’54 Museum will each receive a $5,000 matching grant. The matching aspect means that each organization will have to raise $5,000 before receiving the foundation gift. Amack's Well Coffee House will be a community gathering place where people and local organizations can meet and connect with others with a focus on community service. The idea for a meeting place for local organizations to conduct meetings, to hold functions and to connect with other mission opportunities throughout Ripley and Franklin counties was the brainchild of a group of individuals from the Community Church. Over the last two years, this dedicated group has been actively assisting other local groups such as the Rural Alliance for the Arts, Batesville Area Ministerial Association, Toast Master's Club and Young Life, and the Batesville Area Historical Society, by providing event space, participating in clothing and food drives, and supporting their projects. The coffee house will be located in downtown Batesville. Currently under construction, their location is expected to open in 2015. This grant will be used to assist with installing a sprinkler system in their location. Kids Discovery Factory, formerly the Explore 2 Learn focuses on supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in children. Kids Discovery Factory conducts a summer camp each year and has the ultimate goal of opening a Children's Museum in Ripley County. The grant would be used to aid the group with Exhibit Master Planning for the future museum. The Southeastern Indiana YMCA embodies the ideals of community and provides an array of programs which build healthy spirits, minds and bodies. The YMCA Childcare Center will use this grant to bring a pre-school program to children living at or below 100% of the Federal poverty level. This pre-school program will serve children in all corners of the county since it will include transportation to and from the YMCA. Milan '54 Museum has been preserving and sharing Ripley County sports history for years. The museum is in the process of expanding its exhibits and is constructing a 1950s era Barber Shop. This grant will assist the Museum with completing this event space. Once complete, the Barber Shop will provide visitors with an accurate reflection of cm all town Indiana in the 1950s. Patrons will be able to receive haircuts and be made to feel like they stepped back in time. These grants are made possible by the Community Granting Funds administered by RCCF, namely, RCCF Community Granting Endowment; Bruns-Gutzwiller Community Granting Fund; John A. Hillenbrand Foundation Community Granting Fund; Hartman Family Fund; Ralph & Ethel Dunbar Fund; City of Batesville Fund; Gilmore & Golda Reynolds Fund; Duwane & Doris Bonfer Family Fund; Dan & Jamie Schantz Family Fund; Jeff & Mary Oilier Family Fund, Collier Family Fund and Miles Grandchildren Fund. Donations to any of these Community Granting Funds, or to a new community granting fund, will receive a 100% match from Lilly Endowment Inc.'s GIFT VI program. In August 2014, $500,000 of GIFT VI money was made available to RCCF to increase the assets held in community granting funds. Community Granting Funds are the sole source of money used by the Foundation to issue grants to local non-profit organizations. The more assets held in Community Granting Funds, the more dollars available to grant back into the county. This match is available until March 31, 2016 or until all available funds have been committed to other donations. This matching opportunity has been very popular and available funds are quickly dwindling. To make a donation to one of the organizations which has received this grant or to donate to the Community Granting Fund of your choice please send your check to the Ripley County Community Foundation, 4 South Park Ave, Suite 210, Batesville Indiana 47006, Donate online at www.rccfonline.org or call (812) 933-1098 for more information.