Ripley County Community Foundation Receives Lilly Matching Grant

The $500,000 grant will help the foundation build its financial assets and support charitable activities.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. has received a grant of $500,000 as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s seventh phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative.

With GIFT VII, the Endowment is making up to $125 million available to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the towns, cities, and counties they serve.

Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. (RCCF) can use this matching fund grant to build our financial assets and support our charitable activities. At least two-thirds of the matching fund grant must be designated to support the growth of the Ripley County Community Foundation’s unrestricted endowments, which over time will provide flexibility to help the foundation meet community needs. The Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to RCCF’s unrestricted endowments during the matching period, October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020. 

Amy Streator, Executive Director of RCCF, stated, “we are thankful for the opportunity Lilly Endowment, Inc.’s GIFT VII initiative offers our organization and the entire community. An influx of $500,000, and the matching donations, into our unrestricted assets will significantly impact the Board of Directors’ ability to support our communities and the charitable organizations working to create and expand the opportunities available to all who live, work and visit Ripley County.  The impact of this grant will be felt across generations and will increase with each passing year.”  Streator further noted, “it is our hope that GIFT VII will increase the foundation’s ability to support large scaled projects throughout Ripley County.”

RCCF was established in 1997 with $19,000 by local residents with a passion to provide future generations with a means to keep Ripley County vibrant and relevant.  Over the last 21 years RCCF has granted over $14 million back into the county while generating an endowment of $12 million. 

The GIFT initiative is part of Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking to strengthen Indiana communities and has been a priority of the Endowment since the first phase of GIFT in 1990.  The initiative’s primary aim is to help Indiana community foundations develop the philanthropic capacity to identify, prioritize, and address local opportunities and challenges.   

To encourage the engagement of the RCCF board of directors, the Endowment also will award an additional $100,000 unrestricted grant if the foundation achieves 100 percent financial support from our board members during the period January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.    

Starting in 2019, RCCF will have the opportunity to apply for more funds through GIFT VII’s community leadership grants.  This component includes both planning and implementation grants, which are available to help the foundation deepen its understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing its community; convene key local stakeholders and explore how it can effectively play a leadership role in implementing initiatives and strategies that enhance the quality of life in Ripley County.