COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CELEBRATES RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT ANNUAL MEETING

Over $1 million in grants and scholarships awarded in 2022

Madison, IN–The Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County held its Annual Meeting in the Mayor Damon Welch Conference Center at the Fairfield Inn on May 9, 2023, sponsored by German American Bank. Board members, staff, volunteers, and the public celebrated the recent accomplishments of the Community Foundation, while also recognizing scholarship recipients for 2023.

Community Foundation President and CEO Bill Barnes started the event by sharing the Community Foundation’s message of GIVE, GROW, GRANT. In 2023, the Community Foundation received 684 donations totaling a record $5.3 million. Of those donations, over 70% were $100 or less, showing that the Foundation is truly community supported. For the first time in its history, the Community Foundation awarded a total of over $1 million in grants and scholarships in 2022. Throughout the evening, Board Officers, staff members, and volunteers shared information about 14 recently created endowments, the accomplishments of the various programs housed at the Community Foundation, and how competitive grants totaling nearly $300,000 are impacting Jefferson County.

Board Chair JD Webster thanked retiring Board members Todd Bruther, Betsey Vonderheide, and Stephanie Withered for their service, then welcomed new board members Phil McKay, Fernando Rubio, and Nancy Totten. Attendees heard about the Women’s Giving Circle grant recipients. The Circle was able to grant over $25,000 to nine organizations serving women and children in Jefferson County. Mitchell Adams, Jefferson County’s 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, was recognized for his achievement, as well as finalists Jordan DeAtley, Brady Jackson, Kaitlyn Rutledge, and Elijah Turner. The evening concluded with the awarding of over $195,000 in scholarships to 34 area students. The students will be recognized again at their individual school’s Honors Day programs.

Established in 1991 by a group of local volunteers, the Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County fulfills the mission of building a strong, vibrant community by helping donors provide perpetual funding for the people, projects, and passions of Jefferson County. Since the Foundation’s creation, over 260 permanent funds have been established.

For more information about the Community Foundation, visit www.cfmjc.org or contact Bill Barnes at 812-274- 0241 or bill@cfmjc.org