Cass County Community Foundation

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CCCF Receives Lilly Endowment matching grant of $440,595

Last Updated on March 31, 2019 by cassnetwork

The Cass County Community Foundation has received a grant of $440,595 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.

The Cass County Community Foundation 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 Community Foundation s unrestricted endowments, which over time will provide flexibility to help the foundation to meet community needs. The Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to CCCF’s unrestricted endowments during the matching period, October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020.

CCCF may choose to designate up to one-third of the matching fund grant to support the foundation’s own operating needs or specific community or charitable projects. The Endowment will provide 50 cents for every $1 that CCCF raises during the matching period for these purposes. Currently the foundation has announced that all gifts to endowments other than unrestricted will be matched by Lilly’s 50 cents for every $1 gifted.

The Cass County Community Foundation, (CCCF), celebrated 25 years in October 2018. Starting with zero dollars in October 1993 as one of five counties comprising the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, (NICF), the CCCF has grown to over $24.2 million in assets by January 31, 2019. The foundation continues to focus attention on initiatives to promote inclusiveness, broad engagement, and building relationships throughout the county.

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 Cass County Community Foundation’s 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, CCCF 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 Cass County.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment exists to support causes of community development, education and religion. Lilly Endowment’s community development grantmaking is designed to support efforts that enhance the quality of life in Indianapolis and Indiana.

For more information about the Community Foundation or this matching opportunity, contact Deanna Crispen at 574-722-2200.

SOURCE: News release from Cass County Community Foundation

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