Ball Brothers Foundation awards grants
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The Muncie-based Ball Brothers Foundation has announced funding for 33 projects. The more than $2.4 million in funding includes projects dealing with soil and water quality, watershed planning and water recreation.
Foundation Chief Executive Officer Jud Fisher says the community has spent decades improving the White River’s water quality and building trails and parks along the river.
“The removal of dams over the past several years has not only improved safety but now allows people to canoe, kayak and tube from the eastside of Muncie through downtown and points west. This grant from BBF for new canoe and kayak launches marks an exciting turning point as we seek to help Muncie and Delaware County further build a reputation as a destination for water recreation and river access,” said Fisher.
The largest of the Project Blueways grants is a $90,000 grant to Muncie Sanitary District for constructing up to four canoe/kayak launches along the White River from Prairie Creek Resevoir through downtown Muncie.
Project Blueways grants include:
- Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District: $30,000 to assist in the development of a watershed management plan for the Upper White River Watershed.
- The Nature Conservancy in Indiana: $50,000 to produce a video that highlights the impact of agriculture on the White River’s water quality and the importance of native species to the river, to host two on-river raft excursions that will showcase the river’s unique species and characteristics to area leaders and landowners, and to host an Upper White River community water monitoring day.
- Red-tail Land Conservancy: $25,000 to develop and begin implementing a master site plan for restoration, public use and historical preservation of Hidden Canal Nature Preserve, the organization’s newest land acquisition, located along the White River in Madison County.
Arts, Culture, & Humanities
- Ball State University: $75,000 for the production of Thriving ECI, a series of short-form video and audio stories that establish a sense of identity for East Central Indiana and promote revitalization efforts in the area, with a focus on projects that demonstrate regional partnerships.
- Cornerstone Center for the Arts: $100,000 for general operating support and strategic and building planning efforts.
- Muncie Arts and Culture Council: $100,000 for the local match of Phase 1 of the Muncie Arts and Culture Trail designed to span from the Village to downtown Muncie.
- Muncie Civic Theatre: $30,000 for operating support.
- Music for All: $30,000 to support the Music for All Summer Symposium, which is returning this year to Ball State University after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
- YMCA of Muncie: $250,000 for renovations and upgrades to the hilltop cabins at Camp Crosley.
Education
- Ball State University: three-year funding totaling $150,000 to maintain the College of Architecture and Planning’s footprint at Madjax, which allows for student and faculty collaboration with community initiatives, people and ideas; the expansion of design and “maker” educational programs for both adults and youth; and an enhanced “maker” culture in Muncie.
- Motivate Our Minds: $40,000 for out-of-school programming.
- Precious Hearts Development Center: $25,000 for upgrades to kitchen and laundry facilities.
- Shafer Leadership Academy: two-year funding totaling $70,000 for operating support.
- United Day Care Center of Delaware County, Inc: $25,000 for building repairs, the purchase of computers to be used with a newly adopted curriculum, and a new phone system.
Environment
- Red-tail Land Conservancy: three-year funding totaling $200,000 for operating support.
Health
- James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association: $100,000 for the purchase of an ExoView R200 Automated Imager from Nanoview Biosciences, which will accelerate the discovery of novel disease-related biomarkers and disease signatures in children with diabetes.
- Muncie Sports Commission, Inc: $75,000 of general operating support and funding for the upcoming ICE League season.
Human Services
- Heart of Indiana United Way: $100,000 matching grant to incentivize giving to the annual United Way campaign and to improve communication and engagement with donors and volunteers.
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources: $60,000 for the purchase of a Marine Sonic Sea Scan Arc Explorer Mark II Side Scan Sonar and nine thermal imaging monocular units to allow the team to continue carrying out underwater detection of missing persons, vehicles, sunken vessels and evidentiary items.
- Indiana Youth Institute: $45,000 for Organizational Capacity Grants that provide consulting services to youth-serving organizations in East Central Indiana.
- Muncie Delaware County Senior Citizen Center: $16,000 for kitchen renovations.
- Muncie Mission Ministries: $50,000 for Project Greathouse, a campaign to expand the organization’s growing recovery village that promotes both successful recovery and neighborhood revitalization.
- Youth Opportunity Center: $30,000 to fund the first year of a new Child and Family Psychological Fellowship position.
- YWCA Central Indiana: $40,000 of operating support for the organization’s emergency shelter and C.O.T.S (complimentary, overnight, temporary shelter) program.
Public Society Benefit
- Ball State University Police Department: $25,000 to support the purchase of a dedicated forensic computer, video enhancement software and storage for cybercrime investigations.
- Community Enhancement Projects, Inc: $30,000 for the creation of a “Rainbow Garden” light installation at Canan Commons.
- Community Enhancements Projects, Inc: $15,000 for the completion of the Muncie Memory Spiral project at Heekin Park.
- Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office: $50,000 to support a new “High Tech Crime Unit” that will serve a 10-county regional area and will engage college student interns.
- Delaware County Sheriff’s Office: $25,000 for hardware and software to create a mobile forensics lab for cybercrime investigations.
- Muncie Downtown Development Partnership: $60,000 of operating support for staffing, expanded marketing for business and residential recruitment, and event development.
- Muncie Police Department: $25,000 to upgrade software and allow for cloud analysis for cybercrime investigations.
- Sustainable Muncie/MadJax: two-year funding totaling $375,000 for the expansion of the Future of Work initiative, development of Maker Labs, increased marketing and media coverage, and additional operating support.
Preliminary applications for the next round of foundation grants are due July 15. Click here for more information.
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