Donors to the Starke County Community Foundation can double their support to the community funds. Lilly Endowment, Inc. has agreed to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000 for the next 18 months. Starke County Community Foundation Development Director Sarah Origer said no gift is too small.
“Our community funds are the funds that allow us to make our community grants every fall. These are the grants that go to support organizations like the Starke County Youth club and our library systems and the SCILL Center.”
Origer added these are incredibly important funds to build.
“Community funds allow the $10,000 grant to the SCILL Center’s welding program that they began in 2012. We’ve been able to grant to Community Services of Starke County, to the historical society, and the list goes on and on and on. It was grants from our community funds that allowed us to start the Starke County Preschool Scholarship Program,” she said.
Origer added the Lilly Endowment match will allow the Starke County Community Foundation to continue supporting organizations like those and others for many years.
“In 25 years, almost a million dollars will be granted to these organizations from that initial gift that we raise this year. In 50 years that number’s even more astounding. We’ll be able to grant $2.7 million back to the community, just from these funds that we’re able to raise over the next few years. The impact really is amazing.”
Visit www.ncif.org or contact Origer at 574-772-3665 for more information about how to contribute to the Starke County Community Foundation.
