The Starke County Community Foundation (SCCF) has received a $100,000 grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII) community foundation initiative.
This unrestricted grant can be used for any charitable purpose the Foundation chooses.
As part of this GIFT VIII grant opportunity, each community foundation that achieved 100 percent board member giving during the period from January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, was eligible to receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000 per county served. This grant is in recognition of the important role that the community foundation’s board of directors plays both in leading the foundation and serving communities across Starke County.
To mark this milestone, SCCF is investing in projects that encourage civic engagement, creativity, and the stewardship of shared community spaces. Grant funding will support The Hive Giving Circle Endowment Fund, a community mural project, and the creation of the O.S.S.I.S. Erie Trail Fund. These efforts help sustain public art, promote outdoor learning and recreation, and ensure long-term care of trail signage and amenities that enhance quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
The Starke County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) public trust. The mission of the Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in our communities by assisting donors in fulfilling their charitable wishes. We do this by building endowment funds for our communities with contributions, both large and small.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
