Grant Opportunities

Good Deeds Grants are made available through Good Deeds endowments, which are unrestricted endowments created by contributions from Wabash County citizens and Lilly Endowment, Inc. who had the foresight to provide for the ever-changing needs of our community. The Community Foundation named this collection of endowments the Good Deeds Endowments, because as unrestricted funds, these endowments have the freedom and flexibility to support a variety of “good deeds.”

The Community Foundation will award competitive grants to support charitable activities in a number of areas such as the arts, recreation, health and human services, the environment, education, and civic and economic development. Grants with a priority for for activities that meet a basic human need, create opportunities for people who ordinarily do not have them, and/or increase the capability of a nonprofit organization to serve people who have limited resources and opportunities. As an example, we consider the arts to be a basic need for any society. Generally, however, we will give priority to those arts projects that make the arts accessible to people with the least opportunity for exposure to the arts or the least opportunity to practice the arts. Awards can be used to fund programs or projects, train staff or members, or improve an organization’s facilities if by doing so they increase their ability to serve the basic needs of people in Wabash County.

Any nonprofit organization with a sustained and consistent presence in Wabash County or any organization doing charitable work that serves Wabash County citizens may apply to the Community Foundation’s Good Deeds Grant program. Applicants with the greatest chance of receiving a grant will have the financial and organizational capacity to carry out the proposed activity. Faith-based organizations may apply for program funding provided there are no requirements to participate in religious instruction and/or take part in religious activities.

Proposals are reviewed twice each year. The spring grant cycle is available from January 2 through February 15. The fall grant cycle is available from August 1 through September 15. Grants are announced one month after the deadline. Please note that organizations will not be awarded Good Deeds Grants more than once during a calendar year. For example, if an organization is awarded a Good Deeds Grant in the spring cycle, the organization should wait until the following spring to apply again.