Starke County Community Foundation
Announces 2010 Fall Grant Cycle

The Starke County Community Foundation (SCCF) announces the opening of its 2010 grantmaking process. “At the Community Foundation our goal is to help local organizations and projects that make a difference in Starke County,” says Corinne Becknell Lucas, Program/Scholarship Coordinator with the Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation offers grants to charitable organizations regardless of their 501(c)3 status.

Grant applications are available at the Starke County Community Foundation office at 1512 S. Heaton Street in Knox, at any public library, or any library branch in the county. See application at the end of this article.

Grants for Schools

Schools or Teachers may also apply. The maximum amount that will be granted per school is $500. Eligible school systems are: Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis School. Schools seeking these grants must use the 2010 Starke County Grant Application below.

The Maude Brown and Henry F. Schricker Endowment supports Starke County 4th - 12th grade students. Grants are awarded to projects regarding Indiana history and social studies, collaborative projects involving Indiana history events, good government days, courtroom visits, and field trips to Indiana museums.

If you have questions about applying for a grant through the community foundation, contact Corinne Becknell Lucas, at 574-223-2227 or toll-free at 1-877-432-6423. Applications are due in the NICF office on September 30, 2010.

2010 Starke County Grant Applicaton

2010 Maude Brown and Henry F. Schricker Endowment Applicaton

Starke County Community Foundation Awards Grants

December 2009

The Starke County Community Foundation (SCCF) kicked off the holiday season by presenting joy and cheer in the form of grants to community organizations during its 2009 Grants Luncheon. Over $19,000 was awarded on Thursday December 10 at the Knox Community Center.

Community Services of Starke County accepting a grant for the food pantry

Dave Altman congratulates Richard Jensen of Fletcher's Cemetery

Debbie Wappel of Love Inc.

The grants come from the Community Foundation’s Unrestricted Funds, which allow the Community Foundation to help meet the greatest needs in Starke County. The funds that make it possible for these grants to be awarded are The Freedom Fund, the Stewart Lain Memorial Fund, the Ann R. Nichols Memorial Fund, the Schuyler Family Endowment Fund, the Starke County General Unrestricted Fund, the Starke County Tribute Fund and the Arlowa S. Vorm Memorial Fund.

Since 1998 the Community Foundation has awarded over $1.7 million to local organizations and projects that make a difference in Starke County.

“There were 20 charitable agencies that applied for grants this year”, explained Jane Hamblin, Director of Development at the SCCF. “A specially-constituted grant selection committee carefully considered all the applications and allocated the funds across a broad constituency in the county.” The amount requested by the 20 organizations was more than $64,000, and the committee had $20,000 available to grant. The grant-selection committee is comprised of Starke County residents and Community Foundation board members who review all the applications. Eleven of the 20 organizations received a grant.

Community Services of Starke County has a history of helping those in need and received $ 3,000 for its food pantry. Fletcher Cemetery Association was awarded $ 2,000 for assistance in tree removal. LOVE, Inc. will use its award of $750 for the S.W.A.T. (Servants with Appropriate Tools) Program. A grant of $650 went to the Starke County Choralaires for music and instruments. Local libraries will be able to help their patrons access business and employment opportunities with ReferenceUSA software that was awarded to the Starke County Chamber of Commerce.

A number of youth oriented organizations received funding this year. Materials for finishing the Wythougan Park skate and bike facility will be purchased with a grant of $2,500 made to the Friends of the Park Association in Knox. The Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana and the LaSalle Council Boy Scouts of America each received $2,500 for programming and recruiting support. Psi Iota Xi was awarded $1,000 for the 2010 Young Artists’ Conference, which will be held at Liberty Elementary School in North Judson. The Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center will provide a summer science and health camp for Starke County students with a grant of $2,500.

Special granting opportunities were offered to all three school systems within the county, and the Knox Middle School received a $1,500 grant for a performance by the Chicago Shakespeare Company for all county eighth graders in April of 2010 at the North Judson High School auditorium.

The Maude Brown and Henry F. Schricker Endowment Fund supports school projects on Indiana history and social studies. This year Knox Middle School received $300 for a field trip to the Tippecanoe Battlefield and Prophetstown State Historic Site.

“We so appreciate all of the organizations that work to make Starke County a better place to live.” Hamblin added. “And we are especially grateful for our donors who make these grants possible.”

Maude Brown and Henry F. Schricker Endowment

The Maude Brown and Henry F. Schricker Endowment provides support to all Starke County forth-grade or above students and projects regarding Indiana history and social studies.

The proceeds in 2009 were awarded to Knox Middle School eight grade students who will visit Tippecanoe Battlefield in April of 2010.

Alan Selge the site Project Supervisor will give a “Living History:” presentation dressed as a U.S. Soldier circa 1811. The “Living History” presentation will include; historical background, musket firing demonstration and a display of historical artifacts.

The students will then be instructed and trained (drilled) in battle tactics and formations actually used during the battle. The students will then reenact the major events of the Battle of Tippecanoe.

Our thanks to the family of Henry and Maude Schricker for estblishing this great fund that helps bring Indiana History to our students.