A new threshold was reached at the end of 2013 for the Tipp City Area Community Foundations. Closing the books on the 70th anniversary year required tallying up grantmaking reports. What a wonderful discovery to learn that by combining the 2013 awards of $71,000 with the past 69 years’, the total of all grantmaking has exceeded $1,750,000. This historical achievement was reached at a time when overall momentum for the Foundations in terms of growth, aid to the community and awareness has never been greater.
The announcement of the achievement was made during the 2014 First Quarter meeting of the distribution committee.
During that meeting the variety and creativity of grant requests continued to impress the committee. After reviewing many requests for funding, final selections were made. Bethel High School’s band, Tipp City Seniors and Miami County Recovery Council are among the awards. In the end, seven organizations were chosen to receive eight awards totaling $11,418.
Bethel Local Schools, $1,600, supports the marching Bees with a grant toward the purchase of new band uniforms.
Miami County Recovery Council, $995, acquires updated evidence-based resources from Hazeldon, the foremost authority of treatment and recovery. Since 1977, MCRC has served addiction and mental health clients.
Tipp City Area Arts Council, $1,000, supports the 2014 Canal Music Festival featuring Hotel California, an Eagles cover band. The concert series is one more way that the Council fulfills its mission: To be dedicated to the promotion, development and support of the visual, musical, physical and literary arts in Tipp City and surrounding areas.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $2,000, promotes Stagecrafters Summer Theatre Drama Camp, giving children a two-week experience working both on stage and behind the scenes of a play.
Tipp City Seniors, Inc., $1,332, meets the expanding computer and software needs of this organization as it undertakes a significant expansion. Tipp City Seniors regularly serves 180 local citizens with health screenings, educational lectures, weekly luncheons, dance lessons, arts and crafts, quilting, gaming and travel excursions. This grant was awarded from the August Henke Fund, established in 1950 to provide for the “comfort and support for needy and aged men”. A native of Germany, August Henke was considered the oldest living resident in Tippecanoe when he died in 1923 at the age of 92.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $2,539, anticipate an increased demand in for this school-aged, summer lunch program called Lunch on Us.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $800, sponsors the School Supplies Program, which provides backpacks and associated school supplies for students in need.
Tippecanoe Historical Society, $1,152, spruces up the exterior of this downtown property. This grant was awarded through the Team Scenna Fund for Building Restoration, established in 2009 to maintain the City’s architectural charm.
Since 1943, the Tipp City Area Community Foundations has awarded $1,750,319 in grants as of December 31, 2013. Members of the Distribution Committee are Jim Ranft, chair, Heather Bailey, Dave Grim, Claire Cain Timmer and Jackie Wahl. Other trustees include Jesse Chamberlain, Joan Creech, Anita Bowman-Hamber, Mike Lightle, Jim McKee and Marilyn Richards.
The Tipp City Area Community Foundations is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Foundation, or how your organization can apply for a grant, please contact Jim Ranft at (937) 667-1270.
For more information about the Foundations, its volunteers and the funds that make these grant awards possible, visit the web site at www.tippfoundation.org.
