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Happy April from the Wayne County Foundation!
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 Spring is here, and so is our next professional development opportunity: a deeper dive into grant writing! We are also excited to announce the winners of our Foundation Awards and share our updated nonprofit resource pages on our website.
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Last month, we recognized the winners of the Charles A. Rodefeld and Ruth J. Wickemeyer awards, the Foundation’s honors for achievement in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. Becky Jewison received the Rodefeld Award for her many years of board service, leadership, and financial support across numerous organizations, including Every Child Can Read, Reid Health, and the Richmond Civic Theatre. Lee Ann Adams received the Wickemeyer Award for her work in the School of Education at Indiana University East, Richmond Friends School, Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana, and the Wayne County Literacy Coalition, among many others. Both will be honored at our Summer Celebration on July 14. Learn more about Becky and Lee Ann here.
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Upcoming Grant Writing Workshop: May 28
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We are excited to provide another training opportunity on May 28 by hosting Beyond the Narrative: Advanced Strategies for Navigating the Modern Grant Landscape. Morgan Carpenter of Carpenter Nonprofit Consulting will return to present on more advanced topics related to grant writing, such as strategic grant decision-making and organizational readiness, budgeting in grant proposals, and using AI tools in grant work. She taught our last grant writing workshop in October and returns to lead this session from 9 AM – 5 PM at the Gennett Mansion, 1829 E. Main St., Richmond. The cost of the course is $75, which includes a workbook and lunch. The deadline to register is May 11.
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Professional Development Opportunities
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Several other training opportunities are coming up!
- Peer Learning Conversations for Nonprofits
The Central Indiana Community Foundation is offering several free, virtual learning opportunities, with the next one taking place May 6 from 3–4 PM. Topics will include Communicating Your Impact, Finance and Sustainability, Individual and Major Gift Fundraising, and Board and Community Engagement. You can find more information and register for May’s event here.
- Nonprofit Training Series
First Merchants Bank is offering a free virtual training series for nonprofit organizations throughout the year. The second session on Building Corporate Partnerships takes place May 12 from 9-10:30 AM. You can find more information and register here.
- Board and Governance Training Opportunities
Indiana Youth Institute is offering a series of new board engagement support opportunities, designed to help youth-serving organizations strengthen governance, improve board effectiveness, and foster healthier organizational culture. The next sessions will be May 12 and 14, and you can find more information and register here.
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We’ve updated our website and have added several new resources for nonprofits. Our Nonprofit Resource Hub has information on upcoming Foundation events and activities, details on our grant program, and highlights previous newsletters. We’ve also added a Nonprofit Pulse page that has nonprofit employment opportunities, our Fundraising Event Calendar, a listing of funding opportunities and organizations, and helpful nonprofit content. Be sure to check them out!
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Below are some additional funding opportunities that are currently accepting applications.
- Indiana Historical Society Heritage Support Grants
Funding is available for projects that will help Indiana’s local history organizations in areas of collections, stewardship, capacity building, sustainability, and planning. Proposals for their Project Grants ($5,000-$50,000) are due April 30. You can find the application and more information on their website.
- Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grants
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is offering funding for Indiana educators interested in taking students on field trips to an Indiana state park or reservoir. Awards are available for up to $500, and applications are being accepted through April 30. More information and the application can be found here.
- 3Rivers Credit Union Foundation
Their second of four cycles is open through May 13 and supports financial literacy, education, and health and wellness. Applications can be submitted for up to $7,500. More information and the application can be found here.
- Historic Preservation Grants
The State of Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology is offering two different funding opportunities that are available through June 5. Grants are available for Architectural & Historical projects and Acquisition and Development. These are open to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, local government units, and schools or school districts. More information and the application can be found here.
- Indiana Landmarks Sacred Places Grant
Funding is available through two different programs to assist congregations and houses of worship. Applications for the New Dollars/New Partners program are currently being accepted, while proposals for the Sacred Places Indiana Fund are open through June 15. Find more information on these opportunities here.
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Indiana Nonprofit Benefits Trust
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Nonprofits often find it difficult to provide health insurance and other benefits for their staff. The Indiana Philanthropy Alliance has created the Indiana Nonprofit Benefits Trust to help support qualifying organizations to provide access to health benefits designed specifically for their workforce needs. Organizations must be based in Indiana, be a member of IPA, have a minimum of two subscribers and 50% participation of eligible employees, and sign a three-year participation agreement. It offers coverage designed for the needs of nonprofits. You can find more information and start the process here.
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Two community partners are looking for feedback. We encourage you to take a few minutes to give your valuable input by completing their surveys.
- Indiana State Museum and Historic Survey
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is participating in a national survey from the American Alliance of Museums to collect data from museum goers. The survey is open until April 20 and can be found here.
- The Hive Makerspace
The Hive Richmond is a new community-driven makerspace in Downtown Richmond, designed for those who love to create. Revitalize Richmond is gathering input from community members to help shape programming, tools, and opportunities inside The Hive. Share your ideas here.
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Wayne Bank will be holding their next Shred Day April 25 from 8AM–11AM at their location on 500 South A St., Richmond. You can find more information on the items that are accepted here.
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- Food Insecurity Webinar
Next week, we will host our second webinar as part of our partnership with More Than Food Consulting, addressing food insecurity in Wayne County. They will present on “Culture and Pantry Environment” on Tuesday, April 21, from 2-3 PM. This session will focus on creating a welcoming, trauma-informed, strength-based environment that respects the dignity of each neighbor. This could be done in a variety of ways, including increasing hours or days to reduce wait time, training volunteers on customer service and trauma-informed care, and creating a comfortable waiting area for neighbors to enjoy. The webinar is open and available to the public and can be accessed here.
- 2026 Quality of Place Conference: “History Matters”
Richmond Columbian Properties is hosting a conference exploring how historic places shape community identity. It takes place on Thursday, April 30, from 10:30 AM – 3 PM and includes lunch. It features three speakers: Quaker historian Tom Hamm, Todd Zeiger of Indiana Landmarks, and Adam Sanregret of Cincinnati Historic Homes. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
- Artificial Intelligence Summit
Indiana University East is offering a day-long opportunity to gain experience in Artificial Intelligence. It takes place May 1 and starts off with GEN AI Jumpstart: Speed Dating with Learning Technologies from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. It will be held in Springwood Hall 211 and provide a fast-paced introduction to AI through an interactive “speed-dating” format. Registration is limited to the first 50 participants and can be completed here.
The day continues from 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM in Vivian Auditorium with a focused discussion on how AI can strengthen our economy and community. Registration is limited to the first 250 participants and can be done here.
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HELP the Animals shelter received funding from our 2025 Grant Cycle I for facility and electrical system upgrades and improvements. This will allow them to serve additional animals and increase their capacity.
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Here are some articles from philanthropic sources across the nation.
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The Foundation has a calendar of local nonprofit fundraising events. Check out our calendar to see other events or add yours! It is an effortless way to make sure your event does not conflict with another nonprofit's fundraising event. To add yours, submit this form.
- Community Book Fair in the Depot
Friday, April 24, 12-6 PM
Saturday, April 25, 10 AM - 4 PM
- New York New York-RSO
Saturday, April 25, 5:30-10 PM
- Taste of the Caribbean-Amigos Latino Center
Friday, May 8, 6 PM
- Girls Inc. 5K
Saturday, May 16, 9 AM
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Your Board is an asset that can help advance your mission and provide guidance and leadership. Utilize their skills, expertise, and relationships to further and enhance your work.
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When wanting information, it’s so simple to pull out a phone or laptop and quickly ask for AI assistance without thinking about the search process and the energy it uses. Data centers, the facilities that house servers and data storage, require significant power for operations and cooling. They are projected to use 12% of all […]]]>
Four people cleared 90 pounds of trash an hour during an April 4 cleanup effort at Bicentennial Park. Brandon Panensky, a Richmond parks employee who led the effort, honored the three volunteer helpers during the April 9 parks board meeting. Howard Price, Gary DeLucio and Anthony Alana worked four hours to collect 360 pounds of […]]]>
The Tigers won both games in their April 11 doubleheader with the visiting Greensburg Pirates, but there was no similarity in the paths they took to the wins. Game one was a slugfest with the teams combining to collect 22 hits and score 24 runs. Game two was a pitchers’ duel with the two teams […]]]>
While school handbooks are refreshed annually to remove outdated wording, a few rules are added after some painful lessons. Principals for Centerville-Abington Community Schools’ four buildings presented their suggested revisions during the board’s April 8 meeting. For instance, Centerville-Abington Elementary would require gym shoes during recess basketball. Injuries, including a broken ankle, have occurred among […]]]>
The Northeastern baseball team hosted Muncie Central in a nonconference game on Thursday, April 9. The game was never in doubt. The Knights took a 5-0 lead in the first inning and expanded it to 10-0 before the game was halted after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. Gavin Johnson and Max McClain […]]]>
