Joint Op-Ed By: Jud Fisher and Trevor Friedeberg

It’s no secret that East Central Indiana faces notable challenges as it works to reinvent itself.  Like many other rust belt regions across the Midwest, we are tackling issues including population decline, workforce development gaps, and housing shortages. 

We're excited to announce our latest round of grants, totaling over $5 million to support 36 organizations across East Central Indiana. As part of this round, the foundation awarded $125,000 to United Day Care Center to help add new infant/toddler classrooms to support local families in need of affordable, quality childcare.

While on a retreat to Camp Crosley in North Webster, Indiana in early October, Ball Brothers Foundation staff, officers, and directors of the board paused to pay tribute to board member, Will Bracken, for his exceptional dedication to the foundation.

Earlier this month, Ball Brothers Foundation’s board of directors, associate directors, and staff gathered together for a retreat at Camp Crosley along the shores of Little Tippy (James Lake) in North Webster, Indiana. Established over 100 years ago, Camp Crosley has been near and dear to the Ball family for generations and is a long-time grantee of the foundation.

Boundless Opportunities

A time of transition calls for celebrating progress, reaffirming our timeless values, and embracing change.

Reflecting on the journey of 2023, we find ourselves in a season of transition—a period marked by change and boundless opportunities for growth.

Once built on glass jars, auto batteries, headlamps, and transmissions, East Central Indiana is now redefining itself for a brighter future.

In his latest op-ed, BBF's President & CEO Jud Fisher highlights exciting initiatives transforming ECI—from establishing our identity as an 'eds and meds' hub to our growing reputation as a destination for outdoor recreation in the Midwest.

Ball Brothers Foundation is excited to welcome two new Fellows for 2024: Brian Statz, President & CEO of Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, and Carly Acree King, Relationship and Resource Director at Nonprofit Support Network (NSN).

For the past nineteen years, the Fellows Program has connected two nonprofit leaders in East Central Indiana annually with the foundation to encourage an open, two-way dialogue.

For over a century, East Central Indiana’s identity was rooted in manufacturing—iconic names like Ball and General Motors defined our region. Glass jars, auto batteries, headlamps, and transmissions were the backbone of our economy. However, over the past two decades there’s been a shift away from heavy manufacturing, tasking our region to dig deep to redefine itself. As we look ahead, I’m filled with optimism about the future of Muncie, Delaware County, and all of East Central Indiana—and here’s why.

The annual Ball Brothers Foundation Fellows Program began its 19th year in April. This 9-month program provides East Central Indiana nonprofit leaders and outstanding community leaders the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the foundation world.

Construction of the new 73,000-square-foot YMCA on the Muncie Central High School campus is well underway. In our latest Q&A, Chad Zaucha (President and CEO of the YMCA of Muncie), shares more about the construction timeline and how the building will spark vitality in this part of the city. 

Erskine Green Training Institute (EGTI), located in the heart of downtown Muncie, is helping individuals with disabilities pave a new path to their independence. Finding a job as someone with a disability can be a challenge. In fact, the unemployment rate among people with intellectual disabilities is more than twice as high as the general population.

In April 2023, the YMCA of Muncie announced plans to construct a new 73,000-square-foot facility on the Muncie Central High School campus to consolidate its previous locations and ensure better reinvestment in equipment and programs to meet community needs. After a successful capital campaign supported by many organizations, including Ball Brothers Foundation, construction is underway and exciting developments are taking shape.

Delaware County nonprofit organizations are invited to nominate a board member for the John W. and Janice B. Fisher Governance Award before the deadline on August 15. The award, given by Ball Brothers Foundation, recognizes the important role board members play in strategic planning and financial oversight to achieve their organization’s mission. The award recipient will receive a $10,000 grant for their organization.

There's no question that technology has become deeply integrated into our everyday lives. As we've seen with the recent CrowdStrike outage and major data breaches, the security of our information and systems has never been more critical.

In his latest op-ed, Jud Fisher delves into the growing cybercrime threats facing Indiana communities and highlights the proactive steps East Central Indiana is making to address these tough issues.

On July 24, nearly 100 leaders from higher education, the military, law enforcement, and the private sector convened in Muncie to explore the cybersecurity workforce talent pipeline. Hosted by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education with support from Ball Brothers Foundation, the convening drew participants from around the state interested in cybersecurity and cybercrime.

The threats we face in the digital world are evolving at a frightening pace. From phishing schemes and ransomware attacks to identity theft and deepfake impersonations, the list of cyber threats keeps expanding. As technology advances—and the internet becomes ever more integrated into our daily lives—the security of our information and systems has never been more critical.

Growing up on the streets of Muncie and struggling with alcohol abuse, Melvin Kelly, founder of Brothers to Brothers United (B2B), navigated many challenges. Now, he hopes his life story and vision for B2B can inspire change in the lives of young males in our community.

$4M+ in New Grants Announced

Capital Projects in Downtown and Beyond Share in Funding 

This spring, BBF's board approved over $4 million in grants, including support for capital projects underway by numerous organizations, several of which have long ties to the Ball family.

$100,000 in grants were awarded to five independent colleges in Indiana supporting innovative, start-up projects

Five Indiana independent colleges are the winners of the 2024 Ball Venture Fund competitive grant program: Franklin College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Saint Mary’s College, Trine University and University of Evansville.

We are pleased to announce that Chris Horner, a fire-science teacher at the Muncie Area Career Center, is the recipient of Ball Brothers Foundation's 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Established in 2022, the Nonprofit Support Network (NSN) is a capacity-building organization dedicated to supporting nonprofits in Muncie-Delaware County. The organization provides workshops, peer networking opportunities, an on-line portal of resources, tailored support for nonprofits, and more.

Ball Brothers Foundation is pleased to announce that Dan Wolfert will join the Foundation’s team as a new Program Officer. His role with the foundation begins June 3.

This month, we've been on the road here in our hometown (and beyond) to see what's "springing up." 

Thinking of launching a fundraising campaign? Ready to approach funders? Each year, BBF staff meet with organizations with bold dreams for the future. Whether your organization is planning to construct a new facility, build on to an existing facility, undertake renovations, or significantly expand programming, significant fundraising campaigns require careful planning and preparation.