Ball Brothers Foundation Board Retreat Held at Camp Crosley
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.
As the foundation continues to grow its staff, engage new generations of Ball family members, and prepares to celebrate its 100th year of grantmaking, the retreat offered an opportunity for reflection on the foundation’s grantmaking, philosophies, and legacy. Foundation board members, staff, and associate directors experienced the best that camp has to offer: enjoying meals together in the camp’s iconic dining hall, sleeping in newly renovated cabins, adventuring on the high ropes course, touring the Ball Wetlands, late nights around the lakefront campfire, and engaging in deep discussions.
In addition to holding the foundation’s fall board meeting in the camp’s historic chapel, leaders from several other private foundations in Indiana joined BBF to share insights into their place-based grantmaking practices, interpretation of donor intent, succession planning processes, financial management philosophies, and more. These guests included representatives from Glick Philanthropies, K21 Health Foundation, and the Don Wood Foundation.
Janet Holcomb—First Lady of Indiana and an avid outdoorswoman—also spent a day with the foundation during the retreat and helped break ground for Camp Crosley’s new Lakeside Cabins.
Now in the second year of Ball Brothers Foundation’s ambitious “Second Century Strategic Plan,” the retreat also offered time for board members, associate directors, and staff to discuss progress toward key plan objectives including:
Furthering our commitment to place-based, relationship-centered grantmaking focused on Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana, including supporting grantees in building operational effectiveness and capacity.
Deepening engagement of next generation Ball family members to continue a strong tradition of family-led governance.
Serving as a strong advocate and cheerleader for East Central Indiana, including building capacity to convene grantees, community leaders, peer funders, government officials, and others to discuss and act on key issues.
Continuing to strengthen internal operations to stand out as a leader among private family foundations at a state and national level.
Finally, to conclude the retreat, BBF’s board, associate directors, and staff had the opportunity to hear more about Camp Crosley’s legacy and to discuss the ways that timeless Ball family values will live on through grantmaking and philanthropic leadership.
History of Camp Crosley
The Muncie YMCA started offering camping experiences in the Lake Tippecanoe area in 1915, though they always camped on borrowed land. In 1921, Camp Crosley was founded through a gift from Edmund B. and Bertha C. Ball as a memorial to their young son, Clinton Crosley Ball, who passed away in 1910 at the age of four. From the beginning, Camp Crosley was recognized as one of the top programs and facilities in the state. The Ball family ensured that the boys who attended Camp Crosley had everything they needed to grow strong in spirit, mind, and body.
Originally, Camp Crosley operated as an all-boys camp for members of the Muncie YMCA, who were brought to the camp by trolley for their week-long stays. The first Camp Director, Herbert Pettijohn, dedicated 40 years of his life to instilling high standards in the boys who attended. These standards of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility continue to be central to the Camp Crosley experience today.
Today, Camp Crosley hosts over 2,600 campers each summer from across the Midwest, including nearly 200 campers from the Muncie area. Beyond its high-demand summer programs, Camp Crosley offers authentic camp experiences throughout the year for various Muncie area groups. The Ball family continues their long tradition of commitment and philanthropy to Camp Crosley and the Muncie YMCA. A recent $250,000 grant from Ball Brothers Foundation will support upgrades to the camp’s Lakeside Cabins, ensuring year-round usability and increasing camp capacity. Throughout the years, many things have changed at Camp Crosley, but the central focus remains unchanged since 1915: Live for Others.
About Ball Brothers Foundation
Ball Brothers Foundation is one of the state’s oldest and largest family foundations. Annually, the foundation pays out more than $8 million in grants to support arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and public affairs. The Muncie-based private foundation gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in the foundation’s home city, county, and state.