BBF Grants Promote Innovation in Healthcare Training and in Local Schools
MUNCIE—Ball Brothers Foundation (BBF) awarded more than $3.2 million in grants to over 30 organizations in its first grantmaking round of the year. The grants were approved during the foundation’s board meeting in May.
The largest grant awarded by the foundation—a $1 million grant to Ivy Tech Community College—will support the transformation of Ivy Tech’s facilities in Muncie. BBF’s grant is specifically targeted toward renovations to the fourth floor of the Fisher building in downtown Muncie which will be home to the new “Ball Brothers Foundation School of Nursing.” Nursing students will benefit from state-of-the-art simulation and training labs which will also allow the very popular and competitive nursing program to grow enrollment. BBF’s grant provides part of a local match needed by Ivy Tech to secure $38 million in funding from the State of Indiana.
“Over the past several years, BBF has been working with local organizations to re-imagine medical training. Our region has some of the biggest and best training programs in the state for future doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. While medicine itself has made tremendous advances in the past decades, medical training has not always kept pace. In our community, however, organizations are piloting groundbreaking models that have tremendous potential to transform healthcare education and service delivery. We are proud to support their work,” shared Jud Fisher, President and COO of Ball Brothers Foundation. “When Ivy Tech approached us with the opportunity to support a state-of-the-art facility for training future nurses in downtown Muncie, it was clear to us that this would be a win-win for the entire community.”
Three other grants were also awarded to support innovations in healthcare training, including:
Ball State University: Operation of the New ‘Healthy Lifestyle Center’ which provides a range of complimentary services from dieticians, counseling psychologists, speech pathologists, and other healthcare professionals, $100,000
IU School of Medicine-Muncie: Enhancements to physician training including expansion of team-building programming, development of a new standardized ‘mock’ patient program for future doctors in Muncie which will help them to refine clinical and communication skills, and creation of an advisory board, $50,000
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation: Creation of a “Dedicated Nursing Education Unit” which will partner nursing students from Ivy Tech with mentor nurses at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital for one-on-one training, $50,000
Additional grants totaling $450,000 were awarded to public schools across Delaware County to support improvements and innovations at the district and school levels. “Since 2014, BBF has awarded $2 million to two public schools in our city’s core—Muncie Community Schools and Burris Laboratory School. Funding has been targeted toward needs that tight district budgets cannot always adequately support—new course development, technology, and professional development for teachers, just to name a few,” shared Fisher. “This year, we extended our reach, awarding grants to each of the public schools in the county that applied for funding. We are pleased that BBF grants will be able to provide students and teachers across Delaware County with new opportunities and that dollars can support district-level enhancements as well.”
Awarded grants included:
Burris Laboratory School: Curriculum innovations, marketing/branding, technology enhancements, school safety improvements, $150,000
Cowan Community Schools: Playground upgrade, technology enhancements, school safety improvements, $50,000
Daleville Community Schools: School library transformation including technology upgrades, media studio, STEM maker space, $50,000
Delaware Community School Corporation: Instructional devices for teachers across district, $50,000
Liberty Perry Schools: STEM curriculum and devices, expansion of 1:1 iPad program, district marketing/branding, $50,000
Wes-Del Community Schools: Establishment of 6th Grade Academy to help students transition into Middle/High School building, technology coach, $50,000
Yorktown Community Schools: Professional development in reading/writing for elementary teachers in collaboration with Columbia University, new district website, $50,000
Other education-related grants awarded by BBF will impact children, youth, and families in Muncie:
Ball State University: Continuation of the MP3 Program at Longfellow Elementary, $225,500
Ball State University: Distressed School Support-Muncie Community Schools, $50,000
Boys & Girls Club of Muncie: AIM Collaboration, $80,000
Boys & Girls Club of Muncie: Operations and Impact Support, $125,000
Huffer Memorial Children’s Center: Facility Improvements, $25,000
Motivate Our Minds: Strategic Planning Implementation and Operations, $40,000
Project Leadership: 2018 ICE League Season, $40,000
Shafer Leadership Academy: Mission Impact and Organizational Sustainability, $35,000
United Day Care Center: Playground Shade Structures, $15,250
Three grants will enhance local arts and culture organizations’ venues and programs:
Ball State University Foundation: Emens Auditorium Outdoor Terrace, $125,000
Muncie Arts and Culture Council: Capacity Building, $10,000
Music for All: 2018 Summer Symposium, $30,000
Grants to two environmentally focused organizations will help to preserve and protect land and waterways in East Central Indiana while helping both organizations build organizational capacity:
Grant County Soil & Water Conservation District: Upper Mississinewa/ECI Headwater Partnership, $25,000
Red-tail Land Conservancy: Organizational Strength and Sustainability, $50,000
Other grants will support efforts to improve the quality of life in the city and county:
Ball State University: Central City Visioning, $25,000
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Foundation: Central City Visioning, $25,000
Mid-Indiana Trails: Expansion of Prairie Creek Mountain Bike Trails, $40,000
Muncie Sports Commission: Parking Lot Driveway Repaving, $60,130
Ross Community Center: Multi-Sportsplex Design, $141,460
Organizations that address human service needs within Delaware County and surrounding counties also received Ball Brothers Foundation support:
American Red Cross: Emergency Response Vehicle, $75,000
Hillcroft Services: Capital Campaign, $50,000
Indiana Youth Institute: Organizational Effectiveness Grants, $60,000
James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association: Luke Bracken Wiese Fund for Juvenile Diabetes, $100,000
Lifestream Services: Veterans Services, $20,000
United Way of Delaware County: 2018 Campaign Matching Grant, $75,000
YWCA of Muncie, YWCA Emergency Shelter and COTS Stay Program, $20,000
The deadline for organizations interested in applying for general grant funding during BBF’s second and final grantmaking round of the year is July 15. Detailed information about all BBF funding opportunities is available on the Foundation’s website at www.ballfdn.org.
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Ball Brothers Foundation is one of the state’s oldest and largest family foundations. In 2017, Ball Brothers Foundation awarded a record $7.3 million in grants supporting 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 BBF’s home city, county and state.