Ball Brothers Foundation Explores Intersection of Outdoor Recreation and Education at Northern Michigan Summit
This fall, Ball Brothers Foundation took a group of eleven grantees on a special trip to Leland, Michigan where the foundation hosted a “Northern Michigan Summit.” For several days, the group explored the intersection of outdoor recreation and education, specifically the value of outdoor learning in the lives of children and young adults.
Ball Brothers Foundation Hosts Muncie Premiere of the Inspiring Story of Carl Erskine
In mid-October, Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a special documentary screening at Muncie Civic Theatre. The board, Associate Directors, and staff were joined by several hundred community members for the premiere of the new documentary, “The Best We’ve Got: The Carl Erskine Story.”
Hiring: Executive Assistant & Convenings Coordinator
Ball Brothers Foundation—a private family foundation in Muncie, Indiana—is seeking an Executive Assistant & Convenings Coordinator.
Cardinal Greenways’ Marta Moody recognized with 2022 Fisher Governance Award
Ball Brothers Foundation presented its annual Fisher Governance Award this year to Marta Moody, board president of Cardinal Greenways. Moody was recognized with the award at the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce’s 128th Annual Meeting Celebration on October 27.
2021 Annual Report
TRANSFORMATIONS
In 2021, we celebrated 95 years of grantmaking in this community. When reaching a milestone like that, it’s hard not to look back on how far we’ve come—not just as a foundation, but also as a city. And as we reflected on Muncie over the years, we couldn’t help but notice how this community has transformed.
September 2022: Staff Transition + River Tour
A few weeks ago, BBF staff teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to host a rafting trip on the White River through the heart of Muncie. We were joined by Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour as well as several other members of Next Muncie, along with friends from Red-tail Land Conservancy, the Bureau of Water Quality, and Muncie Community Schools.
Announcement: BBF Staff Transition
This fall, BBF is preparing to say goodbye to Executive Assistant & Communications Coordinator, Michelle Stephenson.
August 2022: A Local Perspective on the Childcare Crisis
While many local and state grant programs provide support to childcare providers at Levels 3 & 4 on the “Paths to QUALITY” rating scale, BBF has awarded special funding for the past two years for childcare programs at Levels 0-2.
We took a long, hard look at the early childhood education crisis locally. Here’s how you can help.
A perspective piece by Jud Fisher
300.
That’s the astonishing number of children on waitlists at just a handful of childcare centers in Muncie, Indiana.
BBF Hosts Gathering of Fellows Program Alumni
This summer, as gatherings and networking opportunities ramp back up, BBF hosted a lunch for alumni of BBF’s Fellows Program. The Fellows program started 18 years ago to provide local nonprofit leaders with a 9-month opportunity to read books and articles about nonprofit leadership and governance, to engage with BBF staff in dialogue about nonprofit work and foundation operations, and to promote foundation transparency.
How we can all help preserve the White River, and why it matters
A perspective piece by Jud Fisher
Everything starts somewhere. For the White River, it’s in a farmer’s field in Randolph County just south of Winchester. The river winds its way through farms, woodlands, industrial sites, small towns, and even big cities, eventually feeding into other rivers that take the waters to the Mississippi River.
June 2022: Round 1 Grantees Announced
Our board met last month and approved over $2.4 million in funding in our first round of general grants for 2022. Take a look at some of this round's highlights:
Ball Brothers Foundation awards more than $2.4 million in first round of 2022 grants
Ball Brothers Foundation announced funding to 33 projects in its first round of grants for 2022, totaling over $2.4 million. The grants included approximately $220,000 in funding for projects related to the foundation’s Project Blueways initiative, which supports efforts related to local soil and water quality, watershed planning, and water recreation.
May 2022: We'd like your feedback + Updates from our team
We're in the process of rethinking our e-newsletters, and we'd greatly value your input. What content interests you most? How often would you prefer to hear from us? Please take our brief, 2-minute survey to let us know these and other things so we can best tailor future newsletters. Thank you in advance!
Yorktown’s Ginger Thompson recognized with Ball Brothers Foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Award
Ginger Thompson didn’t always teach this way. When the high school Spanish teacher began her career 17 years ago, she said she was “a traditional teacher.”
“I had a textbook and that's what I used to teach my students. I used the methods that my Spanish teachers had used with me in high school and in college because that was the best methodology we had at that time,” she said.
April 2022: Updates from Ball Brothers Foundation | April Newsletter—Workforce Development Grantee Highlights, Fisher Governance Award, and More
We know that with continuous advancements in technology, work will soon look very different. Local and state leaders predict nearly every job will eventually be impacted in some way by technology, automation, advanced cloud computing, or artificial intelligence.
March 2022: Strategic Planning Kickoff, New Board Member Announcement, Documentary Trailer, and More
Ball Brothers Foundation is just a few short years away from celebrating our 100th year of grantmaking. As we approach this milestone, we are embarking on our “New Century" strategic planning process.
We’ll be collecting feedback in the months ahead from grantees, peer foundations, community leaders, board members, next generation Ball family members, and others.
Ball Brothers Foundation appoints new board member and kickstarts new strategic planning initiative
Rick Petty, a fourth-generation Ball family member, was appointed to the Ball Brothers Foundation board of directors at its February meeting and was also elected to serve as treasurer of the board.
February 2022: Preliminary Application Deadline Reminder, Funding Pipeline of Healthcare Workers, and More
As we strive to continually improve our grant application process, we launched our new online application platform, GoApply, on January 1. The new system will be more user-friendly and allow for expanded functionality for both applicants and foundation staff.
Muncie Furthers Reputation as Healthcare Education Center of Excellence
In the midst of growing concerns about healthcare worker shortages, Muncie is cementing its identity as a leader in training physicians, nurses, sonographers, and allied health professionals.