In 2023, Ball Brothers Foundation awarded 174 grants to organizations in Muncie, Delaware County, and Indiana. These grants totaled $8.8 million, the second-highest payout in the foundation's history.

Throughout the year, we were busy with site visits, convening grantees, and more. Take a look back at just a few of the highlights in our "Year in Review."

Ball Brothers Foundation—one of Indiana’s oldest and largest family foundations—is growing its staff with the addition of a Program Officer. The Program Officer will play a key role in advancing the foundation’s “place-based grantmaking” strategy, managing relationships with grantees and potential applicants across Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana.

Like many Midwestern communities, Muncie and East Central Indiana have been greatly impacted by changing economic forces over the past several decades. From glass manufacturing to the automotive industry, our city and region have long been home to generations of creative, hard-working innovators. We are a city and a region of “makers.” And while changes in the global economy have undoubtedly impacted this area, significant efforts are underway to plan for the region’s bright future.

This fall, BBF staff hosted Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Bortner and Deputy Director Chris Smith for a day long tour of key projects in Muncie and East Central Indiana that have received foundation and DNR support.

This summer, Exponent Philanthropy, the nation's leading network in philanthropy, announced the addition of three new individuals to its board of directors, including Ball Brothers Foundation’s Jenna Wachtmann. 

Last week, Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a lunch for alumni of the foundation’s Fellows Program. The Fellows program began in 2005 with the intention of providing 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. Two local nonprofit leaders are selected each year to participate in the program.

In late May, Indiana’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, joined Ball Brothers Foundation staff on a day-long visit to schools across Delaware County. While visiting Burris Laboratory School, Dr. Jenner met students in Mr. Rob Jones’ emerging media class. They shared their love for creating “hype videos,” and Dr. Jenner challenged the students to produce a back to school video that could be shared with students and educators from across the state.