Fulton County Community Foundation Earns $100,000 Grant, Expands Local Giving Opportunities

The Fulton County Community Foundation (FCCF) has received a $100,000 grant as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII) community foundation initiative. This unrestricted grant can be used for any charitable purpose the Foundation chooses.

As part of this GIFT VIII grant opportunity, each community foundation that achieved 100 percent board member giving during the period from January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, was eligible to receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000 per county served. This grant is in recognition of the important role that the community foundation’s board of directors plays both in leading the foundation and serving communities across Fulton County.

To celebrate this achievement, FCCF is expanding its township-based grantmaking program. The Foundation will establish six new township funds—Aubbeenaubbee, Henry, Newcastle, Richland, Rochester, and Wayne—building on the success of the existing Liberty Township and Kewanna-Union Township funds. These funds will allow residents to support charitable projects that directly benefit their own communities, ensuring that local needs are met through local philanthropy.

“Our board is deeply committed to creating opportunities for residents to give back in meaningful ways,” said Brian Johnson, Director of Development for the Fulton County Community Foundation. “By creating township-specific funds, we’re empowering each area of Fulton County to dream big and invest in the future of their own community.”

The Fulton County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) public trust. The mission of the Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in our communities by assisting donors in fulfilling their charitable wishes. We do this by building endowment funds for our communities with contributions, both large and small.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.