December Focus: Meeting the Match
Double the Impact, Double the Good
GIFT MATCHNG OPPORTUNITIES OFFER a unique way to expand your philanthropic impact. But what exactly are they? Currently, four Foundation funds are offering a 1:1 gift match to donations. This means that organizations, sunset funds, and individual donors have offered generous gifts to our community to raise public donations to match their full gifts. For every $1 that individuals donate to one of these selected funds, the sponsoring donor will contribute $1 themselves, up to a listed amount.
For those wanting to support their community with a donation, gift-matching opportunities are an exceptional way to double your impact and the good. Read on to learn about the four year-end matching opportunities now available and the community benefits they’re already providing.
Building Projects Fund
Every organization needs a hub of creativity and productivity where community members can gather and collaborate on their good work. In 2022, the Foundation purchased a 25,000-square-foot building in downtown Muncie, where staff can carry out their daily work, board members can gather and govern, and community groups can meet. We’re excited to announce that the Foundation has exciting plans for its downtown home!
The Building Projects Fund will support building project updates today. Right now, gifts to the Building Projects Funds are being matched $1 for $1 up to $175,000 by Lilly Endowment Inc.
Environmental Impact Fund
Protecting our environment is more essential now than ever. For a decade, the Land Conservation Fund supported organizations conserving land in Delaware County. While its mission was important, the Delaware County community saw a need for a more expansive, broad-based support fund for environmental work throughout the community.
The newly established Environmental Impact Fund aims to meet our community’s commitment to sustainability in a new and exciting way. This fund will support land conservation and preservation as well as projects that positively impact soil and water conservation, trail development, wildlife or natural area preservation, development of passive recreation opportunities, safe and clean water and waterways, and air quality. As this fledgling fund grows, gifts to the Environmental Impact Fund are now being matched $1 for $1 up to $10,000 from the original Land Conservation Fund.
Muncie Children’s Museum Fund
The children of Delaware County are our future, and creating fun, educational, and exciting activities and attractions is a core part of strengthening our community. Since 1977, the Muncie Children’s Museum has allowed children to play and learn as they engage with their colorful, imaginative world. Exhibits at the museum include a STEM-focused Discovery Park, an Outdoor Learning Center, a Make-Believe Theater, a Veterinarian Office, a Nutrition Kitchen, and many more.
Through the More to Explore Capital Campaign, the Muncie Children’s Museum has already raised $4 million to enhance exhibits and spaces in the museum. The campaign also includes building its endowment to support the museum’s good work forever. Now, a generous donor ensures that the Muncie Children’s Museum Fund grows and thrives with a $1 to $1 match on all gifts up to $50,000.
YMCA of Muncie Fund
Staying mentally and physically active is an important part of life and self-growth. For over a century, the YMCA of Muncie has been providing community members with the chance to gather, learn, and move their bodies in fun and accessible ways. Today, the YMCA of Muncie serves some 4,000 households a year across its five locations, offering fitness classes, personal training, childcare, recreational sports, day camps, mental health resources, and more.
The doors of the newest YMCA of Muncie location will open in just a few months, and its impact on the community will be far-reaching. To ensure the stability and sustainability of the facility and its programs long-term, the endowed YMCA of Muncie Fund is currently accepting donations with a $1 for $1 match up to $100,000. This generous gift of matching funds is thanks to Dave and Deb Heeter.
Make a Difference
Caring, giving donors are key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.