BBF grants promote innovation in healthcare training and in local schools

(Muncie, Indiana) 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 6^th 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.