Porter County Community Foundation Awards Over $200,000 to Local Community Organizations

The Porter County Community Foundation (PCCF) awarded $203,453 in grants to 25 local nonprofit organizations as part of its fall Community Fund grant cycle.

The following organizations and programs are receiving funding:

• 4th Street Theater – $10,000 to upgrade projection capacity
• American Legion Post 94 – $10,000 to support building repairs and essential upgrades
• Art Barn School of Art – $5,000 to support an engaging arts program for adults 65 and over
• Center of Workforce Innovations – $2,500 to strengthen outreach and increase access to resources for educators and families
• Chesterton Art Center – $10,000 to purchase essential components for ceramics studio and support educational program expansion
• Dressed for School – $10,000 to purchase new clothing for elementary and middle school children
• Duneland Family YMCA – $5,000 to support technology upgrades and a community lecture hall
• Food Bank of Northwest Indiana – $10,000 to support comprehensive, multi-year strategic planning
• HealthLinc – $10,000 to support the establishment of a clinic at Opportunity Enterprises
• Hilltop Neighborhood House – $10,000 to support 24/7 meal access through the Hilltop Hunger Hub
• The HUB Creative Fund – $7,500 to support a community kiln and expand accessible arts programming
• Independent Cat Society – $10,000 to support the final phase of shelter renovation
• Junior Achievement of Chicago – $5,000 to support economic education programming for Porter County students
• Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana – $10,000 to support the delivery of nutritious meals to seniors and vulnerable neighbors in Porter County
• NWI Food Council – $10,000 to support healthy food access for older adults through a fresh, locally-grown produce box program
• Parents as Teachers of Porter County – $10,000 to expand a kindergarten readiness intervention program
• Playact Theatre – $2,270 to support preservation and storage of production assets and resources
• Portage Township YMCA – $10,000 to support implementation of Mental Fitness Curriculum in K-6 childcare programs
• Porter County Health Department – $10,000 to support HEARTSafe Porter County and improve the survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest
• Porter-Starke Services – $10,000 to support a safe and stable living environment for women in recovery from substance misuse
• Regional Performing Arts Company – $5,000 to support the creation of an arts annex to expand programming and opportunities for students to rehearse, build, and grow
• Three20 Recovery – $8,683 to support an initiative that brings creative recovery programs to life through music, culinary arts, and 3D design
• Union Volunteer Fire Department – $10,000 to increase firefighter safety through the purchase of self-contained breathing apparatuses for a new firetruck
• Valparaiso Family YMCA – $7,500 to replace the pool lift chair, ensuring safe and inclusive access to aquatic programs
• VNA Hospice NWI – $5,000 to build outreach and fundraising capacity

These grants are possible because of the support of philanthropic community members who have given to the Porter County Community Fund or made unrestricted gifts to the Foundation since 1996. Through December 31, every dollar donated to the Community Fund up to a $1.5 million goal will be matched with $2 by Lilly Endowment Inc.

The next Community Fund grant cycle will open in January with an application deadline of February 15, 2026. More information is available online at PCCF.gives.