JNF Received Matching Fund Grant Totaling $550,000
Brienne Hooker–Jasper Newton Foundation
Jasper Newton Foundation Inc. (JNF) has received a matching fund grant totaling $550,000 through the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative, Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII).
Jasper Newton Foundation has earmarked the $550,000 matching funds for identified community projects in both Jasper and Newton counties. As these individual projects get traction, JNF will release information to the public and to donors about the matching opportunity.
For the first of those $1-for-$1 matching opportunities, JNF has set aside $150,000 for increasing and sustaining the availability of affordable, high-quality child care in the two-county area. JNF supports Growing Patch Learning Center in Remington, Appletree Center in Rensselaer, and the Goodland Early Learning Center in Newton County through grants, local advocacy, and fostering partnerships that will increase the teacher pipeline for all three centers. These centers are operated by Right Steps Child Development Centers.
Donations to any of the three centers can be made via check to Jasper Newton Foundation at PO Box 295, Rensselaer, In, 47978 or at our website by www.jaspernewtonfoundation.org and clicking the big green “Give Now” button in the righthand corner of the homepage. JNF is matching donations to each center $1-for-$1 and there is an opportunity to match up to $50,000 per center. These funds will be used to continue the support of sliding pay scales making care affordable for all families along with upgrades in classroom learning tools.
High-quality learning is essential to child brain development at the critical ages of birth to three years old as children develop the skills necessary for paying attention, self-regulation, and problem solving that will serve them as students, future workers, and as well-rounded people. Having options for care in our community that meet the needs of our working families is critical to workforce retention, economic development, Kindergarten readiness, and attracting workers to our communities.
“Having safe, reliable, flexible learning and care options for families in our community is a big part of building the kind of communities we want to live in. I think we all want to live in a place where education is valued, workers can find the resources they need, families are cared for, and our schools are full of kids who are ready to learn. Funding for rural communities is difficult to come by and we are grateful for this matching opportunity to bring more resources into Jasper and Newton counties through GIFT VIII,” said Brienne Hooker, Executive Director for the Jasper Newton Foundation.
About Jasper Newton Foundation Inc.
The Jasper Newton Foundation Inc. is a local nonprofit organization that connects residents of Jasper County and Newton County, Indiana, with causes they care about through coordinated investments and strategic grantmaking. It’s a way for local people to come together and solve local challenges facing Jasper and Newton Counties every day, leaving a long-term impact and legacy in the community. For more information, visit jaspernewtonfoundation.org.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private 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.