(Phoenix/Indianapolis) - The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust presented $4,023,000 in grants to 61 Indiana and Arizona charities in July at statewide check presentation ceremonies. The check presentations were held at the Indiana Historical Society on July 12, and the Joseph I. Flores Academia del Pueblo School in Phoenix, a charter school of Friendly House, on July 17. The check presentation ceremonies were held at former Trust grantee sites with more than 90 guests at each event.

"The grant recipients share a common thread of excellence in fulfilling their commitments to their respective communities and states," said Harriet M. Ivey, president and chief executive officer of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. "Grants range from $2,500 to $1 million and represent every area of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust's program interests, which are helping people in need, protecting animals and nature and enriching community life," Ivey added.

This is the Trust's second of three funding rounds for the year 2001. The Trust has a distribution budget of $17.4 million in 2001. Since the Trust began making grants in 1998, it has committed $47,885,957 to 351 nonprofit organizations in Arizona and Indiana.

Trustee Nancy Russell announced an exciting new Trust initiative-the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program to underwrite scholarships for nontraditional college students at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech State College, Central Indiana in Indianapolis and Arizona State University and Maricopa Community Colleges in Phoenix.

Each year the Trust will sponsor five students at IUPUI, eight students at ASU, 12 students at Ivy Tech State College and 15 students at Maricopa Community Colleges. The first cohorts of Nina Scholars have been selected and are registering for the 2001 fall semester. Students may be eligible for support for up to six years at IUPUI and ASU and four years at Ivy Tech and Maricopa Community Colleges.

The Trust had approximately $390 million in assets as of May 31, 2001.