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Helping People in Need | Protecting Animals and Nature | Enriching Community Life
Helping People in Need | Protecting Animals and Nature | Enriching Community Life
Helping People in Need | Protecting Animals and Nature | Enriching Community Life
Helping People in Need | Protecting Animals and Nature | Enriching Community Life

THE LATEST

2022 IN REVIEW

As our nonprofit partners continued to recover from a global pandemic, new obstacles arose. Our grantees, however, found inventive ways

How love for wrestling helped make professor a ‘game changer’ for struggling student

Shared connection brought James Blasingame, Krista Cox together.

How this mom went from a homeless shelter to her college graduation

When she walked into the Indianapolis shelter on a cold January night with her two little boys, Porshea Johnson could be forgiven

BP to pay record-setting $40M to settle air, water pollution charges at Indiana refinery

An Indiana manufacturing facility has set a new record, but not in a good way. The subsidiary of BP is paying

Protecting Nature

Protecting Nature

Trust outlines $19.5 million, five-year environmental roadmap

The Trust is implementing a five-year environmental roadmap that dedicates $19.5 million to investments in protecting nature in Arizona and Indiana. The roadmap supports the Verde and White rivers to protect river flows, address water quality, preserve wildlife habitat, foster development of sound water policy and innovate economic and conservation collaborations. With the additional funding, the Trust continues to underwrite environmental reporting at The Arizona Republic and The Indianapolis Star, and annual state and international environmental reporting awards, to keep people informed about pressing environmental concerns of our time.

Learn more about the Trust’s environmental initiatives  

Innovative projects with The Nature Conservancy and Friends of the Verde River saved approximately 2.1 billion gallons of water in the Verde River.
Indiana farmers planted a record amount of cover crops in 2021, keeping over 1.6 million tons of sediment out of Indiana waterways.

Helping People in Need

Helping People in Need
Helping People in Need

A better future through higher education

Achieving a college degree can be challenging, even under ideal circumstances, but consider if you were a former foster youth, an adult with dependents or an individual with physical disabilities trying to complete a degree. The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program embraces students with often serious barriers to higher education – and those students are thriving. Nina Scholars graduate at rates equal to or greater than their peers. Eighty-five percent of Scholars who graduated in the past five years are employed in a field related to their degree. The Nina Scholars program offers personalized supports and services, intensive coaching, financial assistance and extended graduation timelines. Nina Scholars are inspiring examples of overcoming to achieve. If you know someone who may qualify to be a Nina Scholar, encourage them to apply.

Learn more about the Nina Scholars program  

Over 380 Nina Scholars have earned college degrees since the program began in 2001.
85% of Nina Scholars who graduated in the past five years work in a field related to their course of study.

Protecting Animals

Protecting Animals

Celebrating 10 years of tremendous gains for companion animals

In 2012, nearly 37,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in shelters in Maricopa County, Arizona; in Marion County, Indiana, it was over 6,600. After 10 years of dedicated collaboration and investment, our communities’ companion animals today face a far better fate. In 2012, the Trust and partners in the animal welfare community in both states helped establish collaborative initiatives to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats through increasing spay/neuter surgeries, adoptions and public education about responsible pet ownership. Since then, euthanasia rates in Maricopa County dropped over 88%, and Marion County fell over 84%. We give special thanks to our animal welfare partners and their unswerving commitment to our communities’ pets. Over the past 10 years, the Trust invested nearly $20 million in animal welfare in Arizona and Indiana, and we continue to champion this cause.

Learn more about the Trust’s animal welfare initiatives  

A single pair of cats and its kittens can produce up to 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.
From 2012 – 2021, the Trust invested $19.6 million in animal welfare in Arizona and Indiana.

Grants

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Grantee Spotlight

Banner Olive Branch Senior Center

Banner Olive Branch Senior Center is a hub for social connection, nutrition, education and health care for seniors in Sun City, Ariz. During the pandemic, Olive Branch adapted to safely serve its housebound clientele with increased home meal deliveries, volunteers to connect with seniors and assess needs, and Olive Branch Without Walls, providing online yoga classes, nutritional advice, virtual tours and trivia games to combat isolation.

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Grantee Spotlight

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis inspires girls to be strong, smart and bold by delivering engaging, empowering programs online and in-person at schools, youth organizations and community centers. The program curriculum focuses on issues that all girls face – conflict management, college and career planning, and body image. The Trust supports Girls Inc.’s desire to help girls be healthy, educated and independent.

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Grantee Spotlight

Friends of Indianapolis Animal Care Services Foundation

Friends of Indianapolis Animal Care Services Foundation is helping raise funds for a long-awaited, new Indianapolis Animal Care Services facility. The new shelter will provide the city with greater capacity to care for Indy’s stray dogs and cats and assist pet owners with low-cost pet care. FIACSF provides funding to promote adoptions, support shelter volunteers and fosters, assist with medical costs and make animal stays at city shelters more comfortable.

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