Press Release
$1.5 million new grants awarded to 18 Indiana nonprofit organizations
November 12, 2009
(Indianapolis) — The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust announced $1,515,000 in grants to 18 Indiana nonprofit organizations (Grantee list)Thursday, November 12. Grant recipients arrived at the United Way of Central Indiana, 3901 N. Meridian Street at 3 p.m. for an hour-long reception with the Trust’s Trustees, staff and representatives from grantee organizations.
Educational programs for kindergarten through 12th grade focusing on literacy, fitness and nutrition, science, engineering, mathematics and even aerospace, along with overall facility improvements and programs designed to increase college enrollments received $985,000 in grants or 65 percent of Trust funding this round.
With shrinking federal and state budgets and education losing funding, the Trust remains focused on education. This third and final round of grants for 2009 preserves, as well as introduces, well-proven educational programs that encourage self confidence, expanded skill sets, college preparedness and ultimately sufficiency through education, said Michael R. Twyman, Ph.D., Indiana grants programs director for the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
In addition, the Trust’s support of families in need, and particularly families who are dealing with family members incarceration and programs designed to keep ex-offenders from re-offending, four organizations with specialized outreach to these families received grants totaling $215,000.
The Trust continues to provide support to organizations that mainstream ex-offenders and support them in becoming active and contributing members of our community. Indianapolis has proven programs that break the cycle of recidivism, as well as stop the cycle from ever beginning with children of offenders, Twyman added.
Grants totaling $265,000 support programs addressing the needs of children with serious illness, domestic violence services, youth community service projects development, family and fathers programs. A $50,000 grant for low-cost spay/neuter of dogs and cats rounded out the Trust’s third and final round of grants for 2009.
The new grants we are distributing today represent all areas of the Trust’s funding interests, but they especially build upon shoring up educational programs for our city’s youth, as well as focusing on families facing special challenges during these difficult economic times, Harriet Ivey, Trust president and CEO reported.
These are challenging times. And, our grantees are doing an exceptional job of bringing relief to those in the greatest need, furthering Nina Pulliam’s legacy in her hometown through their daily work and ongoing commitments to their life-changing missions, stated Trust Chairman Frank Russell.
Russell added that Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars, the Trust’s signature scholarship program at IUPUI and Ivy Tech Community College, continues to bring the dream of a college education to student populations traditional scholarship programs overlook. The Trust’s ninth cohort of Scholars began classes in August. There are currently 79 new and continuing Nina Scholars enrolled at the two participating Indianapolis colleges. The Trust furthers the causes Nina Pulliam supported during her life, continuing her legacy of helping people in need, protecting animals and nature, and enriching community life in Indianapolis. Since the Trust began its grantmaking in 1998, it has awarded more than $84 million to 412 Indiana nonprofit organizations, said Trustee Chairman Frank E. Russell.
The Trust also makes grants in Arizona and at the end of September 30, 2009, had assets of approximately $320 million. Visit www.ninapulliamtrust.org for more information about the Trust and its programs.