Press Release
$1.9 million awarded to 21 Indiana nonprofit organizations
March 11, 2010
2nd Year of Emergency, Crisis Funding Announced
Pulliam Trust Supports Youth and Education Programs
(Indianapolis) — The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust announced $1,872,500 in grants to 21 Indiana nonprofit organizations Thursday, March 11. Grant recipients arrived at the Children’s Bureau Gene Glick Family Support Center, 1575 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street at 3 p.m. for an hour-long reception with the Trust’s Trustees, staff and representatives from grantee organizations.
For the second year, the Trust has extended its Emergency Funding Initiative with a $300,000 grant to Central Indiana’s Community Economic Relief Fund (CERF). The Pulliam Trust is again joining forces and dollars with leading Central Indiana philanthropic organizations to help local residents survive these difficult times, said Michael R. Twyman, Ph.D., Indiana grants programs director for the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
These dollars are used by community centers, faith-based organizations and homeless-prevention providers that are the first responders in helping people deal with the difficult economy, Twyman added. The Trust was one of the original four CERF funding partners with its initial grant in December of 2008. Fifty agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan counties have received CERF funds. United Way of Central Indiana administers the fund.
CERF has helped more than 6,000 households since its inception, according to Christie Gillespie, United Way’s director of agency relations.
The Trust also provided an additional $437,500 in grants directly to organizations providing for basic human needs, healthcare, employment and food programs.
This first round of Trust grants for 2010 focused almost 50 percent of funding on education programs for kindergarten through 12th grade students, as well as after-school, literacy, mentoring, and children’s advocacy and protection programs. Agencies received $861,000 in grants. Grants totaling $274,000 went to environmental programs and services for abandoned animals.
With shrinking federal and state budgets impacting education and children, nonprofit organizations have to look elsewhere for funding, said Harriet M. Ivey, Trust president and CEO. Also, the grant to Child Advocates supports expanded CASA services in conjunction with state and local government funds to protect abused and neglected children in Marion County. The Trust is proud to be their community partner.
These are challenging times. Our grantees are doing an exceptional job of bringing relief to those in the greatest need, stated Trust Chairman Frank E. Russell. 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 $86 million to 413 Indiana nonprofit organizations, Russell added.
The Trust also announced that applications are due April 1 for the 10th cohort of the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars, a needs-based scholarship program at IUPUI and Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana Campus that has brought the dream of a college education to nontraditional students since 2001. Information about how to apply is on the Trust’s web site at www.nmpct.org/nina_scholars.php.
The Trust also makes grants in Arizona and at the end of December 31, 2009, had assets of approximately $327 million.