Press Release
27 Indiana nonprofits receive $2,139,800 Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust grants
July 29, 2008
(Indianapolis) –The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust awarded $2,139,800 to 27 Indiana nonprofit organizations July 29, 2008. In keeping with its 10-year tradition, the Trust held a presentation at the location of a former grant recipient. The Earth Discovery Center in Eagle Creek Park, 7840 W. 56th Street hosted the check presentation at 3:30 p.m. Recipients began arriving at 3 p.m. for refreshments and an informal reception with Trustees, staff and representatives from organizations receiving grants.
During her lifetime, Nina Mason Pulliam dedicated her assets and business expertise to organizations helping people in need, protecting animals and nature and enriching community life in her hometown of Indianapolis, said Frank E. Russell, Trustee chairman. Since the Trust began its grantmaking in 1998, it has awarded more than $74 million to 393 Indiana nonprofit organizations.
The Trust continues Nina’s legacy and belief that we all have a responsibility to give back to our community. Nina called Indianapolis and Phoenix home, which is the reason her Trust divides its grantmaking evenly between organizations in these cities, Russell added.
Today’s grant recipients represent every area of the Trust’s interests and, of special note, six grantees are first-time recipients. The Trust is pleased to continue to build on its legacy of community grantmaking through the vital work of the Trust family of grantees, said Harriet Ivey, Trust president and CEO.
In the first 10 years of its 50-year life, the Trust has evolved into a strong resource for nonprofit groups and has focused on building relationships with organizations that are working to assist those in need, with an emphasis on encouraging self-sufficiency. The Trust serves individuals, including the elderly and disabled, women, children and their families, Trustee Carol P. Schilling said.
Helping People in Need grant recipients are: 20/20 Inner Vision, Inc., Boy Scouts of America Crossroads Council, Child Advocates, Inc., Coburn Place Safe Haven, College Mentors for Kids! Inc., Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, Inc., The Indiana Partnerships Center, Indianapolis Medical Society, Foundation, Inc., Indianapolis Urban League, Jobs Partnership of Greater Indianapolis, Inc., New Light Christian Church, Inc., Peace Learning Center, Inc., Riley Children’s Foundation, St. Augustine’s Home for the Aged, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, Second Helpings, Inc., Shepherd Community, Inc., TAB Community Services, Inc., U.S. Dream Academy, Inc., United Way of Central Indiana and Workforce, Inc.
Throughout her life, Nina supported efforts to protect animals of all kinds, and was an early conservationist for her beloved lands and habitats of Indiana, Schilling said. Protecting Animals and Nature grant recipients are: Eagle Creek Park Foundation, Inc., Ebenezer Church Foundation, Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development Council and Land Trust Alliance.
The Trust continues Nina’s legacy of supporting civic efforts to improve the quality of life in Indianapolis, including its neighborhoods, Schilling explained. Enriching Community Life grant recipients are: John H. Boner Community Center and IU Foundation on behalf of IUPUI Solution Center (Nonprofit Solution Center).
During her life, Nina brought the dream of higher education to many. She created college scholarship programs for newspaper employees’ children and newspaper carriers (during the days of carrier boys and girls who made neighborhood rounds on bicycle, delivering daily subscriptions of Pulliam newspapers to doorsteps). She also quietly funded college tuition for children whom she had met and whose families could not afford the cost of higher education, Trustee Nancy M. Russell explained. The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program continues Nina’s desire to bring the experience of a college education to those who are overlooked by traditional scholarship programs.
Nina Scholars are 25 years or older with dependents, college-age students and adults with physical disabilities, or college-age youth raised in the foster care system and are self-supporting. The eighth cohort of 19 students will begin their studies this August at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana.
Since the Nina Scholars program began in 2001, it has funded 151 scholarships for Indiana men and women and there are 44 graduates as of May 2008. Nina believed in education’s power to transform lives, and our Nina Scholars are testimony to this, Russell added.
To receive additional Nina Scholars program information, visit the Trust Scholar page or contact: Charles Johnson, nina@iupui.edu at IUPUI, 317-278-7878; or Cheri Bush, ninascholars@lists.ivytech.edu at Ivy Tech Community College, 317-921-4617.
The Trust, which also makes grants in Arizona, had approximately $390 million in assets as of May 31, 2008.
The next preliminary application deadline for nonprofit organizations applying to the Trust for funding is September 5, 2008. Preliminary applications are available at the Trust’s web site: www.ninapulliamtrust.org.