Brown County Community Foundation Inc
Brown County Community Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Nashville, Indiana. Formed in 1993, it manages charitable funds and makes grants to support community needs in Brown County.
Brown County Community Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Brown County Community Foundation Inc gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Indiana. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,159,782
- -44.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -15.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,345
- -34.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,584
- Total assets
- $21,983,716
- +16.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (7 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Brown County Community Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s competitive grant process requires an online application and a mandatory application interview. Its 2026 resource packet says applications may be rejected without review if required information is missing. Organizations that received a 2025 award had to submit the final accountability report by March 1, 2026, to remain eligible for the 2026 cycle. Accountability reports require a written narrative, financial report, copies of receipts or invoices, and project photographs; the foundation may also conduct a site inspection when applicable.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 application deadline was March 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.; that cycle has passed.
- Deadline
- The 2026 application deadline was March 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.; that cycle has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 191, Nashville, IN 47448
Phone: (812) 988-4882
Website: https://browncountygives.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Brown County Community Foundation Inc
Who Brown County Community Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brown County Art Gallery ($278K). Together the top 10 received $855K.
Grant Size Distribution
154 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 154 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated grant eligibility is limited to charitable purposes benefiting Brown County residents. Its 2025 filing reported that all grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Brown County Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 36 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $17K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $523K (2020) to $2.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brown County Art Gallery Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $278,297 |
| Brown County Schools Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $162,326 |
| Mother's Cupboard Community Kitchen Inc Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $90,357 |
| Career Resource Center of Brown County Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $71,820 |
| Brown County Community YMCA Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $70,910 |
| Brown County Humane Society Inc Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $41,087 |
| Brown County Habitat for Humanity Inc Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $36,800 |
| Centerstone of Indiana Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $36,079 |
| Brown County Government Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $27,500 |
| Access Brown County Nashville, IN | To Further the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $27,322 |
Ready to take the next step with Brown County Community Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,983,716 | $3,338,205 | $1,827,345 | $1,159,782 | 37 | $1,050,868 |
| 2024 | $18,956,323 | $7,405,512 | $2,700,706 | $2,089,705 | 44 | $4,406,609 |
| 2023 | $17,015,888 | $2,707,577 | $2,342,431 | $957,420 | 17 | $1,206,145 |
| 2022 | $15,650,548 | $3,112,590 | $2,125,362 | $928,400 | 26 | $804,324 |
| 2021 | $17,557,791 | $2,085,681 | $1,097,052 | $615,156 | 30 | $1,168,907 |
| 2020 | $15,054,315 | $920,231 | $1,363,304 | $522,569 | 16 | $-152,780 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to inspire charitable giving, bring people and resources together, and facilitate investment to meet the county’s greatest needs. Its current grant focus areas are childhood education, environment, health and wellness, housing, and arts and culture. Its website also describes broad areas of community need that include education, social services, health care, arts and humanities, and the environment.
The foundation supports charitable organizations serving a range of needs. For example, the Brown County Humane Society describes its mission as providing animal shelter and related services to Brown County; the Brown County Playhouse Management says it offers performing arts productions and events for tourists and residents; and Sycamore Land Trust describes its work as conserving Southern Indiana’s natural landscape and providing environmental education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $1,159,782. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $278,297, with a median of $12,584. The largest reported awards included $278,297 to Brown County Art Gallery, $162,326 to Brown County Schools, $90,357 to Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen Inc, $71,820 to Career Resource Center of Brown County, and $70,910 to Brown County Community YMCA. The filing listed the purpose of these grants as furthering each recipient’s exempt purpose.
The foundation’s 2025 filing also reports 45 scholarships totaling $64,229. These scholarships support students attending or graduating from a college, university, or trade school; they are distinct from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Elliott as chair and Sonia Sunny Leerkamp as vice chair. It lists Bill Walters, David Phelps, Debbie Kelley, Erika Albert, Kerry Ridge, Kevin McCracken, Linda Welty, and Shaely King as trustees.
Brown County Community Foundation Inc is led by Alice Susemichel, CEO on every filing since 2023; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alice Susemichel
CEO
On filings since 2023
50 hrs/week
$31K (2023) → $86K (2025)
John Elliott
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair & Chair, 2024
Vice Chair & Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Kelley
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerry Ridge
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Walters
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Phelps
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin McCracken
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erika Albert
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Welty
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shaely King
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Perry
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victor Bongard III
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonia Sunny Leerkamp
Vice Chair
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Dwight Thompson (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Phil McKown (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Terry Norman (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Laurie Teal (2023–2024) — Chair -
- Former: Beverly Teach (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jan Mills (2020–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Maddison Miller (2020–2023) — CEO
- Former: Kirstie Tiernan (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Beth Mulry (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: James Schultz (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $86K, to Alice Susemichel (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about Brown County Community Foundation Inc
How much does Brown County Community Foundation Inc give each year?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.1M across 44 grants.
What is Brown County Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $12,584, and its average grant was $31,345, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brown County Community Foundation Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does Brown County Community Foundation Inc give grants?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, IN (32 grants) and Bloomington, IN (2 grants).
Who are Brown County Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Brown County Art Gallery ($278,297), Brown County Schools ($162,326) and Mother's Cupboard Community Kitchen Inc ($90,357), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brown County Community Foundation Inc?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc reported $22.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.
What does Brown County Community Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to inspire charitable giving, bring people and resources together, and facilitate investment to meet the county’s greatest needs. Its current grant focus areas are childhood education, environment, health and wellness, housing, and arts and culture. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brown County Community Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s competitive grant process requires an online application and a mandatory application interview. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brown County Community Foundation Inc's EIN?
Brown County Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1960379. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Brown County Community Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Brown County Community Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brown-county-community-foundation-inc-morg_749b460881a84e1d96f33c09c5996775
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_351960379_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Brown County Community Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/brown-county-community-foundation-inc-morg_749b460881a84e1d96f33c09c5996775},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Brown County Community Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Brown County Community Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?