The Community Foundation of Elkhart County (CFEC) is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation established in 1989, based in Elkhart, Indiana. Operating under the brand "Inspiring Good," the foundation serves as a philanthropic intermediary that manages charitable funds and distributes grants to nonprofit organizations and individuals within the region. The organization is one of Indiana's largest community foundations and ranks among the top 50 community foundations in the United States.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$461.3M
+13.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$25.8M
-22.5% YoY
Grant Count
281
+9.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$92K
-29.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To improve the quality of life in Elkhart County by inspiring generosity.
The foundation manages both endowed and non-endowed funds established by individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and private foundations. The organization currently maintains more than 660 charitable funds.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Career pathways
- Kids and family
- Placemaking
Grant Categories: The foundation issues grants across a wide range of charitable causes, including:
- Arts and culture
- Community development
- Education and youth development
- Health and human services
- Religious institutions
- Scholarships
The foundation also serves as the local administrator for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and manages donor-advised funds through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,000 to $1,000,000, with typical awards between $5,040 and $8,506,819. The most common grant size is $10,000.
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Elkhart County, Indiana, with primary focus on local tax-exempt organizations and individuals with ties to the county. The foundation also reports grantmaking activity in Florida and Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $461,316,930 (as of June 30, 2024)
Annual Giving: $31.0 million (fiscal year ending June 30, 2024)
2024 Financial Summary:
- Total revenues: $58,848,264
- Total expenses: $32,696,199
- Investment return: 10.6 percent on portfolio
- Total grants distributed: $36.4 million
Historical Impact:
- Since inception, over $250 million has been granted into the community
- Received more than $400 million in gifts since establishment
Staffing: 29 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $461,316,930 | $405,087,193 | $392,859,381 |
| Revenue | $58,848,264 | $35,651,678 | $63,450,759 |
| Expenses | $32,696,199 | $41,291,217 | $34,034,208 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $20,230,960 | $10,002,654 | $21,643,170 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from Community Foundation
CFEC: Bontrager Family Foundation Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
US $1,500 - US $30,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFEC: Community Investment Grants (over $25,000)
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
More than US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFEC: Community Investment Grants (under $25,000)
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $24,999
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Tolson Center Inc ($2,033,232), Elkhart County Youth for Christ Dba Lifeline Ministries ($1,363,121), Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County ($697,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| TOLSON CENTER INC ELKHART, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $2,033,232 |
| ELKHART COUNTY YOUTH FOR CHRIST DBA LIFELINE MINISTRIES ELKHART, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $1,363,121 |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ELKHART COUNTY GOSHEN, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $697,500 |
| ELKHART COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ELKHART, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $697,292 |
| THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ELKHART COUNTY INC BRISTOL, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $665,330 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ELKHART COUNTY INC GOSHEN, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $607,388 |
| MAPLE CITY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC GOSHEN, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $583,747 |
| NAPLES CHILDREN & EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC NAPLES, FL | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $550,000 |
| OAKLAWN FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH INC GOSHEN, IN | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $538,783 |
| AMERICAN RECREATION COALITION WASHINGTON, DC | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION | $520,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President: Dr. Pete McCown (serving since 2011)
Chief Development Officer: Carrie Berghoff
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BECKY BONTREGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GALEN MILLER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ISAAC TORRES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAN FARRON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN LIECHTY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEN JULIAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KERRI RITCHIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| OLA YODER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RAQUEL ESPINOSA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DERALD BONTRAGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AMY BROWN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| THERESA GUNDEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BJ THOMPSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANGIE EGGERING | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ERIC IVORY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KURT JANOWSKY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN MORRISON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CIEN ASOERA | CHAIRPERSON | 1 | — |
| DAVID WEAVER | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| DEB BEAVERSON | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| TODD CLEVELAND | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| PETER L MCCOWN | PRESIDENT | 40 | $229,109 |
| COLE PATUZZI | CFO | 40 | $160,333 |
| CANDACE YODER | EMPLOYEE | 40 | $130,105 |
| BRIAN COOK | EMPLOYEE | 40 | $114,008 |
Contact Information
Address: 240 E Jackson Blvd, Suite 104, Elkhart, IN 46516-3976
Phone: 574-295-8761
Email: Info@InspiringGood.org
Website: www.inspiringgood.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Community Foundation fund?
**Mission:** To improve the quality of life in Elkhart County by inspiring generosity. The foundation manages both endowed and non-endowed funds established by individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and private foundations. The organization currently maintains more than 660 charitable funds. **Primary Focus Areas:** • Career pathways • Kids and family • Placemaking **Grant Categories:** The foundation issues grants across a wide range of charitable causes, including: • Arts and culture •…
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation?
**Grant Range:** $5,000 to $1,000,000, with typical awards between $5,040 and $8,506,819. The most common grant size is $10,000. **Recent Activity (Calendar Year 2024):** • Distributed 2,978 grants totaling $36.4 million • Granted $18 million from donor-advised funds • Awarded $2.4 million in scholarships to students from Elkhart County • Received $27.9 million in new gifts from 1,245 unique donors • Established 63 new funds **Application Process:** • Decision time: 6 weeks for grants under $25…
Where does Community Foundation make grants?
Elkhart County, Indiana, with primary focus on local tax-exempt organizations and individuals with ties to the county. The foundation also reports grantmaking activity in Florida and Michigan.
What size grants does Community Foundation award?
In 2024, Community Foundation awarded 281 grants totaling $25.8M — an average of about $92K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Community Foundation's EIN?
Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1255886. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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