Franklin County Community Foundation Inc logo

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Brookville, IN EIN: 35-2034336 Website

Franklin County Community Foundation is a public charity based in Brookville, Indiana. Established in 1998, it manages more than 165 endowed funds and supports community grants and scholarships, with the stated aim of improving Franklin County.

Key facts about Franklin County Community Foundation Inc

In short: Franklin County Community Foundation Inc gave $801K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $33K), mostly in Indiana. 63% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
35-2034336
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$800,792
Grants made (2025)
24
Average grant
$33,366
Median grant
$11,150
New grantees (estimate)
63% first-time grantees (15 of 24, 2025)
Total assets
$20,294,372
Primary geography
Indiana (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
For unrestricted-endowment grants, complete the application process; applications become available in December for the following year’s cycle. Full details ↓
Deadline
The listed deadline for the unrestricted community grants program is December 31, 2026.
Next open deadline
December 31, 2026 (FCCF Grant Application (Unrestricted Community Grants))

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$20.3M

+7.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$801K

-13.2% YoY

Grant Count

24

+60.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$33K

-45.7% YoY

Is Franklin County Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

63%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 15 of 24 grantees (63%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $65K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $53K repeat.

  • 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s stated mission is “to nurture and facilitate a spirit of giving and giving back for the betterment of Franklin County.” Its website describes community grants and student scholarships as core activities. In its 2023 filing, the foundation reported distributing 55 scholarships and 66 grants to schools, governmental units, and tax-exempt organizations.

Its 2025 grants show support for community projects and organizations, including health, recreation, arts, research, transportation planning, and emergency services. The grantee Whitewater Canal Trail describes its mission as developing, maintaining, and constructing trails to promote health and well-being and the beauty of natural habitat. Metamora Volunteer Fire Department says it assists victims of fires and vehicle accidents and responds to natural disasters and other needs. Margaret Mary Health Foundation says it advances community health and wellness through philanthropy and support of Margaret Mary Health.

Grantmaking

The foundation’s 2025 filing reports 24 grants totaling $800,792. Grant amounts ranged from $5,003 to $240,000, with a median of $11,150. Among the largest awards were $240,000 to Margaret Mary Health Foundation Inc. for a matching grant; $124,770 to the Town of Brookville for pool passes and a sportsplex; $80,600 to Main Street Brookville Inc. for general support and general pass-through; and $56,380 to Whitewater Canal Trail for general support and an endowment fund grant.

Review Cycle

The listed deadline for the unrestricted community grants program is December 31, 2026.

How to Apply

. The page lists projects such as school athletics equipment, fire department gear, accessibility ramps, and community wayfinding.

Open Grants

2 open opportunities from Franklin County Community Foundation Inc

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s grant program identifies Franklin County, Indiana, as its geographic scope and says projects must benefit the county. In its 2025 filing, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana and 4% to recipients in Ohio.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.

States

Cities

BrookvilleBatesvilleMetamoraHarrisonCedar GroveIndianapolisMadisonOldenburgOldendburgOxfordWest College CornerWest HarrisonMuncie

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M7 grants2019 10 grants2020 11 grants2021 12 grants2022 9 grants2023 15 grants2024 24 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $64K (2019) to $922K (2024). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $801K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Margaret Mary Health Foundation Inc: $240KMargaret Mary HealthFoundation Inc$240KTown of Brookville: $125KTown of Brookville$125KMain Street Brookville Inc: $81KMain Street Brookville Inc$81KWhitewater Canal Trail: $56KWhitewater Canal Trail$56KFranklin County Arts Council: $53KFranklin County Arts Council$53KAvian Education and Research Institute: $50KAvian Education and ResearchInstitute$50KMiami University: $28KMiami University$28KFranklin County Commissioners: $20KFranklin County Commissioners$20KDrewersburg Volunteer Fire Department: $19KDrewersburg Volunteer FireDepartment$19KFraternal Order of Eagles #1129: $15KFraternal Order of Eagles#1129$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Margaret Mary Health Foundation Inc ($240K). Together the top 10 received $687K.

Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,800), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

71 grants across all recorded years

56<$50K8$50–100K4$100–250K2$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 71 (79%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Margaret Mary Health Foundation Inc Batesville, INMatching Grant$240,000
Town of Brookville Brookville, INPool Pass, Sportsplex$124,770
Main Street Brookville Inc Brookville, INGeneral Support; General Pass Through$80,600
Whitewater Canal Trail Brookville, INGeneral Support and Endowment Fund Grant$56,380
Franklin County Arts Council Brookville, INGeneral Support for the Art Council$53,320
Avian Education and Research Institute West College Corner, INResearch Project$49,570
Miami University Oxford, OHAvian Research Project$28,230
Franklin County Commissioners Brookville, INBike Ped Planning Grant$20,000
Drewersburg Volunteer Fire Department West Harrison, INEquipment$18,999
Fraternal Order of Eagles #1129 Brookville, INBowling Ball Retrieval System$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants reported
2025 $20,294,372 $1,400,978 $1,528,148 $800,792 (24 grants)
2024 $18,893,169 $7,157,801 $1,679,559 0 grants reported
2023 $10,933,884 $833,669 $790,071 $209,350 (9 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M$8M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$20,294,372$18,893,169$10,933,884
Revenue$1,400,978$7,157,801$833,669
Expenses$1,528,148$1,679,559$790,071
Net Investment Income$552,016$293,631$275,797

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 4, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 11, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 15, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 21, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 5, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 3, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Molly Brier as president, Rhonda Kerr as vice president, John Seale as treasurer, and Deborah Gross as secretary. Directors listed on that filing are Mike Bentz, Carrie Rupp, Jenny Meier, Tammey Robben, Greg Mehlbauer, and Beverly Metz.

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc is led by Michelle Lunsford, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Michelle Lunsford

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $47K (2019) → $60K (2025)

  • Molly Brier

    President

    Board Member → Vice President, 2022

    Vice President → President, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Seale

    Treasurer

    Board Member → Treasurer, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rhonda Kerr

    Vice President

    Board Member → Vice President, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Barb Reed

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carrie Rupp

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mike Bentz

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jenny Meier

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tammey Robben

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beverly Metz

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Deborah Gross

    Secretary

    Board Member → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Greg Mehlbauer

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beth Kaiser

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Alex Dudley

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shelly Fohl

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (13)
  • Former: Andy Shultz (2019–2024) — Past President
  • Former: Carrie Gillman (2019–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Jeff Franks (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Chad Mears (2019–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Laura Frondorf (2019–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Jake Linkel (2019–2022) — Treasurer
  • Former: Linda Rosenberger (2019–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Rhonda Hofer (2019–2022) — Secretary
  • Former: Jannet Baker (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Mike Fain (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Mark Oglesby (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Patti Wilhelm (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Andrea White (2019) — Board Member

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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

Michelle Lunsford — Executive Director: $60KMichelle LunsfordExecutive Director$60K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $60K, to Michelle Lunsford (Executive Director).

Contact

Mailing address: 527 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012
Phone: (765) 647-6810
Website: https://fccfin.org

Frequently asked questions about Franklin County Community Foundation Inc

How much does Franklin County Community Foundation Inc give each year?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc gave $801K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $922K across 15 grants.

What is Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $11,150, and its average grant was $33,366, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Franklin County Community Foundation Inc that year got $14K on average.

Where does Franklin County Community Foundation Inc give grants?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Brookville, IN (13 grants), Batesville, IN (3 grants) and Metamora, IN (2 grants).

Does Franklin County Community Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 17% of Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Designated Grant" (3 grants).

Who are Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Margaret Mary Health Foundation Inc ($240,000), Town of Brookville ($124,770) and Main Street Brookville Inc ($80,600), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,800), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Franklin County Community Foundation Inc?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc reported $20.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.

What does Franklin County Community Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation’s stated mission is “to nurture and facilitate a spirit of giving and giving back for the betterment of Franklin County.” Its website describes community grants and student scholarships as core activities. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Franklin County Community Foundation Inc?

For unrestricted-endowment grants, complete the application process; applications become available in December for the following year’s cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's EIN?

Franklin County Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2034336. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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