Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Portage, Indiana. Formed in 1979, it supports environmental and educational goals and economic development in Northwest Indiana through grants and outreach and educational efforts focused on business development, job creation, and capital investment.
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc gave $7.6M across 36 grants in 2024 (avg $210K), mostly in Indiana. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,564,566
- +7.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 36
- +3500.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $210,127
- -97.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $74,892
- Total assets
- $1,442,425
- +562.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Indiana (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 6100 Southport Rd, Portage, IN 46368
Phone: (219) 763-6303
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Urschel Development Corp ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $6.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 38 (29%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its program area as the seven counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Jasper, Newton, and Pulaski in Indiana. In 2024, 92% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana, 7% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Illinois; the reported share for Michigan was 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $206K (2022) to $7.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 36 grants totaling $7.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Urschel Development Corp Chesterton, IN | Grand Gardner Hotel | $1,500,000 |
| Healthlinc Inc Valparaiso, IN | Healthlinc Medical Resident Program | $940,000 |
| Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission Valparaiso, IN | The Linc & Lincoln Highway Garage | $614,995 |
| Saxon Partners LLC Hingham, MA | Saxon Indiana Tract 1 (Kenmara) (Munster) | $558,551 |
| Crossroads Young Mens Christian Associations Crown Point, IN | Tolleston Opportunity Hub | $437,793 |
| Gary Chicago International Airport Authority Gary, IN | Gary/Chicago Int'l Airport - East Corporate Hangar Campus | $435,417 |
| Wecreate Media LLC Valparaiso, IN | Evergreen Marketing Content Plan | $387,517 |
| United Way of Northwest Indiana Valparaiso, IN | Level up NWI | $352,814 |
| Center of Workforce Innovations Portage, IN | Work Based Learning Expansion (Internships) | $242,953 |
| Northwest Indiana Forum Inc Portage, IN | Capacity Building for Economic Development & Plan Implementation | $213,830 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,442,425 | $7,608,519 | $7,625,634 | $7,564,566 | 36 | $703 |
| 2023 | $217,816 | $7,066,731 | $7,060,799 | $7,018,840 | 1 | $267 |
| 2022 | $54,033 | $284,416 | $436,323 | $206,166 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | $621,761 | $119,718 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | $502,043 | $153,250 | $1,860 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to meet environmental and educational concerns, promote economic development and growth in Northwest Indiana, and secure grants to accomplish environmental and educational goals. Its program description emphasizes outreach and education encouraging business development, job creation, and capital investment.
Its 2024 grants included support for redevelopment, health, workforce development, early learning, marketing, and regional economic-development efforts. Among the grantees, United Way of Northwest Indiana says its mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of Northwest Indiana to advance the common good. Shirley Heinze Land Trust says it works to preserve and restore natural lands and waters in northwestern Indiana and engage people in nature and conservation. The NWI Food Council says it cultivates a just, thriving, regenerative food system for the region. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $7,564,566. Grant amounts ranged from $8,687 to $1,500,000, with a median of $74,892. The largest listed awards included $1,500,000 to Urschel Development Corp. for the Grand Gardner Hotel; $940,000 to HealthLinc Inc. for its medical resident program; $614,995 to the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission for the Linc and Lincoln Highway Garage; and $558,551 to Saxon Partners LLC for Saxon Indiana Tract 1 (Kenmara) in Munster.
Other listed awards included $437,793 to Crossroads Young Mens Christian Associations for the Tolleston Opportunity Hub; $435,417 to Gary Chicago International Airport Authority for its East Corporate Hangar Campus; $387,517 to WeCreate Media LLC for an Evergreen marketing content plan; and $352,814 to United Way of Northwest Indiana for Level Up NWI. The foundation also awarded $242,953 to Center of Workforce Innovations for work-based learning expansion and $187,345 to the same organization for employer upskilling. The filing lists three grants to Northwest Indiana Forum Inc., totaling $292,517.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brian Hittinger as chair, Helen Pennington as vice-chair, Erica Dombey as secretary/treasurer, and Tony Oss as immediate past chair. Directors listed are Dewey Pearman, Jim Jorgensen, Lisa Daugherty, Greg Gordon, Natalie Skaro, and Nathan Origer.
The Northwest Indiana Forum’s website identifies Heather Ennis as its president and CEO.
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc is led by Heather Ennis, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 12 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Heather Ennis
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$122K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Brian Hittinger
Chair
Audit Committee Chair → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dewey Pearman
Director
Membership Committee Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Gordon
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Skaro
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jill Ritchie
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Jorgensen
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Daughtery
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nathan Origer
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helen Pennington
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tony Oss
Immediate Past Chair
Chair → Past Chair, 2023
Past Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Dombey
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (49)
- Former: Bill Baker (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: James Jorgensen (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Daugherty (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Beth Jacobson (2023) — Director
- Former: Chancellor Ken Iwama (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Chancellor Thomas Keon (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Clarence Hulse (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dan Botich (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dave Bareham (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dean Mazzoni (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Edwin Buswell (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Gilbert Gil Rynberk (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Joe Coar (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Larry Fabina (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lori Tubbs (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lorri Feldt (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Saltanovitz (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Vessely (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Michael Wortham (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Pete Novak (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Rex Richards (2020–2022) — Economic Committee Chair
- Former: Ty Warner (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Anthony S. Kazakevicius (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Justin Mount (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Gower (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Phil Greiner (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Rick Calinski (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Ashley Dickinson (2022) — Director
- Former: David Uran (2022) — Director
- Former: Erica Dombey Past Chair (2022) — Past President
- Former: John Freyek (2022) — Director
- Former: Sherri Ziller (2022) — Director
- Former: Tom Dakich (2022) — Director
- Former: William Gustafson (2022) — Director
- Former: Anthony Contrucci (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Katherine Jenkins (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michele Murday (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Mike Micka (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Richard Leverett (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Speros Batistatos (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Stephen Eastridge (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Cathy Svetanoff (2021) — Director
- Former: Bill Hanna (2020) — Director
- Former: Don Babcock (2020) — Ignite Committee Chair
- Former: Greg Dougherty (2020) — Director
- Former: Linda Woloshansky (2020) — Workforce Committe Chair
- Former: Michael Helsdingen (2020) — Director
- Former: Sean Dardeau (2020) — Director
- Former: Stewart McMillan (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $156K, to Heather Ennis (President).
Frequently asked questions about Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc
How much does Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc give each year?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc gave $7.6M across 36 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $7.0M across 1 grant.
What is Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $74,892, and its average grant was $210,127, across 36 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc give grants?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Valparaiso, IN (10 grants), Portage, IN (8 grants), Gary, IN (3 grants) and Crown Point, IN (2 grants).
Does Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Urschel Development Corp ($1,500,000), Healthlinc Inc ($940,000) and Center of Workforce Innovations ($675,613 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.6M.
What does Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to meet environmental and educational concerns, promote economic development and growth in Northwest Indiana, and secure grants to accomplish environmental and educational goals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's EIN?
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1532360. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/northwest-indiana-forum-foundation-inc-morg_6b8eab206ae34f0ea24f815383099c43
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_351532360_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/northwest-indiana-forum-foundation-inc-morg_6b8eab206ae34f0ea24f815383099c43},
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 Northwest Indiana Forum 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.
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