Whitley County Community
The Community Foundation of Whitley County is a public charity and community foundation serving Whitley County, Indiana. Established in 1991 by local community leaders, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the region. The foundation manages endowed assets and directs grants to local nonprofit organizations providing a range of services throughout Whitley County.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$42.1M
+10.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
-8.6% YoY
Grant Count
47
-6.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
-2.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: It is the mission of the Community Foundation of Whitley County to inspire philanthropy, enrich community, and serve donors by creating an enduring source of charitable assets.
The foundation operates with three primary purposes:
- Give: Serving donors by understanding their vision and helping them invest funds in impactful ways
- Receive: Helping grant and scholarship seekers obtain funds to achieve their goals
- Advise: Assisting professional advisors in guiding clients on charitable giving and tax benefits
The foundation responds to evolving community needs through its Greater Good Fund, which directs grants to charitable projects addressing health needs, education, and other community priorities. The foundation also administers the H.A.N.D.S. (Helping Achieve new Direction through Students) program, a youth philanthropy initiative involving 15 students (grades 8-12) from three county school systems who meet monthly to discuss community needs and allocate funding to education-focused projects.
Grantmaking
The foundation awards grants twice annually, with application deadlines of April 1 and November 1. A volunteer Grants Committee reviews applications and makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors.
Review Cycle
of April 1 and November 1. A volunteer Grants Committee reviews applications and makes funding recommendations to the Board of Directors.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Whitley County, Indiana, with headquarters in Columbia City.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $38.2 million
- Total Liabilities: $787,000
- Revenue: $3.19 million
- Expenses: $4.01 million
Historical Asset Base:
- Over $25 million in endowed assets (current)
- Over $20 million in endowed assets (as of earlier reporting period)
Annual Giving:
- Total annual giving: $1,392,909
- Annual revenue: $19.3 million (reported in business data)
The foundation operates a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
Staffing: 6-11 employees (varying reports across sources)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $42,077,042 | $38,187,145 | $35,049,716 |
| Revenue | $7,806,623 | $3,192,739 | $4,410,402 |
| Expenses | $4,170,481 | $4,007,084 | $3,871,383 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,270,505 | $613,197 | $846,554 |
| 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
234 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Whitley County Community
Community Foundation Grants (General Grantmaking)
WHITLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
Varies by grant; recent awards range from $1,300 to $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Eli B. Michel neverlostneverlate Wilderness Scholarship
WHITLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Mihsihkinaahkwa Pow Wow Fund
WHITLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors (2024):
- Don Armstrong
- Michelle Burch
- Matt Dahms
- Dr. Gary Dillon
- Kathy Heuer
- Todd Jones
- Joe Kessie
- Rob Marr
- Marcia McNagny
- Sam St. Clair
- Gloria Smith
- Paula Worden
- Jacie Worrick
Staff:
- September McConnell, Chief Executive Officer
- Vanessa Bills, Chief Operating Officer
- Brooks Walker, Program Officer
- Carol Flowers, Communications Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM ST CLAIR | PRESIDENT | 0.5 | — |
| KATHY HEUER | VICE PRESIDE | 0.5 | — |
| JOE KESSIE | SECRETARY | 0.5 | — |
| DONALD ARMSTRONG | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MICHELLE BURCH | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MATT DAHMS | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DR GARY DILLON | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| ROB MARR | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MARCIA MCNAGNY | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| GLORIA SMITH | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| PAULA WORDEN | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| JACQUELINE WORRICK | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| SEPTEMBER MCCONNELL | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $115,128 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Community Foundation of Whitley County and AWS Foundation launched a partnership to fund nonprofit organizations serving individuals with disabilities, establishing the Accessible Communities Fund
Community Foundation Announces 2026 Lilly Endowment Community ScholarshipThe foundation announced the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program
Community Foundation Announces 2026 Lilly Endowment Community ScholarshipThe foundation launched a new scholarship portal available at cfwhitley.org
Community Foundation Announces 2026 Lilly Endowment Community ScholarshipThe foundation announced 2025 Winter Grants
Community Foundation of Whitley County Announces 2025 Winter Grants | IndianaSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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