Knight Foundation Fund for Gary, Indiana Grant

The Knight Foundation Fund for Gary, Indiana aims to revitalize downtown by attracting and retaining talent, enhancing economic opportunities, and reducing blight. By investing in local entrepreneurship and community engagement, the foundation focuses on bridging economic divides and fostering a vibrant urban core. Eligible projects must target the Gary area and align with the foundation’s mission to support informed and engaged communities. Priority will be given to initiatives that strengthen connections to key local assets.

Knight Foundation’s Strategy and Values
Knight Foundation supports democracy in America by fostering informed, engaged, and equitable communities. The foundation invests in journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of 26 cities and towns where John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. In 18 communities, the Foundation has endowments in the local community foundation and serves as the donor advisor.
Knight Foundation views local community foundations as both important partners in sourcing ideas for our strategic grantmaking, and leaders and conveners in each Knight community. We seek to be a funder of opportunities for the future of each community and seek to build upon local momentum, assets, and resources – often focused geographically in the downtown core. We are open to prototyping new ideas and investing risk capital to support local leaders and organizations.
Grant Focus- Talent attraction and retention through downtown revitalization and blight reduction
Knight supports Gary’s goals for talent attraction and retention, economic opportunity in the downtown and nearby communities, and mitigating the population loss (-14%).
Tactics leveraged:

• Building on Assets: better connecting the community to key assets like universities, corporations, or nature.
• Public Spaces: enhancing the public realm to be more connected and vibrant.
• Civic Engagement: breaking down barriers between residents and decision makers; engaging underrepresented communities in civic life and leadership roles.

Eligibility

Eligibility and CriteriaApplicants must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization OR government entity (such as schools, hospitals, libraries)In good standing with the IRSProjects that are geographically focused on Gary, Indiana

Ineligibility

Ineligible Applicants and Projects Include:IndividualsBusinesses/For-Profit CompaniesInherently religious activities such as religious worship, instruction, or proselytization or activities that promote specific religious doctrineAssociations for activities directly benefiting their membersRequests for partisan political or lobbying activitiesFundraisingDebtCapital Campaigns or endowment buildingMedical research