ecoREHAB was founded in 2009 by a Ball State University faculty member with a vision: to breathe new life into vacant houses and provide architecture and design students meaningful, hands-on experience. What started as a university studio course has since evolved into an independent nonprofit working at the intersection of neighborhood revitalization, sustainability, and workforce development.

Nearly 40 community leaders—including early childhood professionals, K–12 school administrators and teachers, nonprofit leaders, university representatives, and funders—joined Ball Brothers Foundation last month for a day-long Outdoor Learning Field Trip exploring innovative outdoor play and learning spaces across Delaware County.

Last week, Ball Brothers Foundation marked two decades of its Fellows Program, bringing together nearly half of our alumni for a celebratory dinner.

Since 2005, the program has provided nonprofit leaders in East Central Indiana with opportunities to exchange ideas and strengthen dialogue between the foundation and grantees. 

This evening marks a special milestone: 20 years of the Fellows Program. When we started this program back in 2004, the idea was simple but powerful. We wanted to give nonprofit leaders in East Central Indiana the chance to step away from the daily whirlwind of running organizations, to sit down face-to-face with foundation staff, and to have the kind of honest, two-way dialogue that builds stronger leaders and stronger communities. 

Ball Brothers Foundation recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Fellows Program, bringing together nearly half of the program’s alumni for a special evening of reflection, connection, and recognition at the Delaware County Country Club.  

The Fellows Program, launched in 2004, was created to provide two East Central Indiana nonprofit leaders each year with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the foundation world.

In some neighborhoods across Muncie, vacant lots and aging homes tell the story of a community once built on industry—and the challenges that followed when those industries left. For families, the lack of stable and affordable housing often means living with uncertainty. Founded locally in 1986, Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity has spent nearly four decades working to change that story.

For decades, The Village has been a gathering place just off Ball State’s campus. Now, a bold revitalization effort is underway—rooted in arts, culture, and innovation. Ball Brothers Foundation was proud to invest $2.5 million toward the new performing arts center that will anchor the district and serve as a cultural and economic driver for the region.

Grounded in Place

As Ball Brothers Foundation approaches its 100th year, we find ourselves reflecting on the impact of a nearly century-long commitment to our community, including the natural landscapes, people, and cherished traditions that have sustained that impact through generations.  

For decades, The Village served as a popular destination just off Ball State’s campus—home to locally owned shops, restaurants, and a lively social scene. It was a place where students, residents, and visitors mingled over drinks, music, and weekend plans. In more recent years, though, The Village has faced its share of challenges, with fewer businesses and less foot traffic than in its heyday.

Now, a major revitalization effort is breathing new life into the district.

Last year, BBF awarded a small grant to Upland-based NearSpace Education to help launch an aerospace club for middle school students—a hands-on program designed to spark interest in STEM careers.

During a recent site visit, BBF staff learned more about NearSpace’s broader mission and future plans.

From trailheads and childcare centers to creative hubs and performing arts venues, construction crews are hard at work across Muncie this summer on a range of capital projects aimed at enhancing quality of place. Together, these projects are reshaping key spaces across Muncie—each one contributing to a more connected, creative, and livable city. 

Ball Brothers Foundation staff recently visited NearSpace Education in Upland, Indiana—a nonprofit that’s turning heads with its hands-on, high-flying approach to STEM education. From launching weather balloons into the stratosphere to equipping classrooms with aerospace kits, NearSpace is making science exciting, tangible, and local right here in rural Indiana. 

Delaware County nonprofit organizations are invited to nominate a board member for the John W. and Janice B. Fisher Governance Award before the deadline on August 15. The award, given by Ball Brothers Foundation, recognizes the important role board members play in strategic planning and financial oversight to achieve their organization’s mission. The award recipient will receive a $10,000 grant for their organization.

Four independent colleges are the winners of the 2025 Ball Venture Fund competitive grant program. Indiana Institute of Technology, Marian University’s Saint Joseph’s College, Trine University and University of Saint Francis. They will share $100,000 in seed funding for initiatives to stimulate creativity and innovation and foster competition and collaboration among the state’s 29 private, non-profit campuses.

Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a convening on June 11, gathering community leaders, law enforcement officials, and academic professionals to discuss the growing cyber threats facing East Central Indiana and the nation. In addition, Ball Brothers Foundation announced over $200,000 in grants for local efforts to develop a stronger workforce pipeline to address these threats and to support local law enforcement in building stronger cyber capabilities.

This spring, Ball Brothers Foundation awarded over $3 million in grants to support education, arts, the environment, health, and other efforts that strengthen communities across East Central Indiana.

Among the grants was a $75,000 award to The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County to grow public art efforts across the city.

Urban Light Community Development Corporation (CDC), located on Muncie’s southside, is dedicated to holistic, place-based community development. Ball Brothers Foundation first began supporting Urban Light CDC in 2018 with a small Rapid Grant to help the organization develop a strategic plan. Learn more about more about Urban Light CDC in this new Q&A.

The relationship between the Ball family and the YMCA of Muncie spans more than a century—deeply rooted in a shared belief in the power of community, character, and opportunity. 

Muncie’s first YMCA opened its doors in 1875, operating out of churches and homes before eventually renting space at Charles and Walnut Streets. For decades, community leaders hoped for a more permanent facility—but it wasn’t until 1911 that the dream began to take shape. That year, the Ball brothers pledged funds toward a new YMCA building, encouraging the community to raise an additional $50,000 to bring the project to life. 

Several weeks ago, BBF partnered with Cardinal Greenways to host a groundbreaking for the final phase of the Kitselman Trailhead, a project that is 20+ years in the making.  

What was once a 14-acre superfund site—home to the towering Indiana Steel & Wire complex—is being reimagined into a vibrant eastern gateway into Muncie.