October 2026: New Grants Announced, Century Celebration Highlights, and Downtown Roots
Ten years ago, Muncie Community Schools faced an uncertain future. Today, enrollment has stabilized and academic gains are underway thanks to the district’s teachers, families, and partners.
As part of Ball Brothers Foundation’s $5.1 million in fall grants, a $600,000 award will help MCS build on this momentum. Support will help expand the district's popular Spanish Dual Language program into high school, add new equipment for carpentry, HVAC, and fire/rescue students at the Muncie Area Career Center, and more.
Jud Fisher guest on “Delaware County Today;” discusses education and workforce training grants
Steve Lindell recently interviewed BBF President & CEO Jud Fisher on WMUN’s Delaware County Today. This month’s feature included the announcement of $5.1M in grants, including funding for ecoREHAB’s construction trades training, aerospace and engineering experiences for students with NearSpace Education, and more. Jud also shared more about how the foundation is marking 100 years of grantmaking and leadership.
$5.1 Million Awarded, Including Grants for Public Education and Sports
This fall, Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded $5.1 million in grants. Included among the recipients is Muncie Community Schools which was awarded $600,000 to help continue the district’s transformation.
“Ten years ago, Muncie Community Schools was in a challenging situation. Today, the district is in a very different place thanks to the tireless dedication of countless teachers, community partners, students, parents, and Ball State University personnel. Enrollment has stabilized, facilities have been improved, and academic gains are well underway.
Jim Fisher and Jud Fisher’s remarks at BBF “Century Celebration”
Ball Brothers Foundation capped off its 100th year of grantmaking and leadership with a “Century Celebration” held on October 1, 2026, at Indiana State Museum’s Great Hall & Ball Family Terrace. The evening brought together a group of statewide philanthropy leaders, grantees, government officials, community leaders, Ball family members, and other friends of the foundation.
A Century of Philanthropy Celebrated at Indiana State Museum
Ball Brothers Foundation capped off its 100th anniversary celebrations on October 1 with an evening marking a century of philanthropy and leadership in Indiana. Held at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, the gathering brought together over 175 guests, including statewide philanthropy leaders, grantees, government officials, community leaders, Ball family members, and others.
Built to Last: Ball Brothers Foundation at 100
A century is a long time. Long enough for places to change, new generations to build on the past, and ideas to take forms no one could have imagined at the beginning.
As Ball Brothers Foundation marks 100 years, we’ve been looking back at the people, places, and ideas that have shaped our story since 1926. That reflection became Built to Last, a short video produced by Ball State professor, local historian, and storyteller Chris Flook.
BBF 100: Rooted in Downtown Muncie
Throughout its history, Ball Brothers Foundation and the Ball family have been closely connected to downtown Muncie—not only through buildings and businesses, but through a longstanding interest in the vitality and future of the city’s center. That connection began as Muncie was undergoing a remarkable transformation.
September 2026: Get to know what's inside MadJax, Q&A with Red-tail, and Jud Fisher on Inside INdiana Business
On any given night at the corner of Madison and Jackson, you might find people welding, sewing, brewing beer, or hanging from aerial silks, all under one roof.
Ten years ago, that 80,000-square-foot building sat empty. Today, MadJax Maker Force is one of downtown Muncie's most surprising spaces, home to maker labs, art studios, coworking space, and a growing lineup of classes and community events. Read on to learn how MadJax has grown its Maker Space membership fivefold in under two years and what's next for this downtown hub.
Grantee Spotlight: Inside MadJax, A Home for Makers of All Kinds
Walk to the corner of Madison and Jackson in downtown Muncie, and you'll find people welding, sewing, brewing beer, hanging from aerial silks, and pitching new business ideas, all under the same roof and sometimes on the same night.
Ten years ago, that same 80,000-square-foot building sat empty, a former industrial laundry facility with no clear future. Today, it's MadJax Maker Force, one of downtown Muncie's most surprising spaces, a growing hub for making, entrepreneurship, and community gathering that more people are discovering every month.
Q&A with Red-tail Land Conservancy
Red-tail Land Conservancy traces its roots to 1999, when more than 80 community members gathered at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens to explore a shared vision for land conservation in East Central Indiana. What began as an all-volunteer effort has since grown into a trusted regional organization, working to protect and steward some of the area’s most important natural spaces.
August 2026: The Beginnings of Ball State, Flooding Response, Q&A with MuncieArts, & Jud Fisher on Healthcare Pipeline
In 1917, a struggling college in Muncie sat on the auction block, its future uncertain. Worried an out-of-town buyer might snap it up, several Ball brothers anonymously placed a bid—and won.
Among them was Frank Ball, who had bigger plans than just saving the campus: he wanted to make it the best school in Indiana.
BBF 100: Historical Ties to Ball State University
The origins of Ball State University trace back to 1899, when Muncie began efforts to establish a local institution for higher education. Several attempts followed, including the Eastern Indiana Normal Institute, Palmer University, and Indiana Normal School and College of Applied Sciences, but each struggled with financial challenges and enrollment issues. By 1917, the campus buildings had deteriorated and the future of higher education in Muncie was uncertain.
Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with MuncieArts
Muncie Arts and Culture Council was established in 2011 to celebrate and support arts in Muncie. Since then, MACC (now known as MuncieArts) has evolved significantly.
Today, MuncieArts finds itself at an important moment. Following the completion of several major public art projects, the launch of a new monthly newsletter, the revival of community programs like Box!Box!, and preparation for a new strategic plan, the organization is reimagining its role as a backbone organization for Muncie's creative sector.
East Central Indiana's Answer to the Healthcare Talent Shortage is to Grow Your Own
Op-Ed by Jud Fisher
Indiana needs healthcare talent, and East Central Indiana is demonstrating what it takes to grow your own.
The state’s healthcare workforce challenges won’t be solved by recruiting talent alone. We must grow our own. The strongest workforce pipelines begin years before a student ever applies to medical school or a nursing program—they begin the moment young people can envision a future in healthcare.
Jud Fisher guest on “Delaware County Today;” discusses community developments
Ball Brothers Foundation President and CEO Jud Fisher recently joined Steve Lindell on WMUN’s Delaware County Today to discuss several developments across Delaware County. This month’s feature includes the latest Project Blueways updates, from a new White River canoe/kayak launch coming soon to Memorial Drive to BBF’s support for White River Rising, a new documentary following a paddle from Muncie to Indianapolis.
July 2026: Camp Crosley's Next Chapter, Jud Fisher Named to Indiana 250, and the History of BSU Teachers College & Burris
Nearly 100 years ago, Ball Brothers Foundation made its first grant to Camp Crosley—and the partnership is still going strong today.
The Muncie YMCA had been camping on borrowed land for years before Edmund and Bertha Ball gave a gift in 1921 that helped the camp find its permanent home on Lake Little Tippecanoe, given as a memorial to their young son, Crosley.
Jud Fisher Named to Indiana 250
Jud Fisher, President & CEO of Ball Brothers Foundation, has been selected as one of IBJ Media's 2026 Indiana 250, an annual recognition honoring Hoosier leaders whose influence and leadership are helping shape the future of Indiana across business, philanthropy, government, economic development, and the nonprofit sector.
Jud Fisher guest on “Delaware County Today;” discusses healthcare workforce, nonprofit leadership, and Camp Crosley
What does it take to build a stronger healthcare workforce? How can we recognize the volunteer board members who help nonprofits thrive? And what's new at the YMCA of Muncie’s Camp Crosley?
IYI & BBF: More Than Two Decades of Strengthening Youth-Serving Nonprofits
For more than 20 years, Ball Brothers Foundation has partnered with Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) to help youth-serving nonprofit organizations build their organizational capacity and increase their long-term effectiveness.
Now in its twenty-fourth year, the “East Central Indiana Consulting Grant” provides selected organizations with customized consulting services designed to strengthen leadership, governance, fundraising, strategic planning, communications, and other aspects of organizational capacity.
BBF 100: Marking Nearly a Century of Support for Camp Crosley
On the shores of Lake Little Tippecanoe, surrounded by hundreds of acres of woodlands, wetlands, and open water, Camp Crosley has been helping young people discover adventure, independence, and belonging for more than a century.