Building a More Vibrant Muncie: Capital Projects Advancing Quality of Place
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.
Grantee Spotlight: STEM, Space, and Small-Town Spark | NearSpace Education Takes Learning to New Levels
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.
Deadline approaching for 2025 Fisher Governance Award nominations
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.
Grantee Spotlight: Grants awarded to Indiana colleges to stimulate creativity and innovation
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 Hosts Cybersecurity Summit, Announces $200K in Grants to Build Workforce Pipeline
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.
June 2025: $3M+ awarded in spring round of grants, Q&A with Urban Light CDC, and more
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.
Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with Urban Light
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.
Public Art Investment Among $3M in Grants Awarded by Ball Brothers Foundation
Ball Brothers Foundation, a family foundation committed to place-based grantmaking in Indiana for nearly a century, has awarded over $3 million in its spring round of grants for 2025.
Among the funding awarded was a $75,000 grant that will significantly bolster public art efforts in Muncie—funding new installations, supporting long-term maintenance, and enhancing the city’s cultural landscape. The grant was awarded to The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.å
A Century of Commitment: The YMCA of Muncie
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.
May 2025: Kitselman Trailhead Update, Teaching Award, Grantee Spotlight, and more
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.
Thinking about applying for a grant? Let’s chat first!
We always recommend reaching out to request a meeting with a member of our team. This will help us to provide guidance about whether your organization is a good fit for funding from us and, if so, will allow us to help you best position your request for support. We welcome conversations with both returning grantees and those who are new to BBF. Our goal is to build relationships that support a strong nonprofit ecosystem.
Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with BY5
Over a decade ago, Muncie’s business, school, and nonprofit leaders came together to rally around the opportunity to better prepare our community’s youngest learners for kindergarten—and beyond. With the support of local funders and other donors—including Ball Brothers Foundation—BY5 was created. While the organization continues to evolve to meet changing needs, its commitment to providing a strong foundation for early learning remains unchanged.
Cardinal Greenways Announces Final Phase of Kitselman Gateway Project
Ball Brothers Foundation was pleased to partner with the Cardinal Greenway to host a partner update and groundbreaking for the next phase of the Kitselman Trailhead project in late April. Over the past decade, Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded over $1 million for construction and project management for this transformational project that serves as a gateway and connector for the Muncie community.
Grantee Spotlight: How Muncie Scholar House is Supporting Single Parents
Being a college student is a full-time job. For student parents, it’s double the challenge. Between classes, homework, and raising a child, young parents face enormous obstacles. Ball Brothers Foundation has long invested in efforts to strengthen family resources and improve access to education. In 2024, the foundation began to support a new community initiative that does just that.
Daleville’s Maleah Parrish Receives Ball Brothers Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award
On the 120th day of school, the first-graders in Maleah Parrish’s classroom are on a mission. Armed with invisible ink pens and yarn laser beams, they follow clues at a series of stations incorporating STEM, language arts, social skills, and teamwork to rescue Zero the Hero. It’s lively. It’s a little chaotic. And it’s exactly the kind of day Parrish hopes her students remember for years to come.
April 2025: Jud Fisher shares White River updates, Meet our 2025 Fellows, Q&A with Project Leadership, and more
East Central Indiana is home to the headwaters of the White River—and how we care for it has ripple effects far beyond our community.
In a recent op-ed, BBF President & CEO Jud Fisher reflects on decades of progress and explains why this natural resource is vital to our region's identity, economy, and environment.
Ball Brothers Foundation Welcomes 2025 Fellows in Program’s 20th Year
Ball Brothers Foundation is pleased to welcome two new Fellows for 2025: Missy Modesitt, Executive Director of Muncie BY5, and Joy Rediger, Executive Director of Urban Light Community Development.
Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with Project Leadership
For over a decade, BBF has been supporting the work of Project Leadership, a nonprofit organization serving East Central Indiana’s students, families, and schools. Project Leadership’s programs are laser-focused on preparing students for education and career journeys after high school.
East Central Indiana’s future runs through the White River
Op-Ed by Jud Fisher
The White River has long been a defining feature of East Central Indiana—its waters wind through our communities, shaping our history, and providing a foundation for future recreation and economic growth. Protecting and enhancing this natural resource is both a responsibility and an opportunity we take seriously at Ball Brothers Foundation. Our region is home to the headwaters of the White River, and the way we care for it has impact far beyond our own backyard.
March 2025: New Conservation Fund, New Board Member, Sagamore of the Wabash, and more
Clean water, healthy land, and thriving outdoor spaces need care and investment. That’s why BBF recently awarded a grant of $75,000 to support the launch of The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County’s Environmental Impact Fund.
Designed to support conservation projects—like improving water quality and expanding recreation amenities—this fund ensures a lasting investment in the natural resources that make our community special for future generations to enjoy.