2023 Year in Review
In 2023, Ball Brothers Foundation awarded 174 grants to organizations in Muncie, Delaware County, and Indiana. These grants totaled $8.8 million, the second-highest payout in the foundation's history.
Throughout the year, we were busy with site visits, convening grantees, and more. Take a look back at just a few of the highlights in our "Year in Review."
January
BBF team visits ecoREHAB’s new headquarters
Our team bundled up to explore ecoREHAB's new headquarters, The Yard, formerly McCartys Lumberyard in Muncie’s Old West End Neighborhood. As a long-standing supporter, we look forward to seeing how this new space will drive neighborhood revitalization and provide workforce training opportunities in construction trades.
February
BBF welcomed Susan Brumley to the team
In February, we welcomed Susan Brumley as our new Executive Assistant & Convenings Coordinator. She works as the initial point of contact for grantees, local and state-level government officials, community leaders, and others. Susan is also leading efforts to help BBF ramp up convenings and other gatherings that connect grantees and amplify issues that are important in East Central Indiana.
March
BBF announced Second Century Strategic Plan
In March, our Board of Directors announced a new strategic plan. Designed to guide the foundation’s work over the next five years, the “Second Century Strategic Plan” will ensure a strong, impactful conclusion to the foundation’s first century of grantmaking and set the strategic direction for the years ahead.
Introduced Trevor Friedeberg and Nate Howard to Our Fellows Program
In March, we also welcomed two new Fellows for 2023: Nate Howard (Executive Director of Muncie Land Bank) and Trevor Friedeberg (President & CEO of East Central Indiana Regional Partnership). The Fellows Program aims to help leaders gain new skills in nonprofit management, develop leadership skills, and have a better understanding of how foundations operate, including Ball Brothers Foundation.
April
We held a Q&A with Brian Statz, Minnetrista’s President & CEO
We sat down with Brian Statz for a Q&A to learn more about his initial impression of Muncie and what he found exciting about his new position as leader of Minnetrista, BBF’s largest grantee. He shared his perspective on the community and a little more about what he enjoys outside of work.
May
West View’s Kira Zick received Ball Brothers Foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Award
Kira Zick believes every child can learn. Stepping away from traditional teaching methods, she champions authentic experiences that prepare her students to be global learners and leaders, helping her stand out as the winner of this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award from Ball Brothers Foundation awarded in May. The foundation gives the award annually to shine a light on innovative teachers in Delaware County.
Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner visited local Delaware County schools
On May 23, we hosted a reception honoring the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award winner and finalists. Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner was a guest speaker for the evening. In addition to attending the reception, Dr. Jenner spent the day with Ball Brothers Foundation staff, visiting several local schools.
Board meeting ventured outdoors and painted Bob Ross-style
In the spring, BBF's board of directors held its May meeting at the new Nature Lab near Ball State University's Rinard Orchid Greenhouse. We took this opportunity to “look back” at the past decade of Ball Brothers Foundation’s support for outdoor education, recreation, and conservation, followed by a stroll through Christy Woods and a visit to Charles W. Brown Planetarium at Ball State University. As part of our board activities, we also tried our hand at one of Muncie’s most iconic experiences: painting Bob Ross style with our friends at Minnetrista.
June
First round of grants support efforts for 28 projects
Our board announced funding totaling $3 million during our first grantmaking round of the year. The grants reflect the foundation’s long-standing commitment to place-based grantmaking. Two of the largest grants approved in this round were to boost facility capital projects in downtown Muncie—YMCA of Muncie and Muncie Civic Theatre.
We raced along the White River and reviewed the White River Report Card
In June, the foundation celebrated the launch of the White River Report Card, an assessment tool supported by BBF grants over the past three years. After the release, Susan Brumley and Jenna Wachtmann teamed up to participate in the White River Alliance’s canoe race.
July
Marked the groundbreaking of the new downtown YMCA
In mid-July, we marked the groundbreaking for a transformational project in downtown Muncie, the new YMCA. The new state-of-the-art Y will include an aquatics center, fitness facilities, clinical and wellness spaces, and more. The Ball family has a long history of support for the YMCA, and funding from BBF to support the new construction totals $2 million.
August
Explored the link between Great Boards and Great Nonprofits
Ball Brothers Foundation’s President & CEO, Jud Fisher, took a look at how local nonprofit organizations have transformed over the years. In this perspective piece that was shared in publications across the state, the foundation recognized and identified several key characteristics excellent boards share and the impact they have on an organization’s ability to serve its constituents and adapt to changing community needs.
Talented high school broadcasting students traveled the state
Following her earlier visit to Muncie, Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Jenner tasked Burris Laboratory School’s Mr. Jones and his students with creating a back-to-school video for statewide sharing. The team embarked on a three-day, 1,500-mile journey, capturing footage from various schools across Indiana, from Indiana Dunes National Park to the Ohio River in New Albany. In reflecting on the journey, Mr. Jones shared they spent their time, “exploring new places they have never been and making memories they will never forget.” The video helped to shine a spotlight on Burris Laboratory School, ranked one of Indiana’s top 10 high schools and a BBF grantee.
September
New kayak and canoe launches were announced
In September, the foundation provided an update on five new canoe and kayak launches scheduled to be constructed along the White River in Muncie, allowing for canoeing, kayaking, and tubing from the city's east to west gateways. The addition of these launches comes on the heels of five decades of work by individuals and organizations to improve the water quality in the White River, one of East Central Indiana's most important natural assets.
BBF hosted a tour for Indiana Department of Natural Resources
This fall, BBF staff hosted Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Bortner and Deputy Director Chris Smith for a day long tour of key projects in Muncie and East Central Indiana that have received foundation and DNR support. A growing share of BBF’s grantmaking has been targeted to environmental projects over the past several years, and this offered us the chance to talk with state level officials about this important work.
October
Ryan Hunter recognized with 2023 Fisher Governance Award
In October, we were pleased to present this year’s Fisher Governance Award to Ryan Hunter, board president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie. This annual award recognizes an outstanding board member of a nonprofit serving Delaware County.
We held a Q&A with Trevor Friedeberg, President/CEO of East Central Indiana Regional Partnership
In an enlightening Q&A feature, we helped to shine a light on the work of Trevor Friedeberg, President/CEO of East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, who’s helping lead East Central Indiana’s pursuit of up to $75 million in state funding. We learned more about collaborative efforts across eight counties and gained insights into Trevor’s uniquely fitting background for this role.
Foundation Board takes bus tour
Ball Brothers Foundation’s board met in October and spent a morning driving through town to see progress on several foundation-supported projects including construction of the new YMCA, trail connections to neighborhoods surrounding BSU, the new mussel propagation and education facility, Ross Center’s sports and recreation expansions, and improvements at Prairie Creek Reservoir.
November
Funding for expansion of trails in East Central Indiana part of $5M awarded in grants
Ball Brothers Foundation approved $5 million in funding during our final round of grantmaking in 2023. The grants remain aligned with our dedication to place-based grantmaking. Two significant grants were awarded to advance vital trail projects that are set to transform East Central Indiana (ECI) and foster regional connectivity—Cardinal Greenways and Healthy Communities of Henry County.
December
Muncie Civic Theatre’s Mainstage reopens featuring a holiday classic
BBF staff marked the reopening of Muncie Civic Theatre’s Mainstage with the opening of one of musical theatre’s most iconic holiday shows, White Christmas. The Theatre had been hosting productions off-site since the summer as new rigging was installed, marking the crowning achievement of a substantial capital campaign that solidified the community theatre’s presence in downtown Muncie for decades to come.
BBF reflects on a year's end at the E.B. & Bertha C. Ball Center
Our staff finished the year with a nod to our founders’ legacy by celebrating the holidays with a visit to the E.B. & Bertha C. Ball Center. The home was built in the early 1900s by Edmund Burke Ball whose estate gift created Ball Brothers Foundation upon his passing in 1926. Today, the home is owned by Ball State University Foundation and serves as a center for continuing education. It is also visited each December by thousands of local residents during Minnetrista’s “Enchanted Luminaria” event.