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.
The title comes from a phrase that helps to define the Ball family’s legacy. The Ball brothers built things intended to endure. The popular jars made in Muncie for generations are one part of that story. So are the institutions and community efforts they helped support—many of which have continued to grow and change long after their beginnings.
When the Foundation was established in 1926 with an initial gift from Edmund B. Ball’s estate, it was created to carry on philanthropic giving for generations to come. Over the past century, four generations of Ball family members, alongside dedicated community members, have helped steward that commitment.
The video looks back at that history, from the Ball family’s arrival in Muncie through a century of grantmaking and philanthropic leadership. It also reflects something about the long view that has been part of the Foundation’s work from the beginning: some needs require an immediate response, while other work takes years—or even generations—to take shape.
Just as it did 100 years ago, Ball Brothers Foundation continues to direct the majority of its grantmaking to Muncie and Delaware County, the community where the Foundation began. The Foundation now awards roughly $8 million to $10 million in grants each year, supporting organizations and efforts across arts and culture, education, the environment, health and public safety, human services, and community vitality.
Flook previously led the production of A Legacy Etched in Glass, which explored the Ball family’s history and legacy. His knowledge of local history and his skill as a storyteller helped bring a century of people, places, and ideas into focus for Built to Last.
The video is one small way of looking back on the first 100 years of Ball Brothers Foundation—and remembering the many people and organizations who have been part of the writing our story.