December 2025: 2025 Year in Review Recap, Old West End Redevelopment, Grants Process in 2026, and more
One Year Closer to 100
Before we turn the page to a new year-and the foundation's 100th anniversary-we wanted to pause and look back at 2025. This year, Ball Brothers Foundation paid out $8.9 million in grants to organizations across Muncie and East Central Indiana—supporting the people and programs working every day to strengthen our community.
Check out our 2025 highlights!
What's Taking Shape in the Old West End
Muncie's Old West End is beginning to see new life. More than 30 new homes—both affordable and market-rate—are planned alongside the rehabilitation of properties that, for years, cycled through tax sales and sat vacant.
BBF President & CEO Jud Fisher reflects on how years of groundwork, led by the Muncie Land Bank and support from the community, helped pave the way for this new phase of redevelopment.
Q&A with Rich Spisak
After 18 years with Ball Brothers Foundation, Senior Program Officer Rich Spisak is retiring and beginning a new chapter. In our latest Q&A, Rich reflects on the relationships and lessons that shaped his time at BBF.
We’re grateful for his steady leadership and wish him all the best in retirement.
2026 Grant Application Changes
The foundation is always looking for ways to improve the grant application process and is excited to announce several changes in 2026. The change we are most pleased to announce is one that will help us to get grant funds out the door faster.
By adding a new certification page to some of our applications, we are eliminating the need to send out contracts for signatures in most cases. Find more information on the 2026 applications here.
End-of-Year Adventures
As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back on the past month which was filled with exploring, learning, and celebrating people and programs making an impact in our region. Here are a few highlights:
Mapping Muncie! Program Officer Dan Wolfert visited College Mentors for Kids at Ball State. "Little buddies" explored different types of maps and created their own with the BSU Geography Club.
Celebrating Impact: Our team joined a fundraising lunch for Ross Community Center to honor their decades of service on Muncie's southside. We loved hearing stories from the community about how the Center's sports programs and resources have impacted them personally.
Charting Energy: Program Officer Dan Wolfert visited the Sustainable Interiors class at BSU, where students presented projects assessing energy efficiency at the 127-year-old Maplewood Guest House.
Caring for Our Waterways: BBF visited Spangler Farms for the Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District's Harvest for Healthy Waters event. We learned from a local farmer about conservation practices protecting our rivers.