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.

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.

Exciting progress is happening along the White River and across our region. At a recent convening with BBF grantees and friends from Muncie, Delaware County, and nearby communities, local leaders shared updates on new canoe and kayak launches, a fresh White River branding campaign, dam removal efforts, and enhancements at Prairie Creek Reservoir.

The start of the new year is always exciting for Ball Brothers Foundation’s board and staff. This year marks our 99th year of grantmaking, and we are honored to be the stewards of this remarkable legacy. While a lot has changed over the century since the foundation was established, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to improving the quality of life in Muncie, Delaware County, East Central Indiana, and Indiana. 

We can’t believe how quickly 2024 has flown by! This year was filled with exciting projects, inspiring partnerships, and moments that made a real difference in our community.

Take a look back with us at some of the highlights that made this year so special.

In our latest op-ed, BBF's Jud Fisher and Trevor Friedeberg (President & CEO of East Central Indiana Regional Partnership), detail how local community colleges, universities, the IU School of Medicine-Muncie, and hospitals are teaming up to train healthcare professionals who are choosing to stay here and serve our communities.

We're excited to announce our latest round of grants, totaling over $5 million to support 36 organizations across East Central Indiana. As part of this round, the foundation awarded $125,000 to United Day Care Center to help add new infant/toddler classrooms to support local families in need of affordable, quality childcare.

Once built on glass jars, auto batteries, headlamps, and transmissions, East Central Indiana is now redefining itself for a brighter future.

In his latest op-ed, BBF's President & CEO Jud Fisher highlights exciting initiatives transforming ECI—from establishing our identity as an 'eds and meds' hub to our growing reputation as a destination for outdoor recreation in the Midwest.

Construction of the new 73,000-square-foot YMCA on the Muncie Central High School campus is well underway. In our latest Q&A, Chad Zaucha (President and CEO of the YMCA of Muncie), shares more about the construction timeline and how the building will spark vitality in this part of the city. 

There's no question that technology has become deeply integrated into our everyday lives. As we've seen with the recent CrowdStrike outage and major data breaches, the security of our information and systems has never been more critical.

In his latest op-ed, Jud Fisher delves into the growing cybercrime threats facing Indiana communities and highlights the proactive steps East Central Indiana is making to address these tough issues.

$4M+ in New Grants Announced

Capital Projects in Downtown and Beyond Share in Funding 

This spring, BBF's board approved over $4 million in grants, including support for capital projects underway by numerous organizations, several of which have long ties to the Ball family.

We are pleased to announce that Chris Horner, a fire-science teacher at the Muncie Area Career Center, is the recipient of Ball Brothers Foundation's 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award.

This month, we've been on the road here in our hometown (and beyond) to see what's "springing up." 

For many years, BBF has supported disaster response efforts across the state following major tornadoes and other natural disasters. Through our Emergency Management grantmaking initiative, the foundation has also worked to provide specialized training and equipment to local agencies to prepare for large scale disasters.

On March 14, the response needs hit close to home with a tornado impacting both Delaware and Randolph counties.

As the foundation prepares to commemorate its 100th year of grantmaking in 2026, we are excited to announce the appointment of two community members, Laura Hill and Dennis Trammell, Jr., to our Board of Directors.

In our latest Q&A, we feature Delaware County Prosecutor Eric M. Hoffman who provides insight on the prevalence of cybercrime in East Central Indiana, his office's role in expediting digital evidence processing, collaboration with other agencies, and plans for future growth.

On behalf of the entire BBF team, we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season!

Many of our staff members will be out of the office from December 25-January 1. If you'd like to reach a member of our team, feel free to send an email and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

This fall, our board approved 36 grants totaling $5 million in funding in our second and final round of grants for 2023. The grants are closely aligned with the foundation’s commitment to place-based grantmaking. Read about some of the grantees and their initiatives:

Get to know Trevor Friedeberg, President/CEO of East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, in our latest grantee Q&A.Trevor is helping to lead East Central Indiana’s pursuit of up to $75 million in state funding through the READI program. The program is designed to infuse regions with funding that will help to attract and retain talent.

Over the next several years, five new canoe and kayak launches are 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.

Throughout this year, Ball Brothers Foundation has been working to ramp up communications with our stakeholders: grantees, community and regional leaders, extended Ball family members, and others.

A key part of our new strategic plan calls for us to serve as a vocal advocate for Muncie and East Central Indiana. This month's e-newsletter highlights several grants that make our community shine

As we strive to continuously improve our communication and outreach efforts, we'd love for you to take a 2 minute survey. Your anonymous feedback is instrumental in helping us understand your preferences and content interests to ensure that our newsletters are valuable and engaging. 

Catch Our Team Behind the Scenes...

As summer gets into full swing, our calendars are packed with grantee meetings, site visits, and more. 

On May 23, Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a reception to honor local teachers recognized with the foundation's Excellence in Teaching Award. The reception celebrated 2023 award winner, Kira Zick, finalists, Rob Jones and Heather Rogers, as well as past award nominees. Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner was the guest speaker for the evening.