WHAT WE FUND
Our commitment to place-based grantmaking is rooted in our history and the Ball family legacy, focusing on Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana. This localized approach allows us to address pressing community needs by convening, connecting, and supporting those working to enrich our region beyond funding.
Funding Focus Areas
Arts & Culture
We support vibrant arts and cultural experiences that enrich community life and connect people to shared history, creativity, and expression. Our funding focuses on helping museums, theaters, arts education programs, public art, and cultural initiatives thrive—strengthening the creative fabric of Muncie and East Central Indiana and making our region a place where people can create, imagine, and be inspired.
Education
Education is a fundamental commitment at Ball Brothers Foundation. Our support extends from early childhood education to public schools in the heart of Muncie, emphasizing teacher development, student academic and extracurricular programs, and K-12 innovation and excellence. We also support after-school and summer programs that nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, our commitment to career, technical, and continuing education programs aims to help individuals secure employment and thrive in their families. Since our founding, we have continued to support higher education institutions, recognizing the valuable role colleges and universities play in the lives of individuals and in the communities where they are located.
Community Vitality
We are steadfast believers in the potential of Muncie and East Central Indiana, and we invest in efforts that help our communities thrive as places where people want to live, work, learn, and play. This includes supporting downtown revitalization, neighborhood redevelopment and blight elimination, entrepreneurship, and community-based sports and recreation activities. The foundation also supports the creation and enhancement of public spaces, helping foster vibrant places where residents and visitors alike want to gather, spend time, and connect. To bolster nonprofit capacity, we also provide grants that enhance leadership, organizational effectiveness, and professional development, addressing the unique challenges nonprofits face on tight budgets with lean staffing.
Environment
Our funding focuses on preserving and protecting land, creating opportunities for children to connect with nature, reclaiming and restoring waterways, and encouraging conservation practices among landowners. In recent years, we've intensified our support for East Central Indiana's waterways, recognizing their vital role in sustaining local industries and providing drinking water. We actively engage the community by promoting outdoor activities like cycling, canoeing, and hiking, transforming our region into a vibrant outdoor recreation destination. Together with our grantees, we proudly contribute to safeguarding our natural resources and supporting organizations dedicated to improving our environment.
Health & Public Safety
Health and safety are essential to thriving communities. We support efforts that strengthen healthcare training and delivery, promote wellness, and help prepare our region to respond to emergencies and disasters. Building on a legacy that began with Ball Memorial Hospital in 1929, we prioritize initiatives that nurture a robust pipeline of future healthcare professionals—including physicians, nurses, CNAs, public health workers and more—helping East Central Indiana build its reputation as a statewide leader in healthcare training. Our public safety funding supports emergency response organizations, workforce pipelines and training that address growing cybersecurity threats, and proactive approaches to community safety that help protect both people and critical systems.
Human Services
Ball Brothers Foundation recognizes the transformative power of nonprofits in Muncie and East Central Indiana. Most often our Human Services funding supports nonprofits that are on the front-lines of youth development/mentoring, emergency food and shelter, and disability services.
