Ball Brothers Foundation awards $5.1 million in fall grants in East Central Indiana, led by Minnetrista and Muncie schools
The Muncie foundation's fall round, announced Oct. 13, gives $2,775,000 to Minnetrista Museum & Gardens and $600,000 to Muncie Community Schools, along with money for arts groups, child care, job training and a film about the Muncie Fieldhouse.
Muncie. Ball Brothers Foundation of Muncie, Ind., said on Oct. 13 that it has awarded $5.1 million in grants this fall to organizations in Muncie, Delaware County and East Central Indiana. The largest grant on its list, $2,775,000, goes to Minnetrista Museum & Gardens for operations and facility improvements. Muncie Community Schools, the city's public school district, received $600,000.
The grants cover the foundation's six funding areas: arts and culture, community vitality, education, environment, health and public safety, and human services. The foundation published each grant with its amount and purpose.
Schools and high school sports
The district's grant will pay for extending its Spanish dual language program into high school, equipment for the carpentry, HVAC and fire and rescue programs at the Muncie Area Career Center, guidance and family support staff, a Montessori program for prekindergarten through first grade at Camp Adventure, equipment and uniforms for band and athletics, and training for teachers and administrators.
Jud Fisher, the foundation's president and chief executive, said the district had been in a challenging situation 10 years ago.
“Enrollment has stabilized, facilities have been improved, and academic gains are well underway.”
Two grants go to high school sports. Ball State University professors and students will write and produce a documentary about the Muncie Fieldhouse, which turns 100 in 2028, with $66,500 from the foundation. A $25,000 grant to Ball State pilots a program to edit, produce and air some high school games on WIPB and Indiana Public Radio, with content made by high school students from across the county, in partnership with the Delaware County Sports Network.
Arts, housing and child care
Among the nonprofit grantees, Cornerstone Center for the Arts received $100,000 for operations and arts programming, and Muncie Civic Theatre $50,000 for its 2026-2027 season, including youth theatre and outreach to the city's schools. The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County received $200,000 for future trail improvements at the Muncie Central High School levee and Minnetrista, and $55,000 for its Nonprofit Support Network.
ecoREHAB received $80,000 to add staff, build in the Old West End neighborhood and continue its YouthBuild construction training program. Muncie BY5 received $80,000 for operations and for training and technical help for local child care workers. TeenWorks received $50,000 for a program that gives 120 teens summer jobs and professional development.
Outside the county, Independent Colleges of Indiana received $100,000 in seed money for the Ball Venture Fund, which supports new projects at private colleges and universities across the state.
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