Fall Prevention Education Program

                                           $1,700

Data collected by case managers at Thrive Alliance in 2024 indicate 119 falls without injuries and 61 falls with injuries among clients. The primary causes of falls in the home, as reported in transition reports, include poor balance, difficulties with transfers, unsteady gait, and weakness. To reduce the incidence of falls among older adults in our community, we are implementing an evidence-based program called Bingocize. This program aims to enhance fall prevention education, improve physical strength and balance, and reduce social isolation.

Brown County 4-H Camp & Trips                                                                                                            $6,000

Brown County 4-H Council is the leadership board for the 4-H Program and annually supports opportunities that allow youth to experience hands-on educational and impactful programs. Brown County 4-H Council is seeking funding to financially support families to allow Brown County youth the opportunity to venture beyond county lines to gain exposure to meaningful and impactful educational programming during camp and state trips. In 2024, 46 youth attended the Southeastern Indiana 4-H Camp for quality summer programming. Youth participants range from third graders to graduating seniors who have the opportunity to gain valuable life skills. Youth can start attending in third grade, and once they are in eight grade, they become a junior camp staff member. Each year, junior staff members earn new positions with greater responsibility. Junior Staff members also attend three trainings prior to camp to be fully equipped as youth leaders. This camp proves truly impactful in its intentional development of youth leadership. With the BCCF and 4-H Council’s financial support, youth have attended camp at a cost of $70 rather than the $220 in 2024. In 2024, three participants received full scholarships to attend camp. These trips are invaluable experiences for youth to gain valuable skills.

Framing Our Founders

$1,683

Project Summary: We’re seeking funds to frame and display original artwork from the Guild’s founding members, a historically significant collection bequeathed by Marie Goth.  Many pieces of our permanent collection are unframed and this will allow us to alternate between them by having a set variety of frame sizes that we can rotate between for displays.

Community Benefit: This project will enhance public access to a unique piece of our local art history, enriching cultural understanding and appreciation for the Guild’s legacy.

CRC & BCHS Career-Readiness Certifications                                              $11,500.00

Certification scholarships will be used to help high school and adult education students within Brown County obtain valuable industry-recognized credentials. A portion of the grant will allow the Career Resource Center to award scholarships to adult students who are working towards certifications in the medical, IT, HVAC, and electrical fields. These are students who do not qualify for employer or state funds, and would otherwise not be able to afford the full cost of the course. The remaining grant dollars will be used to fund certification opportunities for Brown County High School students that align with their career and technical education pathways.

The purpose of this project is to provide a hands-on learning experience for children in our rural community who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the arts outside of school.  We strive to create a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment where each camper can be themselves while fostering community through the arts.

Homes First

$20,000

The Indiana Uplands Regional Housing Study (2023) estimates that in five years, Brown County will need 124 houses costing $250,000 or less.  An affordable home is commonly defined as one where families do not spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs.  Habitat for Humanity International confirms “that poor housing conditions and the lack of affordable housing are associated with negative outcomes” including, but not limited to, families spending less on healthcare and food due to being cost-burdened by high housing costs.

Home ownership generates equity for future generations and provides the permanency children need to thrive. Our community is vibrant and healthy when families can safely and successfully live, work, play and raise children.  Our project offers Brown County community members the opportunity to buy a home they can afford, based on application criteria.  Brown County Indiana Habitat for Humanity (BCIHFH) builds a house with the help of volunteers, grants, donations, and agency funds.  A mortgage is serviced by BCIHFH at a zero-interest rate, with payments based on a person’s ability to pay.  Recipients are required to complete 250 hours of “sweat equity” in the building of their home and make a $500 down payment.

BCHS Music & Jacobs Vitual Academy Partnership                                                                                                            $6,300

This project is in collaboration with the Jacobs Virtual Academy, a program created that pairs Teaching Artists enrolled in the Jacobs School of Music, and pairs them up with students from participating schools by offering them private lessons virtually, and in person once per month. The BCHS Music department partnered with them in the last semester, and hopes to continue to be able to utilize this program in the future. This provides a rare opportunity for our students – to be allowed to have private musical instruction – and have it brought to them, thus helping to overcome the barriers that many students in our community might face. As Nashville, and Brown County as a whole, is an arts-forward community, a proposal to have several students get the opportunity to get private music instruction in addition to the instruction they already receive in their classrooms would be well aligned with the values and goals of the BCCF.

Pet Food Pantrye                                                                    $1,000
Part A.  ChamberFest

The Brown County Humane Society’s SPOT (Serving Pets Outreach Team) program is expanding its outreach initiative to provide free, good quality pet food to families facing food insecurity. Partnering with local food pantries at Pentecostal Church and Mother’s Cupboard, SPOT volunteers will visit each venue monthly to distribute dog and cat food to pantry participants.

This initiative will help ensure that pet owners struggling financially can care for both their families and their beloved pets, reducing the risk of pet surrender due to inadequate resources. By offering nutritious pet food, the program promotes responsible pet ownership, contributes to improved animal health, and enhances overall community well-being.

Bean Blossom Overlook Pavilion

                                                                                                           $4,200

In 1932, Col. Richard Lieber, the first director of the Indiana Dept. of Conservation (later renamed the Dept. of Natural Resources) designated the corridor of HWY 135N between Bean Blossom and Nashville as “the Brown County Parkway.” A few years later, in the heart of this corridor, the Bean Blossom Overlook was established as a point of interest for viewing the majestic vista. This site quickly became a popular stop for both residents and visitors alike. In the early 1980’s, INDOT (the Indiana Dept. of Transportation) constructed a shelter house on site that accommodated picnics, family gatherings, etc. This structure was heavily used for almost 40 years until 2020 when INDOT felt the structure was in disrepair and chose to remove it from the site. Since the removal of the original shelter house, I have received multiple requests from residents to construct a new shelter house at the site where the previous one was once located. A new structure would serve both residents and visitors, just as the previous one, and allow families and groups a location to reflect and enjoy the vista looking North over Bean Blossom.

Rising Stars Camp and Seniors Liaison Program  $4,000.00

The Brown County Playhouse is requesting funds for the continuation for 2025 of the Rising Stars Theater Camp.  The Rising Stars camp serves youth from ages 7 to 14.  This is an age group that is not served by the Brown County Schools for theater or acting camps or other organizations.  The Rising Stars Theater Camp is a two week experience which introduces youth to stage craft, community theater traditions and acting.  It culminates in a showcase to the campers families and community of a theater production.

Field Recycle Bin Repairs     $8,750

This grant request is for the repair of 4 (out of 16) of our large green recycle bins we keep out in the field for the public. They are severely rusted and are in need of critical metal pre-fab work in order for them to function. Once these repairs are complete, new ID stickers need to be re-installed on them.

We’re submitting one estimate from Farrar Metal Fabrication. They are the only ones that can do the work onsite and in a timely manner. They are bonded, professional and do excellent quality work which they stand behind. It is easier to supervise when the work is done onsite. They provide their own water and electricity.

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Centerstone’s Summer Youth Day Camp

$4,160

The project creates a ‘Summer Youth Day Camp’ for youth of Brown County to receive mental health services and support throughout the summer. The goal of this project is to provide mental health support and services to the attendees of the camp by creating an environment that offers a safe place to grow and receive the same level of support as they receive with Centerstone’s school-based services.

Wildland Fire Rescue     $15,000

The purpose of this grant request is to provide equipment for the man and woman of Fruitdale Fire Volunteer Fire Department. The scope of this request encompasses the need for a UTV used to fight brush fires as well as getting victims out of the wood when injured. This new equipment will benefit the Jackson Township area, as well as the whole Brown County, by allowing our firefighters to fully do their jobs to the best of their abilities when the call to help comes, by having the proper equipment. Ensuring that our firefighters are well equipped allows our team to do their best work for the citizens of Brown County.

On the Road Again                                                                                                     $10,000

God’s Grace, Inc. (GG)provides emergency assistance to families who have experienced unexpected hardships (such as a house fire) and works with the local school system to meet urgent needs of students.  On the Road Again (OTRA) is an annual back-to-school event that provides Brown County children with school-appropriate clothing, including coats, hats, gloves and shoes, along with personal hygiene items, at no charge.  Our goal is to help each child feel the comfort, confidence and acceptance needed to successfully start the new school year.

Farm Fresh Access Program

 $10,000

The Farm Fresh Access Program is a new initiative by Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen and a group of community partners to offer fresh, high quality produce, eggs and meat from small Brown County farms (within a 15 mile radius from town of Nashville) straight to local food pantries and into the hands of residents and households that need it. Locally grown produce is vital to alleviating food insecurity, a critical issue to many Brown County individuals and families. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Regardless of whether a person officially lives in poverty or resides in a food-insecure home, the reality is that many people need food assistance.  Local food pantries often provide shelf-stable staples, but have very limited offerings of fresh, high quality produce. This access is essential to improving the overall health of families and supports the resilience of local food systems.

Capacity Building Project                                                                                                                           $25,000

Given the increased amount of meals served, Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen (MCCK) needs to increase its capacity for food storage. In 2024, MCCK served a record 50,000 meals and February 2025 was a record month with 5,400 meals served. The greatest area for improvement for storing food is freezer space. This project would provide an outdoor freezer and would allow us to store more food. Protein is one of the largest food expenses for MCCK. When there are meat donations, we need the space to be able to store it. Sometimes, we have to turn down donations because we do not have the storage. This project would allow us to take in more meat donations, which reduces expenses for us, and enables us to give out more food as well.

FARMette Music Showcase and Conference     $5,500

The FARMette Music Showcase and Conference, a one-day event in Nashville, Indiana, on June 21, 2025, features panel discussions and a keynote address meant to educate Hoosier music professionals and audiences about Indiana’s original music scene. The event supports songwriters by connecting them with radio personnel and industry service providers, fostering professional growth across the state. It also benefits Nashville’s economy by bringing attendees who support local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. As a biennial event in Nashville, FARMette will bolster the concept of Nashville as a key music destination. Showcase hosts from Metamora, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Greencastle, Madison and other Indiana cities will experience the strength of Nashville’s live music scene and its community support for original music.

Participation Assistance

$3,625

Hope for Hearts Farm, Inc is requesting funding to provide renewed support for the citizens of Brown County to participate in our Equine-assisted Learning (EAL) programs for the emotional and mental well-being of our community. Hope for Hearts Farm provides a unique way for individuals to grow and strengthen their self-esteem, communication, problem-solving, relationship, and leadership skills by partnering with horses. We are requesting funding to enable us to better meet the increased demand for our programs by securing additional scholarship support for participants who cannot afford the cost of our already deeply discounted services and to train and certify an additional certified Equine-assisted Learning facilitator so that we can offer more sessions per week and alleviate the stress on our staff from our ever-increasing waiting list.  To be clear, we have not identified a candidate to be the new facilitator.  However, we have several prospects and will require an application and interview to identify the right person to be trained.

Dumpster Day   $2,000.00
Dumpster Day is a free day where the entire community can come to the area behind the Recycling Center where Dumpsters are available for residents of Brown County to bring trash, furniture, mattresses, accumulated bagged trash, most any trash besides hazardous material, TV’s and building material and tires.  It is a free day in order to keep this type of trash and litter off of roads and private property. diverse music and arts experiences. Every spring, Lotus Blossoms connects students, families, and communities with performing artists from all over the globe. Serving South Central Indiana since its inception in 1996, Blossoms has reached more than 210,000 students and community members and has amplified the diverse voices of over 60 international artists. Last year alone we facilitated 35 unique opportunities in 6 counties that reached over 10,000 Hoosiers in their community spaces with this program.

A cornerstone of Lotus Blossoms programming is a focus on engagement with underserved urban and rural communities. These constituencies often lack access to people of diverse backgrounds and to multicultural experiences. By presenting global music and arts experiences, Lotus strives to inspire a love of diversity in these communities. Through Lotus Blossoms’ programming, Lotus also serves populations that have limited opportunities to experience in-person musical experiences, including those in retirement homes, preschools, detention centers, or economically disadvantaged communities.

Native Landscapes for Clean Water

                                                                                                           $2,500

“Believe it or not, one of the biggest threats to our water quality is plain old dirt washing into our rivers, lakes and streams” (US EPA).

The Native Landscapes for Clean Water project will reduce soil erosion by installing 25 native trees and shrubs at Deer Run Park in an area that has had invasive vegetation removed. The site sits above the creek which eventually runs to Lake Monroe reservoir. This project will improve water quality in both the creek and lake, which is the sole drinking water source for 150,000 area residential and business customers. Added benefits include improvement to local wildlife/pollinator habitat, increased carbon storage, and beautification. Using community members as volunteers to plant the native trees and shrubs will instill a sense of ownership that will contribute to the long term success of the project.

This project will include a complementary effort to inform community members about the benefits of native plants.  Signage will be put in place at the planting site to educate hundreds of park users. Community residents will be encouraged to plant native vegetation on their own properties through native seedling and seed packet giveaways.

LWP Community Hygiene pantry restock                                                                                 $3,400.00

The Living With Purpose Community Hygiene Pantry Restock will benefit all ages in the Brown County region. The restock allows us to continue distribution of bags full of necessary toiletry items to have proper hygiene. The bags are passed out monthly at our local pantry as well as at our Brown County Schools.

Village Green Playground Enhancement Project

           $8,5000

The Village Green Playground Enhancement Project will bring much-needed play opportunities to downtown Nashville by installing a Cedar Log Playhouse and Musical Mushrooms. These interactive features will provide visitors with a dedicated play space, encouraging imaginative play, sensory exploration, and active engagement for all ages. This project will promote physical activity, social interaction, and community involvement, benefiting local families, tourists, and businesses. By enhancing Village Green, it will create a vibrant gathering space that fosters a more inclusive and dynamic downtown experience.

Emergency Communications Upgrad Grant                                                                               $9,000

The Nashville Emergency Communications Upgrade Project will replace outdated police radios with state-compliant SAFE-T 800 MHz portable radios. This upgrade is critical to ensuring reliable emergency response, enhancing officer and public safety, and maintaining seamless communication with first responders and mutual aid agencies.

Nashville Tree Inventory Assessment and Management Plan

$5,000

The Nashville Tree Board (NTB) is seeking $10,000 from the Brown County Community Foundation (BCCF) to serve as a local match for its Community and Urban Forestry Association (CUFA) Grant, awarded to the NTB in October 2024. This project directly aligns with BCCF’s mission to support environmental sustainability, conservation, and community well-being by preserving and enhancing Nashville’s urban forest.

This initiative includes:

1. Comprehensive Tree Inventory: A certified arborist will assess tree species, size, location, and health, creating a database to guide future urban forestry efforts.
2. Urban Forest Management Plan: The plan will outline hazard mitigation, maintenance strategies, biodiversity goals, and targeted replanting efforts.

Work is already underway, as NTB completed a local procurement process and selected Andy Norman, a certified arborist, to conduct the tree inventory assessment. An investment from the BCCF will leverage state funding and solidify Nashville’s proactive approach to urban forestry, benefiting residents, visitors, and the environment for generations to come.

Southview Cemetery               $1,475.12

There is no book, person, building, place that holds more history than our historical cemeteries.   Peaceful Valley Heritage Preservation Society, aka PVH, is the only group working to preserve the history in our county.  Beginning in 2017 the overgrown cemetery known as Southview hid the broken stories on monuments of state and county dignitaries, judges, doctors and settlers that helped create our county government, built homes and raised families.  Completing the restoration of the monuments and tombstones this year would be our way of showing the respect for those that came to settle what we know as home.

ChamberFest Brown County

                                                                                $8,000.00
Paving Fairgrounds in Grandstand/Barn Area to improve conditions for individuals utilizing walkers, wheelchairs, and strollers.

St. Vincent de Paul Back to School Program

$4,000

For 20 years, St. Vincent de Paul has sponsored a Back to School Program for vulnerable families to assist with the purchase of school supplies, backpacks, shoes, socks, and other clothing. Purchases are made with a voucher redeemed at Walmart in Columbus.  In 2024, the voucher was valued at $60 and 763 vouchers were redeemed by 307 households for $44,963 and $2854 in fuel cards were distributed.  To date more than 6000 vouchers have been distributed over the history of the program.

Protein for the Pantry $5,000

The Protein for the Pantry Fund will increase St. VIncent de Paul’s ability to purchase canned meats and eggs for distribution to our families.  Canned chicken, tuna and salmon are all highly desired, shelf-ready high value protein that are also expensive.  These canned proteins can be eaten from the can or used to make a meal.  In addition, the price of eggs is now and expected to continue to be at least $5.00 per dozen.

Painting Selma’s Garden                                                                                                             $1,000.00
Brown County has long been an area that inspires and attracts artists with its natural beauty, including Theodore Clement “T.C.” Steele (1847-1926), noted Hoosier artist at the forefront of Indiana’s art movement and one of the state’s most honored artists. To ensure that Steele’s artistic legacy and impact in Brown County, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites (ISMHS) is asking for support for the third annual Painting Selma’s Garden event created in partnership with T.C. Steele State Historic Site, Indiana Heritage Arts and the Brown County Art Gallery.

Painting Selma’s Garden is a day-long event that will take place at both T.C. Steele State Historic Site and the Brown County Art Gallery. During the day, visitors can tour both venues, engage with artists and watch them create. In the evening, a ticketed reception at T.C. Steele State Historic Site will begin with an educational program followed by reception and art sale. Painting Selma’s Garden benefits the community of Brown County by celebrating its artistic history and supporting today’s working artists.

Service-Based Travel Expenses to Support Survivors              $2,000.00

Turning Point is requesting funding from the Brown County Community Foundation to cover essential travel expenses, including mileage, enabling staff to continue providing vital support to survivors of domestic violence in Brown County. In addition, the funding will help cover transportation costs for survivors who need assistance traveling to the emergency shelter or relocating elsewhere for safety. As the demand for Turning Point’s services continues to increase, support from the foundation will be crucial in ensuring that the agency can continue to meet the individualized needs of survivors and help guide them on their path toward safety and stability.