Blue River Community Foundation

06/10/2026

✨ GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT ✨
We’re excited to award $20,000 to The Arc of Shelby County for the purchase and installation of new equipment at the SENSES Sensory Gym!

For more than a decade, The Arc of Shelby County has provided opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn, grow, and thrive. One of its most unique community resources is the SENSES Sensory Gym, which serves children of all abilities through interactive sensory play experiences.

🌈 The SENSES Sensory Gym is the only facility of its kind within a 40-mile radius of Shelbyville and has welcomed more than 100,000 child visits over the past decade. Families throughout the region rely on the space to support sensory development, motor skills, and social interaction.

🧠 This grant will support the purchase of a new Litezilla Ultimate Scarf Launcher, replacing an aging homemade attraction that has become a favorite among visitors. The upgraded equipment will provide expanded opportunities for movement, exploration, observation, and sensory learning.

💛 By supporting inclusive spaces like SENSES, we help create a community where every child has opportunities to learn, play, and reach their full potential.

This grant was made possible through the following funds held by BRCF:
- Access to Recreation Fund
- Bueford and Caryl Loper Robbins Fund

06/08/2026

✨ GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT ✨
We’re excited to award $10,000 to The Addison Times for Strategic Planning!

As Shelby County’s community-focused nonprofit news organization, The Addison Times provides free local journalism that helps residents stay informed, engaged, and connected. Through coverage of local government, community events, history, and public affairs, the publication serves thousands of readers across the county.

📰 As The Addison Times transitions from its founder-led model to a nonprofit organization, its leadership is focused on building a strong foundation for the future. While the publication has experienced steady growth and strong community support, long-term sustainability requires thoughtful planning around staffing, operations, technology, community engagement, and future expansion.

📋 This grant will support a comprehensive strategic planning process that brings together board members, community stakeholders, and professional consultants to create a roadmap for the organization's next chapter. The process will help identify opportunities to expand countywide coverage, strengthen digital outreach, and ensure the organization can continue adapting to a rapidly changing media landscape.

🏘️ Local journalism plays a critical role in building strong communities. By helping residents stay informed about the issues that affect their daily lives, The Addison Times strengthens civic engagement, increases community awareness, and helps preserve the stories that make Shelby County unique.

This grant was made possible through the following funds held at BRCF:
- Plymate Family Fund

06/04/2026

✨2026 Community Grant Recipients Announced✨

This year, we are awarding $123,510 to seven organizations whose projects will strengthen Shelby County through local journalism, workforce development, environmental stewardship, arts education, early childhood education, services for individuals with disabilities, and youth development.

Congratulations to our 2026 Community Grant recipients:

✨ Addison Times
✨ Central Indiana Land Trust
✨ Blue River Career Programs
✨ Arts for Learning
✨ Shelby County YMCA
✨ The Arc of Shelby County
✨ Girl Scouts of Central Indiana

These organizations are addressing important community needs while creating new opportunities for residents of all ages. We are grateful to the donors whose generosity makes these investments possible and honored to support the incredible work happening throughout Shelby County.

Learn more about the funded projects in our full announcement.
https://canva.link/2d6x7bfnjgch99j

06/03/2026

June's enewsletter is overflowing with good news and information!

🌟Shelby County welcomes Su Casa to our community!
🌟2026 Scholarship recipients announced! 248 Scholarships were distributed to 167 students totalling $541,300.
🌟Registration is filling up for the 2027 Scholarship Workshop. There's still time to sign up!
🌟2026 Community Grant Recipients announced! $123,510 was awarded to local nonprofit agencies.
🌟Progress and Hometown Grant cycles are open!
🌟Another utility art box installation was completed at the Blue River Trailhead!
🌟The Jordan and Brooke Caldwell Family Community Fund was established to support Shelby County for years to come!
🌟The 2025 Annual Report is available online https://indd.adobe.com/view/d8a66e07-d335-49fb-9764-3aa0a878d1f8

Read all the details and more at the following link: https://mailchi.mp/blueriverfoundation.com/brcf-jun2026-news-17661652

06/03/2026

We love an opportunity to partner with our local community stakeholders to continue supporting and growing our nonprofit community. Thanks for the shout out Hedges!!

Indiana has more than 47,000 nonprofits. Across the country, the sector employs more than 12 million people and spends nearly $2 trillion each year.

And yet, many people enter the nonprofit world by accident or simply because someone gave them a chance, invited them to volunteer, or encouraged them to get involved.

That’s why programs like Shelby County Jr. Leadership are so important.

This spring, 23 students from the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce initiative gathered at Blue River Career Center for a hands-on learning experience facilitated by Hedges and funded by Blue River Community Foundation.

These teens explored how nonprofits operate, how organizations create change, and how students can connect their interests, skills, and values to causes that matter to them.

Thank you to Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Blue River Community Foundation for investing in the next generation of nonprofit leadership.

Read more on our website about why nonprofit education and leadership development matter now more than ever. https://www.hellohedges.com/2026/05/18/building-the-nonprofit-leadership-pipeline-in-shelby-county/

06/01/2026

REMINDER: The deadline to register for Blue River Community Foundation’s summer Scholarship Workshop is June 11 for the June 18th session. A limited number of seats are still available.
This free workshop is open to Shelby County high school students who will graduate by June 2027. Students will learn about scholarship opportunities available through BRCF, including the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Topics will include using BRCF’s online application, writing an expressive essay, choosing recommenders, interview preparation, and transitioning from high school to college. Attendees will also hear insights from members of BRCF’s Alumni Scholar Alliance and a representative from INvestEd.

Students may choose one of the following sessions:
June 18 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
July 16 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

To register, visit: https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/104258
To learn more, visit: blueriverfoundation.com
For questions, contact Julie Alvis at [email protected] or 317-392-7955 ext. 102.
Link to flyer for additional information: https://indd.adobe.com/view/86c0770f-c1b8-43a5-857e-666033171f91

05/30/2026

Memorial and honorary gifts were recently made to Blue River Community Foundation for the individuals listed below. This is a wonderful, lasting way to honor those who are celebrating special milestones like a birthday, anniversary, or retirement, or to memorialize those we've lost.
The Foundation notifies family members of the tribute gift , but we never share gift amounts.
Donors do not have to have their own fund or set up a new fund to honor those they love. The Foundation has a number of funds already established to support the organizations and causes that mean the most to the honoree.

05/27/2026

We are excited to welcome Su Casa to Shelbyville!

Through conversations with community partners including St. Joseph Catholic Church, Shelbyville Central Schools, and MHP, we have heard the growing need for accessible services and support for Latino families in our community. Bringing Su Casa to Shelbyville is an important step toward breaking down barriers and connecting families to trusted resources. The organization has been acting as a cultural bridge for Latino Americans since 1999 in Bartholomew County, and will now call Shelbyville home as well.

Support for bringing Su Casa to Shelby County is being provided through Blue River Community Foundation’s Lilly Endowment GIFT IX Community Support Grant.

Su Casa will offer family support services from their office located inside the Blue River Community Foundation building, including:

✔ Connections to essential services and community resources
✔ Translation services
✔ School enrollment assistance
✔ Advocacy and family support

📍 Blue River Community Foundation, 54 W. Broadway St.
📞 812-375-9370 (Press 3 for Shelbyville office)

05/26/2026

A reminder that this project is still underway and our building should be entered from the side door on Tompkins St.

Blue River Community Foundation received funding in 2025 through Lilly Endowment Inc.’s GIFT VIII Board Engagement Grant, awarded in recognition of BRCF board members’ collective commitment, with each member contributing $500 or more to the Foundation. BRCF chose to invest these funds in enhancing the landscape and frontage of our downtown building by incorporating native plantings, new walkways, and multiple public art installations.

Located in downtown Shelbyville next to the Grover Museum, across from the Shelbyville-Shelby County Public Library, and near the Japanese Alley installation, the project is designed to further activate this corridor and strengthen connections between community spaces. Both the Japanese Alley and BRCF frontage improvements are currently under construction.

Students from the Indiana University J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program have led the design-build process over the past several months, gaining hands-on experience while contributing to a meaningful community initiative. Guided by faculty member Lucas Brown, the student team has collaborated closely with BRCF staff, board members, the BRCF Creative Committee, industry professionals, and City officials throughout the semester.

These improvements will help visibly identify BRCF’s presence while reflecting the Foundation’s mission and impact across Shelby County. The project advances BRCF’s broader commitment to expanding public art, enhancing downtown spaces, and creating welcoming environments that celebrate community pride and place.

While under construction, visitors to the BRCF building should access it from the west entrance of S. Tompkins St.

05/22/2026

The Blue River Community Foundation office will be closed on Monday, May 25th, 2026 for Memorial Day.