MUNCIE, Indiana — The Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded 33 grants totaling more than $4 million in its first round of funding of the year.
Recipients included “several organizations with long historical ties to the Ball family that are implementing transformative capital projects: Ball State University, Camp Crosley (YMCA of Muncie) and the YWCA Central Indiana,” according to a press release.
A $2.5 million grant to the Ball State University Foundation will help build a new Performing Arts Center adjacent to campus in the area known as The Village.
This state-of-the-art facility provides extensive facilities for the university’s Department of Theatre and Dance and “encourages further development in the village to create a more vibrant precinct,” the press release said.
“The potential and promise of revitalizing the village with a performing arts center at its heart will be transformative,” said Jud Fisher, president and CEO of Ball Brothers Foundation. “This will provide a dynamic gateway to the campus, and in turn to the community, that will attract community members and visitors. And it will help to better physically connect the city of Muncie and Ball State University.”
Another major capital project that has received funding is renovations to Camp Crosley, a YMCA camp on Lake Tippecanoe in Kosciusko County in northern Indiana. The camp has ties to both Muncie and the Ball family that go back more than 100 years. A $250,000 grant will support upgrades to the camp’s lakeside cabins, making them year-round and increasing the camp’s capacity.
Camp Crosley welcomes more than 2,600 campers from across the Midwest each summer, including nearly 200 campers from the Muncie area.
Funding from the Ball Brothers Foundation will also support the first phase of a project being conducted by the YWCA Central Indiana to explore future options for the site. The YWCA’s emergency shelter and supportive housing programs for women and children are located in a historic building in downtown Muncie that was originally built in 1927 with strong support from the Ball family and the Muncie community.
“A $35,000 grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation will support the YWCA’s work to launch a fundraising campaign to coincide with a potential relocation to better meet the needs of the organization and the women and children it serves,” the press release said.
The foundation will also provide a $100,000 grant to the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office, which will assist in the relocation and expansion of the county’s High-Tech Crime Unit, located on the city’s South Side. The unit, which serves Delaware County and 11 surrounding counties and is one of only 10 in the state of Indiana, serves as a resource for local law enforcement agencies, providing forensic analysis of digital devices, including computers, hard drives and cell phones, that are suspected of having been used to commit or facilitate criminal activity.
The new facility will be located in the Delaware County Building in downtown Muncie and will include state-of-the-art forensic laboratories, additional office space and eventually a dedicated training area.
Another major capital investment awarded this spring was $80,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank to install new refrigeration facilities.
This round of subsidies also supported various other organisations and projects in the fields of art and culture, social benefits, health, education, the environment and social services.
The spring 2024 grant round also included:
Delaware County Historical Society — $20,000 to hire a part-time executive director to help the organization prepare for its centennial in 2025, the county bicentennial in 2027, and other general operational activities.
Muncie Children’s Museum —$30,000 for design and manufacturing costs for new wildlife exhibits.
Music for everyone — $20,000 to support the MFA Summer Symposium, held locally each June on the Ball State University campus. The funding will enable the MFA to bring more than 900 students and 150 executives from across the country to Muncie.
The Muncie & Delaware County Community Foundation —$15,000 to engage the national consulting organization Artspace to conduct a survey of the local arts and cultural landscape and develop an action plan to promote economic development, tourism, downtown revitalization and historic preservation.
Anderson University — $25,000 for the Center for Security Studies and Cyber Defense, a “cybersecurity incubator” that recruits students from AU and Ball State University for highly competitive internships in cybersecurity.
Ball State University — $25,000 to establish a new cybersecurity internship on campus, the Cardinal Academy of Digital Security and Education.
Daleville Community Schools — Multi-year funding of $100,000 to establish a new staff position to oversee the district’s Outdoor Learning Lab.
Destination Christian Center —$15,000 to purchase new playground equipment for the child care center near McKinley.
Huffer Memorial Children’s Center —$30,000 in general operating support for child care and early education programs.
Ivy Tech Foundation —$50,000 to establish a “college concierge” program to support the transition from high school to community college.
Source of the track —$10,000 to support the launch of the Muncie Scholar House, a housing and support program for single parents pursuing postsecondary education.
Shafer Leadership Academy —$100,000 in multi-year support for general operations and growth.
Vision angle — $15,000 for e-sports racing simulators in this Union City center for education, small business development and workforce training.
YMCA of Muncie — $40,000 to support the overall operation of child care and early childhood education programs.
Youth Opportunities Center —$35,000 to expand staff for on-site academic programs in partnership with Muncie Community Schools.
Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District —$35,000 for educational programs, water sampling, and outreach focused on water and soil quality in Grant, Blackford, Jay, Madison, Delaware and Randolph counties.
Muncie Sports Commission —$70,000 in general operational support.
Riley Children Foundation —$100,000 to support large-scale diabetes screening research.
Brothers 2 Brothers United —$10,000 to increase staffing capacity for a youth mentorship program in the Industry neighborhood.
Heart of Indiana United Way —$75,000 to support operational costs and provide incentives to increase the success of the annual campaign’s fundraising efforts.
Indiana Youth Institute —$45,000 for customized consulting projects for youth organizations in east-central Indiana.
Muncie Delaware County Senior Center — $7,500 for electrical upgrades.
YWCA of Central Indiana —$50,000 to support general activities and services for homeless women and children.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office — $10,000 to support equipment and training to combat cybercrime.
Muncie Downtown Development Partnership — $50,000 to support the operational and branding campaign.
Muncie Police Department — $10,000 to support equipment and training to combat cybercrime.
Ross Community Center — $95,000 to support general operations and maintenance of sports fields.
Sustainable Muncie Corp. —$175,000 to support general activities and expansion of maker training.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: New performing arts center funded by foundation grant
