A Stellar Community: Community Foundation heightens Stellar Community effort
This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series.
See where it all began at our
Fall Conference for Community Foundations in Cleveland this October!
Huntingburg, Indiana became a “Stellar Community” on August 14, 2014, a distinction that will earn the city $10 million in state monies to fund communities’ projects for strategic development plans.
Working with its local community foundation proved to be an essential part of the City of Huntingburg’s plan as it began to craft a compelling application that would distinguish itself from the competition.
Early in the application process, the City of Huntingburg and Dubois County Community Foundation knew their partnership would be critical. By aligning the philanthropic sector and demonstrating how the projects would be sustained with perpetual resources, they would set themselves apart from the other 14 communities competing for the designation. To this effort, the Stellar Committee committed to a $1.8 million endowment campaign.
This $1.8 million philanthropic investment and endowment component was the first of its kind in a Stellar bid. Before the Stellar designation was announced, $650,000 was already pledged, proving the businesses and individuals in the community were behind this effort. This was a testament to the community buy-in of the importance of preserving and sustaining the city’s initiatives.
The City of Huntingburg and Dubois County Community Foundation continue a partnership that will leverage grant dollars while building a perpetual asset base for future generations to ensure that Huntingburg remains a “Stellar Community.”
About Stellar Communities
Established in 2011, the Stellar Communities program is a collaboration between the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to support community planning and development initiatives. The program pools funding sources for a variety of projects identified by the communities as key elements in their comprehensive strategic development plans.
Nicole Hurrle is Communications and Engagement Manager at Dubois County Community Foundation.
