The Community Foundation has offered at least one annual grant cycle addressing broad community needs every year since 1991. Monies from unrestricted funds and most field-of-interest funds have been awarded through this process. 

The 2009 deadline for the Community Foundation's annual Open Grant Cycle is Tuesday, September 8.  Grant proposals are due to the Community Foundation office (101 West Kirkwood, Suite 321 - third floor of Fountain Square Mall) by 5 p.m. that day. Our grant guidelines and application process have been updated. Please refer to the revised grant guidelines at the top of this page, and use the new application that appears below. (Both pdf and Word versions of the application packet are provided below.)

Grant recipients will be announced sometime in October.  Contact Renee Chambers, Program Director, with any questions at 812-333-9016 or renee@cfbmc.org. Grant dollars awarded from this grant program should be expended within 18 months of the award date. If you have not completed your project/program within the 18 months, you may request an extension. We consider extensions on a case by case basis.

Past open grant cycle history:  the average amount requested has been $12,000; the average amount granted has been $8,000; the largest single open grant cycle award was $27,900 to the City of Bloomington Fire Department, which allowed them to receive a $97,000 federal matching grant.