Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County

What Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County does

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1990 (originally as the Bloomington Community Foundation) and headquartered at 100 S. College Avenue, Suite 240, Bloomington, Indiana. The foundation connects donors, families, and businesses with philanthropic capital to address community needs in Monroe County and the broader Indiana Uplands region. Its product surface is organized around three lines: (1) a tiered grantmaking program for 2026-2027 with Tier 1 Rapid Response Grants ($20K-$75K, $500K total), Tier 2 Strategic Impact Grants ($50K-$100K, $750K total), and Tier 3 Transformative Community Investment Grants (up to $500K each, ~$2M total); (2) scholarship administration including the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (two Monroe County recipients annually) and named scholarships such as the Isabella Hutchison Memorial; and (3) endowment management services for individuals, families, and nonprofit agencies, including donor-advised funds, agency endowments, and planned giving, supported by an online fund portal at cfbmc.fcsuite.com.

The foundation manages a growing endowment of $59M (as of June 2026) and has awarded over $52M in grants to more than 600 local nonprofit organizations since 1990. Its technology stack is non-proprietary, built on a WordPress content platform (cfbmc.org) and an fcsuite.com ERP for donor-advised fund management. Revenue mechanics are those of a pooled-asset community foundation: investment returns on the endowment (managed under UPMIFA) plus ongoing donations from individuals, families, and businesses, with earnings distributed as grants rather than fees charged to users. It is Candid Platinum-certified (2026 Seal) and accredited under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. Key partnerships include the Lilly Endowment (matching grants and LECSP), Independent Colleges of Indiana (scholarship administration), Smithville Charitable Foundation (co-funded grants), the Uplands Smart Start coalition of 10 community foundations, Press Forward (local journalism), and Indiana University Media School (Indiana Newsroom learning lab).

Name

Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County

Legal name

Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Inc.

Website

https://cfbmc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1990 that manages a $59M endowment, awards tiered grants to Monroe County nonprofits, administers scholarships, and connects donors with philanthropic impact opportunities across south-central Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Endowment fund management
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Donor-advised funds
• Scholarship administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic endowment management: The foundation manages endowed funds from donors, individuals, families, and businesses. These funds are pooled and professionally invested. The earnings from investments provide income for grants back to the community. Donors can establish various fund types including donor-advised funds, agency endowment funds, field of interest funds, and unrestricted endowment funds.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County manages pooled endowment funds from individuals, families, and businesses, professionally investing them and distributing a portion as grants back into Monroe County. It administers multi-tier grant programs (Rapid Response, Strategic Impact, Transformative Community Investment), scholarship programs (Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and named memorial scholarships), and endowment management services for nonprofits and donors.

Product overview

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County offers a suite of philanthropic services organized around grantmaking, scholarships, and endowment management. The grant programs are structured in three tiers: Rapid Response Grants (Tier 1, $20,000-$75,000) for operational sustainability, Strategic Impact Grants (Tier 2, $50,000-$100,000) for outcome-driven initiatives, and Transformative Community Investment Grants (Tier 3, up to $500,000) for catalytic projects. The scholarship program includes the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (full tuition for two Monroe County students annually) and the Isabella Hutchison Memorial Scholarship for Bloomington South Orchestra students. The Foundation also provides endowment management for donors and nonprofit agencies, operates the Nonprofit Central resource center, and funds initiatives like the Indiana Newsroom Learning Lab and Uplands Smart Start early childhood education program. Online portals support donor-advised fund management and donation processing through fcsuite.com.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rapid Response Grants for Capacity and Organizational Sustainability (Tier 1) Competitive funding tier helping 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and governmental entities in Monroe County quickly strengthen operations, improve sustainability, and respond to increased demand. Grants range from $20,000 to $75,000.
• Strategic Impact Grants (Tier 2) Support for larger grant requests ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 for strategic, outcome-driven initiatives positioned for sustained community impact with longer performance periods. Up to $750,000 in funding available.
• Transformative Community Investment Grants (Tier 3) Bold, catalytic, and collaborative project grants of up to $500,000 each supporting high-impact opportunities such as housing, workforce development, economic mobility, talent attraction and retention, community health, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Approximately $2 million in funding available.
• Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Full-tuition scholarship for four years of undergraduate study at eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit colleges or universities, plus up to $900 annually for books and equipment. Two scholarships awarded annually in Monroe County.
• Isabella Hutchison Memorial Scholarship Fund Endowment-funded scholarship providing college scholarships to students from Bloomington High School South Orchestra, honoring Isabella Hutchison's love of music and belief in the power of the arts.
• Endowment Management Professional management of endowment funds including investment expertise, asset allocation, regular rebalancing, accounting, and compliance with the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act.
• Agency Endowment Services Endowment fund management services for nonprofit organizations including professionally managed investment pools, lower fees through economies of scale, and assistance with complex gift acceptance.
• Donor-Advised Fund Portal Online portal for donor-advised fundholders to manage their charitable giving, make grant recommendations, and track fund activity.
• Nonprofit Central Community-wide resource center addressing unique information needs of area nonprofits, providing best practices in management and governance issues. Operated in partnership with Monroe County Public Library.
• Uplands Smart Start Regional initiative in partnership with 10 community foundations to sustainably improve access, affordability, and quality of early childhood education across the Indiana Uplands region.
• Indiana Newsroom Learning Lab Learning lab at Indiana University Media School that expands local coverage on underreported issues affecting communities across southern Indiana while providing paid experiential learning opportunities for IU student journalists. Funded by a two-year, $300,000 grant.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $52 million granted to more than 600 local nonprofit organizations since 1990
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Uplands Smart Start / Ready Early Learning in the Indiana Uplands (RELU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025Coordinated approach developed in partnership with 10 community foundations and stakeholders to sustainably improve access, affordability, and quality of early childhood education across the Indiana Uplands region. CFBMC employs three Smart Start Coordinators through its organization.
• Smithville Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Community Impact Funding Initiative providing grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Smithville Charitable Foundation co-funds these initiatives with CFBMC to strengthen the community through innovative projects with lasting impact. The partnership has awarded over $1.1 million through 57 grants across multiple cycles.
• Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. ICI provides final selection of scholarship recipients and connects scholars with resources and opportunities through the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN).
• Press ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational movement bringing new energy and investment to local news and journalism. CFBMC is part of Press Forward Bloomington and Monroe County chapter, working to strengthen community information by pooling resources, aligning strategies, and supporting sustainable local journalism.
• Indiana University Media SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner$300,000 two-year grant to fund the Indiana Newsroom, a learning lab that expands local coverage on underreported issues affecting communities across southern Indiana while providing paid experiential learning opportunities for IU student journalists.
• Indiana Public Media (WFIU/WTIU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial partner in the Indiana Newsroom learning lab. Professional news organization partnering with students under Media School guidance to strengthen reach, credibility, and real-world impact of student reporting.
• Monroe County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create Nonprofit Central, a community-wide resource center addressing the unique information needs of area nonprofits. Located on the second floor of the library.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lilly Endowment Inc. Indianapolis-based private foundation and the largest single funder of Indiana community foundations via GIFT matching and LECSP scholarships. Not a direct competitor but the dominant counterparty shaping CFBMC's program design.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest U.S. community foundations with donor-advised funds, competitive grants, and scholarship programs. Comparable operating model but vastly larger asset base and national/international reach.

Direct peers

• Legacy Foundation (Lake County Indiana): Northwest Indiana community foundation with comparable grantmaking, scholarship, and Lilly Endowment GIFT programs. Directly comparable county-scale foundation peer.
• Hamilton County Community Foundation: Indiana community foundation serving a single county with donor-advised funds, grantmaking, scholarships, and Lilly Endowment GIFT participation. Closely comparable county-level scope and product set to CFBMC.
• Central Indiana Community Foundation: Indianapolis-based community foundation operating donor-advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and endowment matching programs. Same three-tier grantmaking model and similar Lilly Endowment GIFT partnership architecture as CFBMC, but at much larger scale.
• Community Foundation of Elkhart County: Single-county Indiana community foundation with competitive grants, donor-advised funds, scholarships, and Lilly Endowment GIFT matching. Same operational template and geographic focus type as CFBMC.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of Greater Indianapolis: Larger Indianapolis-area foundation (subsidiary of CICF) administering legacy funds and donor-advised funds in central Indiana. Overlaps CFBMC on product offering but serves a different urban geography.
• Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust: Indianapolis-based private foundation making grants in Indiana and Arizona. Comparable grantmaking function but operates as a private foundation rather than a community foundation with donor-advised funds.

Others

• Foundation Source: Outsourced administration and investment platform serving private foundations nationwide. Adjacent to CFBMC's endowment-management service line rather than a direct peer.
• Indiana University Foundation: Large institutional advancement and endowment-management entity for Indiana University. CFBMC's $300K Indiana Newsroom partnership connects the two, but IU Foundation is a higher-ed endowment operator rather than a community foundation peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CoFoundationBMC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cofoundationbmc
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityFoundationBloomingtonMonroeCounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/74385525
• Instagraminstagram.com/cofoundationbmc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County