Community Foundation of Elkhart County

What Community Foundation of Elkhart County does

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County (CFEC), founded in 1989 and headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation managing more than 660 charitable funds with over $502 million in assets as of fiscal year-end 2025 — placing it among the top 50 community foundations in the United States and the top 200 foundations globally. CFEC operates as a philanthropic intermediary connecting individual donors, families, companies, nonprofits, and professional advisors to community causes across Elkhart County, with a programmatic focus on Career Pathways, Kids & Families, and Placemaking. In calendar year 2024, the foundation received $27.9 million in new gifts from 1,245 unique donors, distributed $36.4 million across 2,978 grants, awarded $2.4 million in scholarships, and supported more than 60 food pantries through its Hunger Ends Here backbone initiative.

CFEC's service portfolio spans three pillars. First, fund and donor services include charitable fund establishment, donor-advised funds, estate and legacy planning, and a 0.25% annual administrative fee on funds under management — well below national community-foundation averages — plus a 25% match program for endowed funds. Digital infrastructure is built primarily on third-party SaaS: GOdonate (powered by Akoyago) for online giving and a GOfund donor portal, with GrantInterface serving the Grants and Scholarships Portals. Second, grantmaking and scholarship programs include Community Investment Grants (with a $25,000 committee-review threshold), Emergency Grants ($250–$25,000), Trail Network Grants, the Well Foundation health grants (~$200,000 annually), the Mishler Brown Fund for agricultural heritage, and scholarship offerings such as the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and the Universal Application. Third, the foundation acts as a backbone convener for community coalitions including Building Strong Brains (early childhood), Pumpkinvine Trails Coalition, Acts of Service (volunteerism), Hunger Ends Here, and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, which delivers training, CEO roundtables, and the annual Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey.

The foundation's revenue model combines investment returns on its endowment portfolio (10.6% in 2024) with the 0.25% administrative fee on $502M in funds (~$1.3M annually) and ongoing donor contributions. Governance is provided by a 20+ member board of directors and an executive team led by President Pete McCown (since 2011), with Ken Julian set to become the first COO effective July 2026. Major partners include Lilly Endowment Inc. (Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program since 1998), Horizon Education Alliance (data-informed grantmaking), Independent Colleges of Indiana, and the Elkhart County Food Collaborative. The foundation is DBA "Inspiring Good" and has previously operated under the name Elkhart County Community Foundation.

Name

Community Foundation of Elkhart County

Legal name

Community Foundation of Elkhart County

Website

https://inspiringgood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit managing 660+ charitable funds with over $502 million in assets, distributing grants and scholarships and convening community coalitions across Elkhart County, Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Grantmaking and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Grantmaking services
• Donor advised funds
• Scholarship administration
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Elkhart

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns on Endowment Portfolio: The foundation earns returns on its $500+ million investment portfolio which supports ongoing grantmaking and operations. The portfolio achieved a 10.6% investment return in 2024.
2. Administrative Fees on Charitable Funds: The foundation charges a 0.25% administrative fee on charitable funds under management to cover fund administration, IRS compliance, scholarship and grant processing, donor services, and professional investment oversight.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation that manages more than $500 million in assets across 660+ charitable funds. It administers grantmaking programs (Community Investment Grants, Trail Network Grants, Emergency Grants), scholarship funds (Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship and others), and provides nonprofit capacity-building services through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, while investing and stewarding donor-advised, endowed, and field-of-interest funds for individuals, families, and organizations in Elkhart County, Indiana.

Product overview

The Community Foundation of Elkhart County operates as a comprehensive philanthropic services organization offering grantmaking programs (Community Investment Grants, Trail Network Grants, Emergency Grants), specialized fund programs (Well Foundation, Mishler Brown Fund), scholarship opportunities (Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, Guy Gundlach Memorial Scholarship, Universal Applications), and nonprofit support services (Center for Nonprofit Excellence, The Learning Center, CEO Roundtables). The foundation also manages community initiatives including Acts of Service (volunteerism), Building Strong Brains (early childhood), Pumpkinvine Trails Coalition, 100 Women Who Care, and Hunger Ends Here. Digital platforms include GOdonate for online giving and GOfund for donor portal access. The foundation has grown to over $500 million in assets and manages more than 660 charitable funds established by individuals, families, and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Investment Grants Major grant program supporting nonprofit organizations serving Elkhart County in three focus areas: Career Pathways, Kids & Families, and Placemaking. Grants under $25,000 are reviewed by staff on a rolling basis; grants over $25,000 are reviewed by a volunteer committee. Designed for Elkhart County nonprofits addressing community priorities.
• Trail Network Grants Grants supporting nonprofits involved in developing, maintaining, or activating Elkhart County's trail network, including trail amenities, signage, beautification, and key connections between trails and communities. Designed for nonprofits supporting the countywide trail network.
• Emergency Grants Quick-response grants ranging from $250 to $25,000 for nonprofits facing urgent, unforeseen events such as natural disasters, theft, equipment damage, or facility issues threatening operations. Designed for Elkhart County nonprofits in crisis.
• Community Crisis Fund Fund established in 2007 for disaster relief, providing swift assistance to nonprofits responding to unexpected crises including natural disasters and community tragedies. Designed for disaster-response efforts across Elkhart County.
• Well Foundation Grants Health and wellness grants of approximately $200,000 annually supporting programs in Goshen and Elkhart County. Fund transferred to CFEC in 2017 from the former Goshen Hospital & Health Care Foundation. Designed for health and wellness programs serving the community.
• Mishler Brown Fund Grants Grants supporting farming, agricultural education, historic farm preservation, and natural resource conservation. Established through Helen Mishler's estate to preserve Elkhart County heritage. Designed for agricultural and conservation causes.
• Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Prestigious four-year full-tuition scholarship (excluding room and board) awarded to three graduating seniors from Elkhart County to attend any Indiana college or university. Administered since 1998 in partnership with Lilly Endowment Inc. Designed for high-achieving Elkhart County high school seniors.
• Guy David Gundlach Memorial Scholarship $20,000 tuition award ($5,000 per year for four years) awarded to students nominated but not selected for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Designed for Elkhart County high school seniors.
• Universal Application for High School Single application matching high school seniors with 30+ scholarship opportunities. Open January 1 through March 1 annually. Designed for Elkhart County high school seniors applying to multiple scholarships through one application.
• Universal Application for Adults Application matching adult students with six different scholarships for those returning to school, changing careers, or pursuing degrees for the first time. Designed for adult learners in Elkhart County.
• John G. Blakesley Mathematical Excellence Scholarship Four-year scholarship ($1,250 per year, $5,000 total) awarded to one outstanding eighth-grade student in Elkhart County based on character, leadership, and commitment to learning. Designed for exceptional Elkhart County 8th graders.
• Center for Nonprofit Excellence Comprehensive support program offering executive coaching, CEO roundtables, strategic planning, board development, and professional development workshops for nonprofit leaders. Designed for executive directors and staff of Elkhart County nonprofits.
• The Learning Center (TLC) Nonprofit professional development program offering topical trainings, hands-on workshops, and an annual CEO retreat. Now housed within the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Designed for nonprofit professionals seeking development opportunities.
• CEO Roundtables Confidential, peer-driven groups for nonprofit executives providing trusted peer support, reflection space, and professional facilitation for leadership development. Designed for nonprofit CEOs and executive directors.
• Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey Annual compensation study providing benchmarks for salaries, benefits, and compensation trends across nonprofit organizations in Northern Indiana. Designed for nonprofit HR leaders, executive directors, and boards setting compensation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $36.4 million in grants distributed to 2,978 recipients in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Horizon Education AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFEC partners with Horizon Education Alliance for data-informed grantmaking. Horizon launched a public data dashboard that helps the foundation and others across the county see trends clearly and identify where collaborative efforts can have the greatest impact in education and workforce development.
• Elkhart County Food CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of nonprofit organizations united to ensure no one in the community goes hungry. Through the Hunger Ends Here initiative, CFEC provides backbone support to coordinate communication, share resources, and organize bulk food purchases across more than 60 food pantries.
• Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICI provides final approval for Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients. CFEC's Career Pathways Committee selects finalists, with ICI making final scholarship recipient approvals for the prestigious full-tuition scholarship program.
• Elkhart Health & AquaticssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFEC helped raise funds and shape the vision for this dynamic facility in the city's River District. The center serves as a gathering place for community wellness, competitive athletics, and youth development. CFEC offers workshops and events at this location.
• Wellfield Botanic GardensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for the Women in Nonprofit Leadership Conference. CFEC utilizes this venue for professional development programming through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
• National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFEC's Elkhart County Estate Planning Council membership includes access to NAEPC benefits including complimentary webinars, professional publications, member discounts, and continuing education opportunities.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dayton Foundation: Ohio community foundation serving the Greater Dayton region. Comparable mid-sized community foundation structure with charitable funds, grants, and scholarship administration.
• Legacy Foundation: Northwest Indiana community foundation serving Lake and Porter counties. Same state, same community foundation model, similar focus on endowed funds, grants, and scholarships administered through a central organization.
• Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: Mid-size community foundation serving Greater Des Moines. Operates DAFs, endowed funds, scholarships, and community initiatives—providing a useful Midwest peer of similar scale to CFEC.
• Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne: Indiana-based community foundation serving the Fort Wayne area with comparable grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund programs. Same operating model and regulatory framework (501(c)(3) community foundation).
• Central Indiana Community Foundation: Central Indiana's community foundation (Indianapolis). Operates as a comparable grantmaking/DAF/scholarship platform serving a single Indiana metro with multiple funds, donor services, and community initiatives. Highly analogous structure to CFEC.
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation: Michigan community foundation serving Kent County/Grand Rapids. Operates the same community foundation model with charitable funds, grant cycles, and scholarship programs at a comparable size to CFEC.
• Kalamazoo Community Foundation: Michigan community foundation serving Kalamazoo County. Similar size and operating model—DAFs, endowed funds, scholarships, and community impact initiatives—making it a strong comparable for CFEC's scale.

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Foundation: First U.S. community foundation (1914), Greater Cleveland. Much larger scale than CFEC but operates the same model: endowed funds, donor services, scholarships, and place-based grantmaking.
• The Columbus Foundation: One of the largest U.S. community foundations (Greater Columbus, Ohio). Same operating model but materially larger AUM; useful as a comparable for governance, fund structures, and program scale benchmarks.
• Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta: Large metro community foundation serving Atlanta. Same model and program suite (DAFs, scholarships, place-based initiatives), much larger scale. Useful for benchmarking program expansion and equity-focused initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=YlvmFjaNXnY&t=12s
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityFoundationofElkhartCounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communityfoundationofelkhartcounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Elkhart County