COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY INC

What COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY INC does

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity founded in 1991 and headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana. It operates under the brand "Community Foundation Serving Howard, Clinton & Carroll Counties" and serves donors, nonprofits, students, and financial advisors across three counties in north central Indiana through two wholly-owned affiliates: the Clinton County Community Foundation (1996) and the Carroll County Community Foundation (1997). The Foundation's core product is a portfolio of endowment fund types — unrestricted community endowments, donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, designated funds, and field-of-interest funds — supplemented by the Lilly Endowment GIFT matching program and the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship administered in partnership with Independent Colleges of Indiana.

The Foundation's revenue model is fund-management based rather than transactional. Donors contribute to permanent endowments; assets are professionally invested and generate returns that fund annual grantmaking and operations. As of 2023, the Foundation held $106.1M in assets across 600+ funds, up from $63.6M and 450 funds in 2017. In 2024, it awarded $4.5M+ in grants and scholarships, with the Carroll County affiliate alone distributing over $3.5M since 1997. A landmark $4.986M Lilly Endowment GIFT VII grant (2020) enabled a tri-county Drop-In Engagement Center initiative. The Foundation maintains National Standards accreditation (since 2006), GuideStar Gold Seal transparency certification, and conducts an Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Series training program.

The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of more than 40 community members across the three counties, with day-to-day operations led by an 11-person professional staff headed by President Todd Moser (since July 2023). Technology infrastructure is minimal — a Squarespace-hosted website with three county-specific subdomains, an online donation portal, email newsletter, and Instagram presence — and there is no disclosed AI/ML capability, proprietary technology product, or external software integrations beyond standard nonprofit tooling.

Name

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF HOWARD COUNTY INC

Legal name

Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc.

Website

https://cfhoward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation founded in 1991 that manages 600+ endowment funds and $106.1M in assets to distribute grants and scholarships across Howard, Clinton, and Carroll Counties in Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Services and Community Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Endowment administration
• Grantmaking and scholarships
• Donor advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Kokomo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions & Endowments: Pooled donations from individuals, families, and businesses to support endowment funds. Funds are invested and earnings used to make grants to nonprofits and scholarships to students.
2. Investment Income: Endowment funds are professionally managed and generate investment returns that support ongoing grantmaking and scholarships.
3. Administrative Fees: Administrative fees on endowment funds support foundation operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Howard County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that pools charitable donations from individuals, families, and businesses into permanent endowment funds, professionally invests them, and distributes grants to local 501(c)(3) nonprofits and scholarships to students across Howard, Clinton, and Carroll Counties in Indiana. It offers multiple fund types (unrestricted community endowments, donor advised funds, scholarship funds, designated funds, field of interest funds) and supports donors through estate planning, planned giving, and the Lilly Endowment GIFT matching program.

Product overview

The Community Foundation Serving Howard, Clinton & Carroll Counties operates as a regional philanthropic organization offering a portfolio of charitable fund products centered around its endowment-based fund architecture. The core offerings include Unrestricted Community Endowment Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Scholarship Funds, Designated Funds, and Field of Interest Funds, all managed through a digital Online Donation Portal. The Foundation enhances donor impact through the Lilly Endowment GIFT Match Program (currently Phase 9, offering $2-for-$1 matching through June 30, 2028), and provides educational programming via the Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Series. A significant community initiative includes the Drop-In Engagement Center for mental health and addiction services, funded by a $4.9 million Lilly Endowment Large-Scale Leadership Grant.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unrestricted Community Endowment Funds Permanent endowment funds that allow the Foundation flexibility to address a broad range of evolving community needs across Howard, Clinton, and Carroll counties. Minimum $12,500 to establish.
• Donor Advised Funds Charitable funds where donors actively participate in recommending grant recipients, allowing families to engage in philanthropy together.
• Scholarship Funds Endowed funds that provide financial support to students pursuing higher education, including the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program.
• Designated Funds Funds that support specific nonprofit organizations designated by the donor, ensuring long-term support for chosen charities.
• Field of Interest Funds Funds focused on specific cause areas such as education, arts, health, or youth development as determined by the donor.
• Lilly Endowment GIFT Match Program A $2-for-$1 matching initiative where Lilly Endowment triples donations to unrestricted community endowment funds, with the current phase running through June 30, 2028.
• Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Series A six-month certificate program designed to educate nonprofit leaders on fundamental skills including board development, marketing, fundraising, and grant writing.
• Online Donation Portal Secure online platform enabling donors to make charitable contributions to various county-specific funds with real-time processing.
• Drop-In Engagement Center Initiative A medically-assisted engagement center initiative funded by a $4.9 million Lilly Endowment grant to reduce avoidable incarcerations and hospitalizations for individuals affected by mental health and addiction issues in the tri-county region.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4.5 million+ in grants and scholarships awarded in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Turning Point System of CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2020Administrator of the Drop-In Engagement Center in Howard County, part of a $4.9M Lilly Endowment GIFT VII grant. The center provides a safe place for individuals affected by mental health and addiction issues to detox and stabilize before engaging in formal treatment.
• Healthy Communities of Clinton CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2020Administrator of Clinton County Drop-In Engagement Center location, part of regional collaborative partnership funded by Lilly Endowment GIFT VII grant. Expands mental health navigator position funded by Implementation Grant.
• Mental Health America - Wabash Valley RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2020Administrator of Carroll County Drop-In Engagement Center location and Brooks Center office in Delphi. Provides 24/7 crisis line, suicide prevention, emotional support, and mental health navigator services. Expanded services funded by Lilly Endowment GIFT VII grant.
• Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. ICI is a nonprofit membership organization serving as collective voice for Indiana's 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate over $5 billion in local economic impact annually.
• Indiana Philanthropy AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud member of Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, a nonprofit membership organization serving as collective voice and resource for Indiana's philanthropic sector. Provides professional development, networking, advocacy, and research support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Elkhart County Community Foundation: Indiana single-county community foundation with comparable asset range, donor-advised and scholarship funds, and Lilly Endowment GIFT matching program participation.
• Central Indiana Community Foundation: Indiana-based community foundation serving the Indianapolis region with comparable fund types (DAF, scholarship, designated, unrestricted), National Standards accreditation, and Lilly Endowment GIFT partnership. Closest scale and model analogue within Indiana.
• Legacy Foundation (Hamilton County): Indiana single-county community foundation based in Noblesville with similar asset size range, donor-advised fund focus, scholarship programs, and National Standards accreditation.
• Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne: Indiana multi-county community foundation serving northeast Indiana with comparable grant cycles, scholarship administration, fund types, and Lilly Endowment GIFT matching participation.
• Porter County Community Foundation: Northwest Indiana community foundation with comparable donor-advised, scholarship, and designated fund offerings and Lilly Endowment GIFT matching participation.
• Indianapolis Foundation: Established Indiana community foundation (sister organization to CICF) operating endowment funds, competitive grants, and scholarship programs with National Standards accreditation.
• St. Joseph County Community Foundation: Northern Indiana community foundation serving the South Bend area with similar endowment-based fund structure, scholarship administration, and competitive grant cycles.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of Louisville: Multi-county regional community foundation serving Louisville and surrounding Kentucky counties with comparable grantmaking scale, fund architecture, and National Standards accreditation.
• The Columbus Foundation: Large Ohio community foundation with similar fund architecture (DAFs, scholarship funds, designated funds), competitive grant cycles, and Lilly Endowment-style matching programs at meaningfully larger scale.
• The Dayton Foundation: Mid-sized Ohio community foundation with comparable asset range, multi-county service area, competitive grant cycles, scholarship administration, and donor-advised fund focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqHrbyS6usaCC-Uk8pgJ2nQ
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DbBB3SIkRmB

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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