Harrison County Community Foundation Support Organ Inc

TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA COMMUNITY. THIS INCLUDES SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT TO HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA GRADUATING SENIORS.

HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (HCCF) AND THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION (HCCF SO) HAVE A UNIQUE HISTORY. IN A RIVERBOAT GAMING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT DATED MAY 15, 1996, RDI/CAESARS RIVERBOAT, LLC AGREED WITH THE HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE $5,000,000 TO CREATE THE FOUNDATION. THE AGREEMENT ALSO PROVIDED FOR A CONTINUING TRANSFER OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CASINO TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BEGINNING IN 2000. TO MEET THE PUBLIC SUPPORT TEST AND CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC FOUNDATION, THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION (HCCF SO) WAS CREATED. THIS HCCF SO IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION THAT IS ORGANIZED AND OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY TO BENEFIT, PERFORM, AND CARRY OUT THE EXCLUSIVELY PUBLIC, CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND OTHER PURPOSES OF THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, INC. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HCCF SO IS COMPRISED OF THE SAME SITTING BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INCLUDING OFFICERS, AS HCCF.THE MISSION OF THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS TO INSPIRE AND ASSIST EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE PHILANTHROPY, PRODUCING POSITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN HARRISON COUNTY. HCCF'S VISION IS TO GROW HARRISON COUNTY INTO THE BEST COMMUNITY TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE A FAMILY. HCCF VALUES GENEROSITY, INTEGRITY, SUSTAINABILITY, STEWARDSHIP, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, INCLUSION, AND EXCELLENCE.ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CASINO ARE BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF GAMING REVENUE AND ARE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO ACCOUNTS IN THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION. THE MAJORITY, 75%, GOES INTO THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FUND, WHICH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT USES TO SUPPORT ITS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS. THE REMAINING 25% IS USED BY THE FOUNDATION TO FUND ITS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, SUCH AS GRANT-MAKING AND MATCHING GIFTS. BECAUSE OF THE UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CAESARS SOUTHERN INDIANA CASINO, HCCF AND HCCF SO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EMBARK ON SEVERAL AMBITIOUS PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS.BROADBAND READINESS & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT PLANIN 2022, HCCF PARTNERED WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ICE MILLER CONSULTANTS ON A BROADBAND READINESS & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT PLAN TO EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET THROUGHOUT HARRISON COUNTY. HCCF SO PROVIDED $50,000 TOWARD THE EFFORT. THE PLAN IDENTIFIES AREAS OF HARRISON COUNTY UNSERVED BY BROADBAND INTERNET, IDENTIFIES PRIORITY PROJECT AREAS BASED ON POPULATION AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT, REPORTS ON POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR PROJECTS, AND ESTABLISHES MINIMUM SPEED RECOMMENDATIONS. DURING THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE PLAN, HARRISON COUNTY WAS DESIGNATED AS AN OFFICIAL BROADBAND READY COMMUNITY THROUGH LT. GOVERNOR SUZANNE CROUCH AND THE INDIANA BROADBAND OFFICE. THE BROADBAND PLAN WAS PRESENTED TO THE HARRISON COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN JULY 2022. THE BROADBAND PLAN SERVES AS A MAP AND RESOURCE FOR FUTURE STRATEGIES TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, INCLUDING OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS TO SUPPORT BROADBAND EXPANSION. HCCF RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO THE INTERNET FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND HOPES TO CONTINUE COLLABORATION ON INITIATIVES FOR CONTINUED EXPANSION. ADDITIONAL HCCF SO GRANTS INCLUDED: ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA $20,000 ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA SUPPORT HARRISON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS $465,200 PURCHASE 1,283 PIECES OF RADIOS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR A NEW UPDATED DIGITAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. NORTH HARRISON COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION $79,454 NORTH HARRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND REMODEL SOUTH HARRISON COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION $94,063 - TO EQUIP THE HEALTH SCIENCES LAB WITH UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY MAIN STREET CORYDON IND INC. $6,500 - PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE 2022 HARRISON COUNTY POPCORN FESTIVAL BLUE RIVER SERVICES INC. $200,000 - TO CONSTRUCT EIGHT UNITS (4 DUPLEXES) OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT AUTUMN RIDGE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KENTUCKIANA $6,000 - 2022-23 PROGRAMMING HARRISON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY $105,450 - DEMOLITION OF GRANDSTANDS HARRISON COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT $950,000 - INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND AND UPGRADES SOUTH HARRISON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION $8,000 - TO RESTOCK THEIR FOOD PANTRY JUMP START PRESCHOOL HCCF SO AWARDED OVER $135,000 TO FUND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS KINDERGARTEN READINESS FOR CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. HCCF ALSO COORDINATES WITH THE STATE OF INDIANA'S ON MY WAY PREK PROGRAM TO REACH AS MANY FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR EXPANDED BENEFITS. MULTIPLE SITES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. DOCUMENTED RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THIS PRESCHOOL OPPORTUNITY IS MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE.DUAL CREDIT HCCF SO AWARDED $100,000 TO SCHOOL CORPORATIONS FOR HARRISON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN APPROVED COLLEGE DUAL CREDIT CLASSES.21ST CENTURY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMTHE THREE HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATIONS WERE AWARDED $43,448 COLLECTIVELY AS PART OF AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO ENROLL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS IN THE STATE'S EVAN BAYH SCHOLARS ENROLLMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM.SCHOLARSHIPSSINCE 1998, THE HCCF SO HAS PROVIDED FUNDING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE SELECTED BY A UNIVERSAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE WHICH HAS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, PAST HCCF BOARD MEMBERS, ONE CURRENT HCCF BOARD MEMBER, AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL FROM EACH OF THE FOUR COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS AS MEMBERS. ALL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED USING OBJECTIVE AND NONDISCRIMINATORY SELECTION PROCESSES. THE BUILDING OUR FUTURE (BOF) SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO HARRISON COUNTY RESIDENT GRADUATING STUDENTS. THE BOF RECIPIENTS RECEIVE UP TO $2,500 A YEAR RENEWABLE FOR FOUR YEARS FOR A TOTAL OF UP TO $10,000 EACH. THE NUMBER OF BOF AWARDS IS DETERMINED ANNUALLY BY THE HCCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS BASED PRIMARILY ON STUDENT CLASS SIZE AS REPORTED BY THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN JANUARY. A TOTAL OF $240,000 WAS AWARDED VIA BOF IN 2022.THE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION INCLUDING VOCATIONAL AND TRADE PROGRAMS. HCCF SO PROVIDED $30,000 IN FUNDING FOR NON-RENEWABLE VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS.ADULT SCHOLARSHIPSBEGINNING IN 2013, HCCF BEGAN AWARDING ADULT SCHOLARSHIPS. APPLICANTS MUST HAVE RESIDENCY IN HARRISON COUNTY AND BE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OLD, AS OF THE DATE OF APPLICATION TO BE ELIGIBLE. A MAXIMUM OF $5,000 PER RECIPIENT, PER CALENDAR YEAR MAY BE AWARDED. APPLICANTS MUST BE WORKING TOWARDS A VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE, ASSOCIATES DEGREE, OR BACHELOR'S DEGREE. $20,000 WAS AWARDED IN ADULT SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2022.