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. IN ORDER 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 (FORMERLY HORSESHOE SOUTHERN INDIANA), HCCF AND HCCF SO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EMBARK ON SEVERAL AMBITIOUS PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS.EMERGENCY GRANT FUNDING RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INCLUDED:AN AWARD OF $80,977 TO HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES (HCCS) TO PURCHASE A TRUCK AND TRAILER TO BE USED AS A MOBILE OFFICE ALLOWING HCCS TO REACH THOSE UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO CORYDON FOR ASSISTANCE. (HCCF BUILDER'S FUNDS ENDOWMENTS PROVIDED $5,000 OF THE TOTAL AWARD.)THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY EDUCATION RELIEF (GEER) INITIATIVE GRANT OF $404,700 REQUIRED A LOCAL MATCH OF $324,299 WHICH HCCF PROVIDED. THE GEER GRANT FOR ELEARNING WAS USED TO SUBSIDIZE SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR TARGETED FAMILIES WITH STUDENTS NEEDING ACCESS TO HIGH SPEED INTERNET FOR ON-LINE LEARNING. A LOCAL HARRISON COUNTY EDUCATOR TOOK THE LEAD IN COORDINATING THE PROCESS WITH THREE PUBLIC SCHOOL CORPORATIONS AND TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. LOCAL INTERNET PROVIDERS MADE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT.TO ADDRESS THE BIG PICTURE OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HARRISON COUNTY AND HCCF PARTNERED TO HIRE AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT TO CREATE A BROADBAND READINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT PLAN FOR THE COUNTY. HCCF PROVIDED $50,000 TOWARD THE EFFORT. THE FINAL DELIVERABLE IS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENTED IN 2022. ADDITIONAL HCCF SO GRANTS INCLUDED:4:34 MINISTRIES/MACY HOUSE - $7964 TO UPGRADE FLOORINGPURDUE AGRICULTURE ADMINISTRATION - $6,859 TO INSTALL A RAIN-SCAPE GARDENHARRISON COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION COALITION/GENESIS HOUSE - $25,000 TO PROVIDE A PER DIEM FOR RESIDENTSSOUTH HARRISON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION - $164,096 FOR FACILITY REPAIRSFUND FOR THE ARTS INC. - $5,000 CULTURAL PASS FOR HARRISON COUNTY STUDENTS/PARENTSBATTLE OF CORYDON MEMORIAL PARK COMMITTEE - $3,050 CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY EVENTTOWN OF NEW MIDDLETOWN - $12,312 TO RENOVATE A BUILDING INTO A COMMUNITY CENTERJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KENTUCKIANA INC. - $6,500 PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR HARRISON COUNTY STUDENTSREPAIR AFFAIR OF HARRISON COUNTY, INC. - $3,000 FOR REPAIR EVENTHARRISON COUNTY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CENTER, INC. - $13,964 FOR SERVER AND CASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPGRADESWESLEY CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - $5,400 HISTORICAL WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND HVAC REPAIRSALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA - $26,350 OPERATIONS AND PROGRAM SUPPORTMETRO UNITED WAY - $5,350 FOR THE BUILD A BED PROJECTHAYSWOOD THEATRE GROUP INC. - $4435 FOR A LIGHT BOARD AND USER TRAININGTOWN OF CORYDON - $21,000 FOR NEW FENCING AT CEDAR HILL CEMETERYINDIANA ARTS COMMISSION GRANT MATCH - $5,000 EACH TO HAYSWOOD THEATRE GROUP INC., LANESVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION AND NORTH HARRISON BAND BOOSTERS, INC.JUMP START PRESCHOOL HCCF SO AWARDED OVER $239,808 TO FUND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS WHICH ADDRESS KINDERGARTEN READINESS FOR CHILDREN FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES. HCCF ALSO COORDINATES WITH THE STATE OF INDIANA'S ON MY WAY PREK PROGRAM IN ORDER 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 FOR HARRISON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN APPROVED COLLEGE DUAL CREDIT CLASSES.THE THREE HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATIONS WERE AWARDED $38,303 COLLECTIVELY AS PART OF AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO ENROLL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS IN THE STATE'S 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARSHIP 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. HCCF AWARDED $405,042 IN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN 2021.THE BUILDING OUR FUTURE (BOF) SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO HARRISON COUNTY RESIDENT GRADUATING STUDENTS. THE BOF RECIPIENTS RECEIVE $2,500 A YEAR RENEWABLE FOR FOUR YEARS FOR A TOTAL OF $10,000 EACH. THE NUMBER OF BOF AWARDS ARE DETERMINED ANNUALLY BY THE HCCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS BASED PRIMARILY UPON SENIOR CLASS SIZE AS REPORTED BY THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN JANUARY. A TOTAL OF $240,000 WAS AWARDED VIA BOF IN 2021.THE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION INCLUDING VOCATIONAL AND TRADE PROGRAMS. HCCF SO PROVIDES FUNDING FOR NON-RENEWABLE VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL.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.