$30.4M in expenses

The community foundation of elkhart county (CFEC) was established in 1988 to inspire people to make charitable gifts that improve the quality of life in elkhart county. As a tax-exempt organization, CFEC helps individuals and organizations with charitable giving through the management of both endowed and non-endowed funds, primarily working with donors and grantees with ties to the county. Grants from restricted funds are issued in accordance with the terms established in the respective governing fund agreement. Most of these grants are to local tax-exempt organizations and span a wide array of charitable causes, including arts & culture, community development, education & youth development, health & human services, religious institutions, and scholarships. CFEC also maintains an unrestricted fund. The board primarily uses the unrestricted fund to support its three focus areas in service to the county: career pathways, kids & family, and placemaking. Initiative work is taking place, or has been started, within each focus area. Career pathways: initiative work is still being conceptualized. As part of its work, this group also serves as the local administrator for the lilly endowment community scholarship.kids & family: the initiative work, known as building strong brains, elkhart county's early childhood initiative, involves working with a coalition of partners to shift the early childhood system towards better outcomes for young children and their families in the areas of maternal & child health, quality childcare & early learning environments, and community & family supports. Partners in the initiative work include a cross section of health, nonprofit, childcare & education providers, business, and community collaborators.placemaking: this initiative is focused on increasing the county's trail network from its current 68 miles to 130 miles over the next 10 years, driven by the belief that trails provide an infrastructure for recreation and everyday needs, build better connected communities, and enhance the overall quality of life within the county. The initiative involves collaborative work with elected officials, municipal & county staff, enthusiasts, corporate citizens, and community members. Additional ongoing services CFEC offers to the community include:acts of service: this is a community service hub that helps match the needs of nonprofit organizations with the willing hands of individual volunteers and community partners, which includes working with local businesses on establishing/maintaining employee volunteer programs.the learning center: an initiative dedicated to providing quality learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders in CFEC's service area. These learning opportunities are focused on planning, fundraising, strategic planning, board development, and financial management. These learning opportunities are geared specifically to nonprofit leaders to assist them in advancing their missions.