ABOUT US
Local Giving. Lasting Impact.
As stewards of your generosity, partners to our local nonprofits and students, and leaders of our community, we live life local in all that we do.
What We Do
- We help you help Rush County by matching your philanthropic goals to the community’s needs. Your gifts are placed in expertly managed permanent funds, so your generosity creates a thriving community from day one - until forever.
- Investment earnings from your gifts generate grants that power local nonprofits and scholarships that support our students. Your original gifts remain untouched, to continue supporting Rush County. From Carthage to Milroy, Arlington to Glenwood, and all points in between, you make a difference for the people, places, and programs in our community.
- We take our leadership role seriously. Working with all sectors – city and county governments, nonprofits, education, healthcare, and individual stakeholders, we seek out and create opportunities to enhance life for all in Rush County.
Our Mission
Cultivating resources to enhance life in Rush County
Our Values
- Integrity – We will be honest, truthful and ethical in all dealings.
- Stewardship – We will be diligent in the oversight of our assets and resources, ensuring that our donors’ funds are managed and deployed in a manner best-fitting our mission and values.
- Future-Focused – Rather than addressing immediate, short-term solutions, we will contemplate issues and solutions that provide a better future for our community.
- Leadership – We will be a leading organization in our community on issues and solutions that serve our mission.
- Community – More than simply a word in our organization’s name, community reflects the people we work with, for, and in support of. We value the relationships that comprise our community of donors, grantees and stakeholders and are committed to being approachable to all.
Our 2025-2027 Strategic Plan
By focusing on these strategic goals, we can continue to lead and enhance life in Rush County for all.
Our History
1991
The Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF) was founded in response to Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, which encouraged the creation and development of community foundations through matching dollars. Three Rush County friends—Rick Levi, Paul Barada, and Danny Earnest—seized the opportunity.
From humble beginnings with $85,000 in assets to more than $30 million today, RCCF’s growth has been made possible by donors like you.
1993
1994
Our first grant—$6,085 from the Rush County Community Fund—was awarded to Rush Memorial Hospital for new emergency room lights.
RMH Administrator Bill Hartley noted, “The new equipment will replace 40-year-old ER lights and bring standards of care up considerably.”
1995
We awarded our first scholarships: $8,750 from the Frank & Frances Hilburt Scholarship Fund. Five students, Becky Gruell, Robin Sowder, Christin Odum, Barbara Masters and Regina Leising, each received $1,750.
Rush County met Lilly Endowment’s GIFT I match goal of $1 million.
Thanks to a building donation from Terry Smith of Norwest Bank, RCCF moved into its permanent home at 117 North Main Street, Rushville.
1996
1997
1998
Community projects funded through GIFT III:
- $600,000 – Waggener Community Pool
- $75,000 – Rush County Historical Society Museum restoration
- $75,000 – Rushville Library roof and repairs
Grant Reeves was awarded the first Rush County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
1999
GIFT IV brought a flexible $750,000 grant to support local needs.
Projects funded include:
- $250,000 – Community and Root Building at Rush County Fairgrounds
- $250,000 – Boys & Girls Club building addition
- $150,000 – 4-H Horse & Pony grounds improvements
- $50,000 – Salvation Army roof
- $50,000 – Rush County Senior Citizens Center upgrades
GIFT IV also offered a 3:1 match opportunity for RCCF operations with a $100,000 goal.
2000
2013
2014
Lilly Endowment launched GIFT VI, offering $500,000 in matching funds.
Total fund payouts exceeded $8M.
2016
2018
2019
In 11 months, the community donated $250,000 to unrestricted Community Grants Funds and earned a $500,000 match from GIFT VII.
GIFT VII also provided non-competitive planning grant dollars and an opportunity to apply for a large-scale grant. Community Insights sessions and surveys gathered input for what we “like, love, and want to love” about Rush County.
2020
On March 13, RCCF submitted a $5M GIFT VII application for a community center.
Through generous donor gifts, we presented $50,000 to Rush Memorial Hospital, We established the Rush to Help: COVID-19 Rapid Relief Fund, granting nearly $30,000.
Lilly Endowment also awarded:
- $100,000 Leadership Grant to create a community action plan
- $100,000 Board Engagement Grant for implementation
In December, our $5M GIFT VII proposal was approved – our dream of a community center would become a reality for Rush County.
2021
We celebrated RCCF’s 30th anniversary with a joyful in-person gathering after more than a year of the pandemic.
Community-Based Action Planning (CBAP) launched.
2022
CBAP projects advanced in tourism, mental health, beautification, broadband, recreation, and education.
Highlights:
- VisitRushCounty.com launched
- All middle schoolers received mindfulness journals
- Four microgrants awarded for downtown business improvements
- Kathi Jackley hired as Rushville’s first Natural Resource and Program Coordinator
2023
Groundbreaking for the Love Community Center was held on September 7.
Lilly Endowment announced GIFT VIII.
Jay and Christie (Kile) Love pledged a seven-figure gift supporting the center and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
2024
In the spring, RCCF submitted a new $5M proposal for a Rural Revitalization Plan focused on supporting our county’s smaller communities with broadband, blight removal, owner-occupied housing repairs, and recreation.
In December, we received full funding.
Assets exceeded $30M, and annual fund payouts reached nearly $1.1M—including $250,000 in scholarships.
