FRANKFORT, Ind. — Oct. 29, 2026 — Clinton County donors have finished raising the full amount for the latest Lilly Endowment 2-for-1 matching campaign. That makes Clinton County the first of the three counties served by the Community Foundation to reach its goal, and the second match in a row it has finished first.
Emily Hemersbach, marketing and communications director for the Community Foundation serving Howard, Clinton and Carroll counties, announced the news Thursday on the “Party Line” program on WILO and Boone’s Best 102.7 FM with host and Clinton County Chamber of Commerce CEO Shan Sheridan.
“I have some breaking news that I decided to break here on the Party Line,” Hemersbach said. “We met our goal for Clinton County with that match… we hit that $375,000 fundraising goal.”
When she last appeared on the show in September, Clinton and Howard counties were each about halfway to their goals and Carroll County was about 10% of the way there. Hemersbach said a few very generous gifts last month, including one “pretty substantial” gift, got Clinton County to the finish line.
Howard County is now at about 67% of its goal and Carroll County is at about 13%, with about $324,000 still needed in Carroll.
“If you’re listening, Howard and Carroll, we’re still running that race,” she said.
Because Clinton County finished so quickly, new year-end gifts to its unrestricted funds will not be matched. Hemersbach called it a “happy sad face” moment, but stressed that unrestricted giving is “never done.”
She said this match caught community foundations by surprise. “We had just finished one last year and then Lilly kind of shocked all of the community foundations in the state,” she said.
Unrestricted funds pay for many of the foundation’s quarterly grants. Hemersbach described them as “reactive dollars” that can change as community needs change. “In 10 years those needs are going to be completely different, but those unrestricted funds are there for that,” she said.
She summed up the foundation’s model as “give, grow, grant.” Gifts are invested, part of the growth is granted out, and the rest goes back into the fund. “We say triple your impact,” she said. “It’s three dollars instead of one dollar going into a fund.”
Impact Grants under way
Hemersbach said the foundation recently sent a little over $3 million in Lilly-funded Impact Grants to nonprofits across all three counties. “Now the action is in the hands of our partners in all three communities,” she said.
Leadership series applications open
Applications are open for the 2027 Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Series, now in its sixth year. The free program meets once a month for six months at the foundation’s Kokomo office. It covers marketing, grant writing, board governance and strategic planning. Hemersbach estimated it is worth $500 to $700 per participant.
Each year 25 to 30 nonprofit leaders from the three counties take part, and there is usually a waitlist. The deadline is Dec. 4. People interested should contact the foundation’s community leadership coordinator, Carrie, for an application.
“There’s more need and less dollars,” Hemersbach said. Building “a peer group of people that you can lean on who are also in the same boat as you” is one of the series’ biggest benefits, she said.
Scholarships
Interviews for this year’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships are happening now. Howard County receives two scholars, and Clinton and Carroll counties receive one each, based on population. Hemersbach said approvals usually come back in December.
General scholarships set up by local donors open in early January and close in early March. A single application tells students which scholarships they qualify for. Hemersbach urged students to start early so references have time to write strong letters.
Giving at any level
Hemersbach said people often think philanthropy is only for the wealthy. “Philanthropy isn’t wealth,” she said. “Philanthropy is a state of mind in how you want to contribute to your community.” She gives yearly memorial gifts in memory of her father and grandparents. She added that most foundation staff are also donors.
– Photo courtesy of the Community Foundation
Donors can choose how involved they want to be, from unrestricted funds to donor-advised funds where they recommend grants each year. President Todd Moser and Senior Vice President Emerald Blankenship meet with people who want to set up funds. The foundation also accepts grain, stock and life insurance.
To learn more, visit cfclinton.org, cfcarroll.org or cfhoward.org, or call 765-454-7298. The main office is at 215 W. Sycamore St. in Kokomo. Staff also meet regularly with donors in Clinton and Carroll counties.
