Planting the Apple Tree: Invest in Grant County’s Future
For decades, the Grant County Economic Growth Council has worked to bring economic growth and progress to Grant County, Indiana—helping create a place where people can build careers, businesses can grow, and families can put down roots with confidence. Since 1985, we’ve earned a reputation for moving at the speed of business, showing up as collaborative problem-solvers and champions of opportunity for our community.
That work is immediate, and it’s also long-term: solving problems, supporting employers, and helping opportunities take shape in real time. But the impact we care about most isn’t measured in a single project or year.
It’s measured in what lasts.
The job that lets a family stay here.
The business that chooses to expand instead of leave.
The next generation that sees a future in Grant County.
That kind of progress takes time, and it requires stability.
That’s why we’re inviting our supporters to invest in the future through one of the most powerful tools for long-term sustainability: our endowment.
What is an endowment?
An endowment is built for permanence; it’s a fund that’s invested for long-term strength so it can provide ongoing support year after year. In general, the principal gift (sometimes called the “corpus”) is set aside to grow over time, while a portion of earnings is used annually for the charitable purpose the donor (or board) establishes.
In other words, endowments help a nonprofit shift from a purely short-term fundraising cycle to a model that supports long-term stability: diversifying income and reducing reliance on unpredictable sources like events or annual campaigns and ensuring the work continues regardless of economic shifts or changing conditions..
The National Council of Nonprofits describes endowments as one possible hallmark of financial sustainability, and also reminds nonprofits (and donors) that endowments must be managed with real fiduciary care and attention. We take that stewardship responsibility seriously.
“Help today” and “help forever”
When people think about charitable giving, they often picture helping with immediate needs; support that makes today’s work possible. That kind of giving is essential.
Endowment giving is different. It’s a commitment to the future.
The Community Foundation of Grant County compares it to planting an apple tree: your gift is invested, it grows over time, and it produces support for the community year after year, while the original gift stays intact and annual earnings are granted out.
A helpful way to think about it is this: a traditional gift helps solve a problem today. An endowment gift keeps helping quietly, consistently year after year.
It’s not either/or. It’s both.
Why we care about our endowed fund
Grant County is not a place that changes overnight. Progress here is built step by step: through relationships, persistence, and people who believe this community is worth investing in.
We’ve seen what happens when that belief turns into action:
Projects move from idea to reality
Employers choose to stay and grow
Partnerships unlock opportunities that didn’t exist before
But none of that is guaranteed.
Economic cycles change. Industries shift. Communities that don’t invest in their future risk falling behind.
We already have a dedicated endowment fund: the Grant County Economic Growth Council, Inc. Endowment Fund, held at the Community Foundation of Grant County. Its purpose is simple and direct: to support the Grant County Economic Growth Council.
Growing this endowment is one of the clearest ways our community can help ensure that the Growth Council has durable, reliable resources to keep doing the work, through changing markets, changing cycles, and changing needs.
Just as important: endowments are not a substitute for action today. They are a commitment that the work will continue tomorrow, and for generations.
How endowment giving can multiply long-term impact
Endowment is sometimes described as “compound generosity”: a gift that keeps working over time.
The Community Foundation of Grant County explains the concept this way: with endowments, the original gift can remains while investment growth and annual distributions create ongoing community support. As the fund grows and generates earnings, it supports the community again and again, often surpassing the value of the original contribution.
It’s one of the few ways a single decision can create impact that extends far beyond your lifetime.
How you can be a part of it
If you believe in the future of Grant County, if you want this to remain a place where opportunity exists for the next generation, there are several ways to help build that future:
You can make a gift directly to the Grant County Economic Growth Council, Inc. Endowment Fund through the Community Foundation of Grant County using the “Give Online” option on the fund page, or by using the printable giving form to mail a gift.
You can also consider giving appreciated or non-cash assets. The fund page encourages gifts of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, insurance, and estate plan gifts, often a meaningful way to align charitable impact with overall financial planning.
Include a charitable gift in your will or estate plans. The Community Foundation of Grant County provides sample (non-binding) bequest language that donors can share with an attorney or professional advisor, and notes that donors may choose to leave a percentage of an estate, a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, or the remainder (residue) of an estate for charitable purposes.
From a federal tax standpoint, charitable bequests can also reduce the taxable value of an estate because the tax code provides an estate tax charitable deduction for qualifying charitable transfers, and regulations clarify that this deduction is not subject to percentage limitations like the income tax charitable deduction. (As always, estate planning is personal, please consult your attorney or tax advisor.)
Everyone leaves something behind.
For some, it’s a business.
For others, it’s a family.
For others still, it’s a commitment to a community that shaped them.
Our commitment: stewardship, transparency, and impact
Endowments only deserve public trust if they are stewarded responsibly.
That’s why we are committed to responsible stewardship, honoring donor intent, and ensuring that every dollar serves the long-term interests of Grant County.
We’re proud that this fund is held at the Community Foundation of Grant County, and we’re grateful for every supporter who chooses to invest in the future alongside us.
Join us: help Grant County grow—today and forever
If the Growth Council’s work has ever helped you see what’s possible in Grant County, consider taking the long view with us.
Make a gift to the GCEGC Endowment Fund.
Include it as part of your legacy.
Help ensure that the work of building a stronger, more resilient Grant County continues, not just today, but for generations to come.
More Information
Community Foundation “Two Ways to Give” explainer: https://givetogrant.org/two-ways-to-give-helping-today-vs-helping-forever
National Council of Nonprofits “Endowments” resources: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/fundraising-and-resource-development/endowments