Offices closed but CICF staff still available

Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), its affiliates, The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana are closing our offices in Downtown Indianapolis and Carmel to reduce the risk of virus transmissions in the midst of concerns surrounding the coronavirus, now considered by the World Health Organization as a global pandemic.

As the situation evolves, our concentration is on two guiding priorities:

1. protecting the health and safety of our staff and the community which we interface with daily.
2. safeguarding our ability to continue to support our fundholders and not-for-profits while also continuing the momentum of our strategic plan’s focus on a more equitable community for all of Central Indiana—no matter place, race or identity.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a vital piece of reducing the risk of spreading any virus is to practice social distancing. Our offices will be closed now through April 30, and staff will be working from home. We have canceled or postponed all events now through April 30. We will continue our daily work and be available by phone, email and teleconferencing. We will be closely monitoring the situation and will adjust our plans as necessary.

We know it is critical for CICF to be responsive and supportive to the community during this pandemic.

• All foundation staff are working and accessible by phone and email.
• The Indianapolis Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana upcoming spring grant rounds will continue as planned.
• All grants and scholarships will continue to be processed and awarded as planned.
• We are working in partnership with other funders to develop a plan to support and rapidly deploy resources to local organizations at the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak.
• We will provide our fundholders with information to help make their philanthropic responses impactful.

“We are committed to continue serving our fundholders, not-for-profits, and all of Central Indiana as we have for over 100 years,” says Brian Payne, president and CEO. “During this critical time, we are also prioritizing the health of our staff and community by practicing social-distancing to reduce the spread of any and all viruses. We recognize that there are many people in our community who will be impacted by this health crisis disproportionally—both economically and medically. We are joining with other community funders to provide support to those who need it most.”