“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of humanity.” –Anthony J. D’Angelo

Nearly 80 organizations, individuals and families have chosen to invest in innovative and transformative projects as angel investors with Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Thank you. Your faith and action inspires our organization to reach higher and strive for better and bigger successes for our community. We believe that, together, we can be the difference Central Indiana needs to become the best community in the world.

We appreciate your partnership, inspiration and friendship in 2016. Learn more about angel investors and who they are here.

Here are the Top 9 Angel Investment updates from 2016:

inspiring places

1. AN IN LIGHT IN-ING CELEBRATION

In honor of The Indianapolis Foundation’s 100th anniversary, CICF, in partnership with Northern Lights.mn, produced IN Light IN, an interactive, two-night light festival along the Downtown Canal and The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick—activating those spaces like never before. IN Light IN was sponsored by the Efroymson Family Fund, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment and many other generous sponsors.

The free festival, featuring over 24 artists and performers from Indianapolis, across the nation and Canada, drew an estimated 30,000 visitors from Indianapolis and surrounding areas—many venturing to the Downtown Canal for the very first time. IN Light IN also garnered national attention from media coast to coast.

IN Light IN marked 100 years of philanthropy with an inspiring, innovative, once-in-a-lifetime gift to the Indianapolis community—a city alive with light, wonder and potential. View photos from IN Light IN here.

2. HOME VALUES RISING ALONG WATERWAY

In 2011, leveraging a $1.3 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, CICF partnered with Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to found Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW), a grassroots initiative designed to reclaim the benefits of Indianapolis’ waterways. One ROW area of focus is the Southeast Indianapolis neighborhoods near the Pleasant Run Waterway.

This fall, ROW reported home values along Barth Avenue on the Southeast side increased by 11.4 percent from 2013-2015, while the rest of Marion County only increased by 4.6 percent. This is, in part, the result of sustained ROW activity at this location and along Pleasant Run Waterway. Recent projects include the removal of invasive species and construction of a new and safer pedestrian bridge. ROW also built a small outdoor amphitheater right on the trail and waterway, destined for community events such as concerts, movie nights and school drama productions.

3. NEW ART ALONG THE CULTURAL TRAIL

Don Gummer: Back Home Again is an outdoor sculpture exhibition, presented by CICF in honor of The Indianapolis Foundation’s centennial and in partnership with Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. The exhibition features eight works by Indianapolis-native, New York-based artist, Don Gummer. Gummer is a Ben Davis High School and Herron School of Art graduate known internationally for his work. Along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick, eight steel, bronze, aluminum and glass sculptures representing 20 years of Gummer’s career are on display. Gummer’s first major outdoor exhibition in Indianapolis is accessible through August 2017. Learn more about Don Gummer: Back Home Again here.

family success

4. CENTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES GROWTH

The Centers for Working Families (CWF) are friendly neighborhood centers where hardworking, low-income families can access a full range of services to help lift them out of poverty and achieve long-term financial stability. This year, CICF leveraged funds with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), United Way and five other grant-makers to expand the CWF network, making services available through Goodwill Industries and Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry (PACE).

New programs reach adult learners working towards their high school diplomas, entry-level retail employees and individuals with criminal histories. As of 2016, 500 families have utilized CWF programs, increased their net-income an average of $868, net-worth an average of $13,261, and credit score by an average of 59 points.

5. TRAINING FINANCIAL COUNSELORS

Indianapolis was selected this year to launch Your Money Your Goals, a financial empowerment initiative from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CICF supported a partnership between Indiana Legal Services and the Assets and Opportunities Network to train 20 not-for-profit organizations on the Your Money Your Goals toolkit that helps social workers learn how to help clients manage money. This year, 150 individuals from social service organizations, volunteers, and legal aid staff were trained.

6. INCREASED ELIGIBILITY FOR MATCHED SAVING ACCOUNT

CICF joined forces with Assets and Opportunities Network and the Institute for Working Families to expand access to Individual Development Accounts, a 3:1 matched savings account that helps families purchase long-term assets such as a home, small business or college education. These efforts increased eligibility for the program from people at 175 percent of Federal Poverty Level to people at 200 percent. This resulted in 220,631 more adults qualifying for the matched savings account.

Family Success

7. KIDS SAVING FOR COLLEGE

CICF led efforts, along with other community stakeholders, to designate Marion County as a Promise Indiana pilot community in 2016. Promise Indiana is a community-driven, 529 college savings plan that provides children, kindergarten through third grade, and their families with the financial resources, college-bound identities, community support and savings behaviors associated with degree attainment.

Marian University, the Mayor’s Office of Education and Innovation, and Decatur Township are all pilot hubs in Marion County that expect to enroll approximately 2,000 children in 529 savings plans this year. The hubs will host enrollment events throughout the year, as well as embed college and career exploration support into the classroom. CICF serves as the fiscal agent to accept community donations that will fund the initial $25 students receive in their account upon enrolling, as well as the 1:1 match (up to $75) for money the student, or their family and friends, add to the account.

8. SELF-SUSTAINING PROGRAMS

Legacy Fund, an affiliate of CICF, helped convene civic leaders, community partners and donors to launch Youth Assistance Program, a school-based intervention and prevention model that has contributed to a significant reduction in juvenile cases throughout Hamilton County. The program is now in all six Hamilton County school districts and is self-sustained through community donations and grants. Additional conversations have begun to explore the potential of expanding the program beyond county lines.

9. INSPIRING SCHOLARS EXPANDS

In 2014, CICF helped launch Inspiring Scholars, a partnership between Summer Advantage USA and Arts for Learning. The program pairs academic remediation with arts enrichment to provide a unique arts-in-education summer experience. This summer, Inspiring Scholars launched at Phalen Leadership Academy, an Indianapolis Public School formerly known as Francis Scott Key School 103. Inspiring Scholars served 200 low-resourced youth—kindergarten through sixth grade—at this new location.

Initial outcomes demonstrate students involved with Inspiring Scholars gained a month of reading and math proficiency—this compared to a three-month loss typically experienced by peers not engaged in a similar summer program. Other outcomes from Inspiring Scholars include 85 percent daily attendance and high staff, parent and scholar satisfaction rates.

For more information about these projects or becoming an Angel Investor, contact Rob MacPherson at robm@cicf.org or 317.631.6542 x199.