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Our Community Foundation awards grants from funds it administers to charitable, educational, religious, or public entities to address the charitable goals of the donors it serves and the charitable needs of Daviess County, Indiana. The Board of Directors holds final authority to award grants to eligible organization for charitable purposes in alignment with the organization’s mission.
2025/2026 Foundation Teaching Innovator Grant Application
Our Community Foundation wants to give innovative Daviess County teachers support to prepare Daviess County youth for the future.
Our 2025-26 Teaching Innovator Grant program provides grants of up to $250 to support teachers in our Daviess County schools. The Foundation believes providing grants to teachers for innovative in-school or in-class projects is a strategic investment in the education of Daviess County youth. By empowering educators to create dynamic learning environments that meet the diverse needs of their students, our Daviess County youth are better prepared for success in our ever-changing world.
The Teaching Innovator Grant program has two grant cycles – one for projects to be completed during the first semester of the 2025-26 school year and the second for projects to be completed during the second semester of the 2025-26 school year.
The Teaching Innovator Grant program has two grant cycles – one for projects to be completed during the first semester of the 2025-26 school year and the second for projects to be completed during the second semester of the 2025-26 school year.
How to get started:
1. Find a project.
2. Get principal approval. As part of the application, you will be asked to upload a signed form from your school’s principal, approving the project.
3. Fill out the simple fillable pdf application and submit the application and the signed principal approval form via email to chris@localforever.org or print and mail to Our Community Foundation, PO Box 84, Washington, IN 47501. Emails and postmarks must be on or before October 31, 2025. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Please note that teachers may receive one award per school year.
For more information, contact Chris Jarrett, Executive Director at chris@localforever.org.
2025 Foundation Teaching Innovator Grant Application
Our Community Foundation wants to give innovative Daviess County teachers support to prepare Daviess County youth for the future. Our 2025 Teaching Innovator Grant program provides grants of up to $250 to support teachers in our Daviess County schools. The Foundation believes providing grants to teachers for innovative in-school or in-class projects is a strategic investment in the education of Daviess County youth. By empowering educators to create dynamic learning environments that meet the diverse needs of their students, our Daviess County youth are better prepared for success in our ever-changing world.
The Teaching Innovator Grant program has two grant cycles – one for projects to be completed during the first semester of the 2025-26 school year and the second for projects to be completed during the second semester of the 2025-26 school year. The first grant cycle of the Teaching Innovator Grant program is now accepting applications for first semester 2025-26 in-school or in-class projects that take an imaginative and innovative approach to teaching Daviess County students. Applications are due August 29, 2025. Please note that funding for field trips or regular classroom costs like textbooks is not available.
How to get started:
1. Find a project.
2. Get principal approval. As part of the application, you will be asked to upload a signed form from your school’s principal, approving the project.
3. Fill out the simple fillable pdf application and submit the application and the signed principal approval form via email to chris@localforever.org or print and mail to Our Community Foundation, PO Box 84, Washington, IN 47501. Emails and postmarks must be on or before August 29,2025. Please note that handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Please note that teachers may receive one award per school year.
For more information, contact Chris Jarrett, Executive Director at chris@localforever.org.
2024 Teaching Innovator Grant Program
1st Semester 2024-2025 School Year Grants
Through the Foundation’s 2024 Teaching Innovator Grant Program, Our Community Foundation supports innovative Daviess County teachers to prepare Daviess County youth for the future.
During the 1st semester of the 2024-2025 school year’s competitive grant program, the Foundation awarded 7 grants of up to $250 to schools for innovative in-school or in-class projects in 3 Daviess County schools. The program empowered educators to create dynamic learning environments that meet the diverse needs of their students, so Daviess County youth are better prepared for success in our ever-changing world. Funding was provided by donations to three different funds held by the Foundation – the Jim and L Jane Norton Endowment, the Ken and Paula Jones Family Endowment, and the Administrative Support Fund.
Washington Community Schools – Conder
North Daviess – Mullen
Washington Catholic – Klueh
WCS – Holland
North Daviess – Geisler
WC – Robertson
2024 Fast Grants
The Foundation accepted applications for Fast Grants in April 2024 to receive funding from the Foundation’s unrestricted funds. The competitive grant cycle accepted requests of up to $750 to provide one-time assistance for unplanned charitable projects that were small in scale but helped the organization meet an unanticipated need or opportunity, or provided support for new and innovative projects that positively impact the lives of people living in Daviess County. Requests were accepted for charitable activities serving Daviess County people from existing 501(c)3 organizations in good standing with the IRS, existing government/quasi-governmental agencies applying for an extraordinary project that is not funded by tax revenue, faith-based organizations requesting funding for non-sectarian activities, and civic groups that are not 501(c)3 organizations but submitted requests for funding a charitable community cause.
Healthy Hoosiers Initiative
Healthy Hoosiers Initiative to support a new project at Daviess County schools. The $750 grant provided funding for the organization to purchase tampons, pads, underwear, and pants for school nurses to …
2023 Grant Program – Housing Stability
Through Our Community Foundation’s 2023 Daviess County Stable Housing Grant Program, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the Salvation Army – Daviess County Service Extension – to help Daviess County residents with rent, lodging, or utility bills during times of financial setbacks and emergencies that may cause them to lose their homes.
During the program, the Foundation accepted proposals from charitable organizations that provided housing assistance, emergency rent assistance, rent vouchers, household repair programs, and other forms of support. After a detailed review by the Foundation’s Grant Committee, the 22-member local Board selected the Salvation Army’s proposal for funding.
Travis Schaffer, Foundation Board member and Chair of the Grant Committee says the Foundation selected the focus of the grant program based not only on national trends but on trends in Daviess County. “We reviewed data and trends and that told us there are more and more people in our community who are at risk of losing their home. That’s because of increased costs for the basics, like rent, food and household supplies, transportation, and childcare. This need for stable housing for families and seniors is a pressing need. Because Our Community Foundation is flexible, we can direct funding to causes like this one, where it is most needed in Daviess County.”
Through Our Community Foundation’s 2023 Daviess County Stable Housing Grant Program, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the Salvation Army – Daviess County Service Extension – to help Daviess County residents with rent, lodging, or utility bills during times of financial setbacks and emergencies that may cause them to lose their homes.
During the program, the Foundation accepted proposals from charitable organizations that provided housing assistance, emergency rent assistance, rent vouchers, household repair programs, and other forms of support. After a detailed review by the Foundation’s Grant Committee, the 22-member local Board selected the Salvation Army’s proposal for funding.
Travis Schaffer, Foundation Board member and Chair of the Grant Committee says the Foundation selected the focus of the grant program based not only on national trends but on trends in Daviess County. “We reviewed data and trends and that told us there are more and more people in our community who are at risk of losing their home. That’s because of increased costs for the basics, like rent, food and household supplies, transportation, and childcare. This need for stable housing for families and seniors is a pressing need. Because Our Community Foundation is flexible, we can direct funding to causes like this one, where it is most needed in Daviess County.”
Mini Grant Recipients
Washington Community Schools HeartSaver CPR AED Course
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to Washington Community Schools for an update of their HeartSaver CPR AED course materials. The materials are used to instruct Washington High School teachers and students on how to recognize medical …
RSVP of Daviess County
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to RSVP of Daviess County to support the 2023 Yarn Art in the Park event. This planned art and cultural experience will allow our community to appreciate, share and express themselves …
Senior and Family Services, Washington
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to Senior and Family Services, Inc for cooking equipment for their Meals on Wheels/Congregate Meal Program. With data from the Indiana Business Research Center predicting that by 2030, one out of …
Real Recovery, Inc.
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to support a new recovery program called Recovery Cafe Daviess County. It’s being modeled after very successful Recovery Cafes located throughout the US. We are pleased to support Real Recovery‘s work …
Washington Carnegie Public Library
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to Washington Carnegie Public Library to help enhance virtual experiences for patrons. The grant helped purchase equipment to improve the library’s video productions that are available online and accessible to patrons virtually. …
Washington Junior High Robotics Program
Our Community Foundation awarded a grant to Washington Community Schools for Washington Junior High School’s Hatchet Ratchex Robotics Program.
The grant will help purchase a laptop for students to program robots.
The Hatchet Ratchex is an afterschool program that …
