HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION INC

HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (HCCF) AND THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION (HCCF SO) HAVE A UNIQUE HISTORY. IN A RIVERBOAT GAMING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT DATED MAY 15, 1996, RDI/CAESARS RIVERBOAT, LLC AGREED WITH THE HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA, GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE $5,000,000 TO CREATE THE FOUNDATION. THE AGREEMENT ALSO PROVIDED FOR A CONTINUING TRANSFER OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CASINO TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BEGINNING IN 2000. TO MEET THE PUBLIC SUPPORT TEST AND CONTINUE OPERATING AS A PUBLIC FOUNDATION, THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION (HCCF SO) WAS ESTABLISHED. THIS HCCF SO IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION ORGANIZED AND OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY TO BENEFIT, PERFORM, AND CARRY OUT THE EXCLUSIVELY PUBLIC, CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND OTHER PURPOSES OF THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, INC. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HCCF SO IS COMPRISED OF THE SAME SITTING BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INCLUDING OFFICERS, AS HCCF.THE MISSION OF THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS TO INSPIRE AND ASSIST EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE PHILANTHROPY, PRODUCING POSITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN HARRISON COUNTY. HCCF'S VISION IS TO GROW HARRISON COUNTY INTO THE BEST COMMUNITY TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE A FAMILY. HCCF VALUES GENEROSITY, INTEGRITY, SUSTAINABILITY, STEWARDSHIP, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, INCLUSION, AND EXCELLENCE.ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CASINO ARE BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF GAMING REVENUE AND ARE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO ACCOUNTS IN THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION. THE MAJORITY, 75%, GOES INTO THE HARRISON COUNTY COMMUNITY FUND, WHICH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT USES TO SUPPORT ITS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS. THE REMAINING 25% IS USED BY THE FOUNDATION TO FUND ITS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, SUCH AS GRANT-MAKING AND MATCHING GIFTS. DUE TO THE UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CAESARS SOUTHERN INDIANA, HCCF AND HCCF SO HAVE UNDERTAKEN SEVERAL AMBITIOUS PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS.HCCF SO GRANTS INCLUDE: BATTLE OF CORYDON MEMORIAL PARK COMMITTEE, INC. - $2,000 - 2024 LIVING HISTORY EVENT BOY SCOUT TROOP 4071 - $7,569 - GENERAL EQUIPMENT NEEDS FOR COLD WEATHER CORYDON WRESTLING CLUB, INC. - $5,000 - NEW WRESTLING MAT HARRISON COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION COALITION - $36,500 - PER DIEM PER NIGHT'S STAY AT GENESIS HOUSE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KENTUCKIANA INC. - $6,000 - FINANCIAL LITERACY AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAMS LINCOLN HILLS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION - $25,000 - RENOVATE THE CURRENT PLAYGROUND AT CORYDON HEAD START CENTER MAIN STREET CORYDON INDIANA, INC. - $33,000 - 2024 MAIN STREET CORYDON FAADE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM TO HISTORICALLY PRESERVE AND PROTECT BUILDINGS WITHIN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN REPAIR AFFAIR OF HARRISON COUNTY, INC. - $5,000 - ANNUAL REPAIR EVENT THAT COMPLETED WORK ON 30 HOMES SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL ARCHDIOCESAN COUNCIL OF INDIANAPOLIS - $44,000 - PROVIDE FURNISHINGS, FOOD, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THE KENTUCKY SCIENCE CENTER - $50,000 - MOBILE STEAM CARTS FOR HARRISON COUNTY SCHOOLS TOWN OF CORYDON - $300,000 - TO DEVELOP AN 8,000 SQUARE-FOOT ALL-WHEEL SKATEPARK YMCA OF HARRISON COUNTY, INC. - $227,786 - PURCHASE STATE-OF-THE-ART FITNESS EQUIPMENTJUMP START PRESCHOOL HCCF SO FUNDED $88,767 TO FUND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS KINDERGARTEN READINESS FOR CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES DURING THE 2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR. HCCF ALSO COORDINATES WITH THE STATE OF INDIANA'S ON MY WAY PREK PROGRAM TO REACH AS MANY ELIGIBLE FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE. MULTIPLE SITES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. DOCUMENTED RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THIS PRESCHOOL OPPORTUNITY IS MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE.DUAL CREDIT HCCF SO FUNDED $118,276 TO SCHOOL CORPORATIONS FOR HARRISON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN APPROVED COLLEGE DUAL CREDIT CLASSES DURING THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR.SCHOLARSHIPSSINCE 1998, HCCF SO HAS PROVIDED FUNDING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE SELECTED BY A UNIVERSAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, PAST HCCF BOARD MEMBERS, ONE CURRENT HCCF BOARD MEMBER, AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL FROM EACH OF THE FOUR COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS. ALL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED USING OBJECTIVE AND NONDISCRIMINATORY SELECTION PROCESSES. THE BUILDING OUR FUTURE (BOF) SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO HARRISON COUNTY RESIDENTS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. THE BOF RECIPIENTS RECEIVE UP TO $2,500 PER YEAR, RENEWABLE FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS, TOTALING UP TO $10,000 EACH. THE NUMBER OF BOF AWARDS IS DETERMINED ANNUALLY BY THE HCCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRIMARILY BASED ON STUDENT CLASS SIZE, AS REPORTED BY THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN JANUARY. A TOTAL OF $240,000 WAS AWARDED VIA BOF IN 2024.THE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, INCLUDING VOCATIONAL AND TRADE PROGRAMS. HCCF SO PROVIDED $40,000 IN FUNDING FOR NON-RENEWABLE VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2024.ADULT SCHOLARSHIPSBEGINNING IN 2013, HCCF BEGAN AWARDING ADULT SCHOLARSHIPS. APPLICANTS MUST HAVE RESIDENCE IN HARRISON COUNTY AND BE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OLD AS OF THE APPLICATION DATE TO BE ELIGIBLE. A MAXIMUM OF $5,000 PER RECIPIENT PER CALENDAR YEAR MAY BE AWARDED. APPLICANTS MUST BE WORKING TOWARDS A VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE, ASSOCIATE DEGREE, OR BACHELOR'S DEGREE. IN 2024, $41,500 WAS AWARDED IN ADULT SCHOLARSHIPS TO 12 ADULTS.