Next month will be two years since I joined the Community Foundation, and the amount of support and success we have enjoyed during this time is nearly too long for this column. With our new website, podcast, giving circles, publicity campaign, scholarship and grant processes, office location, board members, and staff, we are really hitting our stride now. The community’s response to our changes has been overwhelmingly positive. With new and existing donors stepping up to meet the challenge of Lilly Endowment’s GIFT XIII last year, this never-before accomplishment helped grow Community Foundation assets from $11 million to over $19 million in just 21 months!
The cornerstone of our growth, however, is Lilly Endowment, Inc. Responsible for the creation of all of Indiana’s Community Foundations, Lilly Endowment’s continued commitment to Indiana through their GIFT (Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow) initiatives is what continues to fuel our engine. The impact of this extraordinary benefactor continues to prompt donors and inspire my hustle. After meeting our GIFT VIII goal in September, we received $1 million from Lilly Endowment. I was shocked at the October 1st announcement of GIFT IX which comes in two parts – a community project grant of $1.5 million ( nonprofits can apply April 27th– May 18th) and an additional $1.5 million to provide a $2 match for every $1 donated to unrestricted giving. Never before has two GIFT cycles overlapped!
I attended an event in 2024 where Cook Medical CEO Pete Yonkman talked about the ability and responsibility of corporations to contribute to their communities. No matter how devoted your private donors are, corporations have deeper pockets and are uniquely motivated to supporting the local community to promote their reputation and ultimately their stock value. This motivation is a good thing! Look what Cook Medical has done for southern Indiana from the French Lick Resort restoration to job creation in Bloomington and Spencer. Making investments in the local community is not only philanthropic, it also helps preserve and enhance shareholder value. And this leads me to Google.
I attended the Open House Google hosted at Monrovia Middle School March 19th when they offered “stations” for concerned citizens to speak one-on-one with Googlers about various data center issue such as noise, water, electricity, community investment, and more. It was well-attended, and I sat at the community investment table to help explain what Google has already done for Morgan County. Folks approached apprehensively, but after hearing facts, most seemed appreciative. I also overheard a gentleman at the nearby “noise” table saying he had purposely visited another Google Data Center and asked an onsite security guard if the current volume was typical. The guard confirmed it was, so he was satisfied. Asking questions, sharing stories, talking face to face – in my opinion, it was very well received, and people did get their questions answered.
Google sold the crops from the land purchase and donated all the proceeds – $200,000 – to Monrovia High School’s Future Farmers of America. Shelby Dye, the teacher who leads Monrovia’s FFA program, shared with me the shock of receiving such an unexpected, sizeable gift. “I thought we might receive $20,000, and I was excited about what we could do with that. After learning it was $200,000, I couldn’t believe it!” Shelby circulated a flyer at the Open House detailing the expansion of her program thanks to Google’s donation. Google’s crop donation to Monrovia’s FFA was the right thing to do, and those visiting our table were thrilled.
When the arctic blast hit this winter, I got a phone call. “How can we help? Are all your students connected to wi-fi at home? Are your emergency shelters needing extra food, clothing, and blankets? What about utility assistance?” I started making calls and received modest requests – Wellspring $1,200 and schools $5,000 each. Google’s response was $35,000 to Wellspring, $10,000 to each school district, and $50,000 to the Morgan County CAP office for utility assistance. Like Shelby Dye, I didn’t expect that kind of help!
The initial concern to Google’s data center is understandable. But Google is in the technology business, and the data center in Monrovia is much improved from those built even just a few years ago. Also, not all data centers are equal – Google sets the bar on energy efficiency. With phones and computers, our data must be stored somewhere.
I want readers to know the facts and my involvement with Google. CFMC received a Google donation, but nothing like the FFA donation. For perspective, I have received much larger donations from modest Morgan County farmers. I see Morgan County’s opportunity to have another large benefactor like Lilly Endowment. Like IU Coach Cignetti famously said, “Google me. I win.” I think we should say, “With Google, we win.”
