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BFO Announces $500,000 in Community Collaboration Grants Impacting Dubois and Orange Counties

JASPER, IN – Being for Others Health and Wellness Foundation (BFO) has announced Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools and Team OC (Our Community) as recipients of the 2026 Community Collaboration Grant program. The $500,000 investment will support two collaborative projects: “Screens in Balance: Dubois County Digital Wellness” and “Orange County Bridge to Stability Housing Collaborative.”

In 2025, BFO worked with consultants from Bank of America on a strategic planning process to better understand how philanthropy can support bold solutions to community challenges. Together, BFO and its partners explored national best practices, reviewed examples of innovation in grantmaking, and engaged a diverse group of community volunteers from across the region to ensure local voices helped shape the path forward. From this process, the BFO Community Collaboration Grant program was born.

“Through this new program, BFO hopes to serve as a national model of how philanthropy can support meaningful change in rural communities,” states Christian Blome, BFO President.

The 2026 process began with a Letter of Intent (LOI) window, followed by an invitation-only application phase and in-person finalist presentations. BFO received 21 LOIs from across its eight-county region, making the Grant Committee’s final selection highly competitive. From that expansive selection pool, four finalists were ultimately chosen to present in-person, with two finalists standing out for the strength of their proposals and their potential to create meaningful regional impact.


Community Collaboration Model Overview

The goal of Community Collaboration is to pull people and resources together around large-scale challenges utilizing expert facilitators to explore the challenge, map gaps and resources, and then devise a plan for change that is informed by the community and research. Grantees will receive up to $250,000 per collaboration over a duration of three years. BFO will serve as a strategic partner providing oversight and support throughout the process.


Grant Recipients

Screens in Balance: Dubois County Digital Wellness

Lead Organization: Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools

Committed Partners: Northeast Dubois County School Corporation, Southeast Dubois County School Corporation, Southwest Dubois County School Corporation, Dubois County Health Department, Crisis Connection, and Dubois County CARES Coalition

The goal of this collaboration is to improve the overall health and well-being of children and families in Dubois County by fostering a community-wide culture of balanced and healthy digital use. The long-term change sought is a measurable reduction in risk factors associated with excessive screen use, including anxiety, sleep disruption, and attention challenges, alongside increased protective factors such as emotional regulation, healthy routines, and positive social connection. Children will be better equipped to focus, engage, and thrive both academically and socially, while families will feel more confident and consistent in supporting healthy habits.

Orange County Bridge to Stability Housing Collaborative

Lead Organization: Team OC

Committed Partners: Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation, Orange County Council, Springs Valley Bank and Trust, Orange County Community Foundation, Orange County Habitat for Humanity, Orleans Community Schools, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Southern Indiana Community Health Care, Orange County CASA, Paoli Police Department, Paoli Chamber of Commerce, Old National Bank, Orleans Christian Church, Orange County Recycling, Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Beechwood Christian Church, and Raymond James Financial.

The goal of the Orange County Bridge to Stability Housing Collaborative is to create a community where every individual and family has access to safe, stable housing as a foundation for long-term health and well-being. This collaboration seeks to reduce housing instability and prevent homelessness by fostering a coordinated, community-wide approach that addresses the root causes of vulnerability. Through this effort, BFO and its partners aim to see improved physical and mental health outcomes, increased economic stability, and stronger family units across Orange County.


Year One Facilitation

Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools and Team OC will each receive $50,000 in their first year to support a facilitated planning process. During this phase, they will bring together partners from multiple sectors to better understand the selected challenge, identify existing assets and gaps, and create a community-driven implementation plan. Each effort will then be eligible to receive up to $200,000 over a two-year implementation period. Both groups are actively seeking additional community partners committed to helping address the designated challenge.

“We were intentional about flipping the traditional funding model that often requires matching dollars up front,” said Tonya Heim, BFO Board Chairperson. “Instead, we designed this program to provide seed funding with the hope it will help attract additional investment to this important work.”

As part of BFO’s long-term commitment to the Southern Indiana region, the Foundation plans to continue funding the Community Collaboration Grant program over the next five years. Two additional rounds of selections are planned, with the next LOI window expected to open in January 2027. An additional round is also anticipated in 2028.

To stay up to date on all upcoming grant opportunities with BFO, community members are encouraged to subscribe to the Foundation’s newsletter.

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About Being for Others Health and Wellness Foundation

The Being for Others (BFO) Health and Wellness Foundation is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to creating a culture of health and wellness for the betterment of communities in Southern Indiana. Established through a generous $20 million endowment made possible by the affiliation between Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center and Deaconess Health System in 2024, the Foundation serves eight counties: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, Orange, Perry, Pike, and Spencer.

Focused exclusively on grant-making, the Foundation collaborates with local organizations, agencies, and other funders to promote health and wellness initiatives that inspire our communities to Be Well. Be Healthy. Be for Others.

For more information contact us at 812-556-0400, info@beingforothers.org or visit www.beingforothers.org.