BFO Awards $137,500 to 11 Local Organizations During First Round of 2026 Project Grant Funding

JASPER, IN - Being for Others Health and Wellness Foundation (BFO) is proud to announce its first round of 2026 Project Grant recipients, awarding a total of $137,500 to 11 organizations advancing health and wellness across Southern Indiana.

BFO’s 2026 Project Grant Cycle 1 received 50 applications from 48 organizations serving communities throughout the Foundation’s eight-county region. Applicants requested more than $1.2 million in funding for projects ranging from program growth and sustainability to facility updates, mental health support, transportation access, and mentorship initiatives.

After a thoughtful and competitive review process, the following 11 organizations and their projects were selected:

  1. Barr-Reeve Community Schools - $15,000
    Project: Connected & Cared For: School-Based Mental Health Support & Safety - Sustaining an existing Youth First school-based mental health professional, who provides trusted, direct support to students experiencing anxiety, stress, behavioral challenges, and other social-emotional needs.
  2. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana - $14,000
    Project: High School Bigs: Youth Mentorship for Civic Engagement - Expanding their Spencer County High School Bigs Program to integrate civic engagement, service-learning, and leadership development into youth mentoring relationships that help students build skills, strengthen community connections, and encourages lifelong civic engagement.
  3. City of Huntingburg - $10,000
    Project: City of Huntingburg Outdoor Fitness Court - Installing an ADA-accessible Outdoor Fitness Court at Charles C. Niehaus Memorial Park to expand free, inclusive wellness opportunities, encourage community engagement, and support recreation and community health for residents and visitors of all ages and fitness levels.
  4. Daviess County Economic Development Foundation - $10,000
    Project: Daviess County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan - Development of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to improve connectivity, identify safe routes, and support future improvement projects across the county while promoting walking and cycling as safe, healthy, and engaging transportation options.
  5. LifeSpring Health Systems - $20,000
    Project: Expanding Transportation Access for Outpatient Treatment Clients in Spencer County - Expanding transportation access for individuals participating in outpatient substance use treatment in Spencer County by funding an additional vehicle to provide reliable transportation to essential appointments, services, and opportunities that support continuity of care, recovery outcomes, and long-term community health.
  6. Lincoln Hills Development Corporation - $15,000
    Project: LHDC’s Healthcare Navigation Program - Assistance to uninsured and underserved residents in Crawford, Perry, and Spencer counties to access affordable healthcare coverage through education, hands-on enrollment assistance, local referral partnerships, and expanded outreach.
  7. Shoals Community School Corporation - $14,500
    Project: Team Peace at Shoals Middle School - Implementation of Team Peace, a school-based yoga, movement, and mindfulness program that helps K-12 students build emotional awareness, self-regulation, resilience, focus, and healthy coping skills through movement, breathing exercises, and social-emotional learning.
  8. Tell City Police Department - $4,000
    Project: Continuing the Check-Up from the Neck-Up Program - Continuation and expansion of confidential mental health counseling services for law enforcement officers and public safety dispatchers to reduce stigma, strengthen resilience, and promote the long-term well-being of frontline public safety personnel.
  9. Trinity United Church of Christ - $10,000
    Project: Creating Quality of Place for the Boys & Girls Club of Dubois County - Development of a dedicated outdoor garden, and interactive play spaces for the future Boys and Girls Club of Dubois County to promote healthy habits, hands-on learning, physical activity, creativity, and community connection among local youth and families.
  10. Washington Catholic Schools - $15,000
    Project: Youth First at Washington Catholic Schools - Expansion of its Youth First Social Worker presence to full-time support for preschool through 12th grade students, strengthening access to counseling, crisis response, family support, substance use prevention, and social-emotional skill development in a safe and supportive learning environment.
  11. West Boggs Park Foundation - $10,000
    Project: West Boggs Park Community Wellness Initiative: Outdoor Fitness Trail - Implementation of an Outdoor Fitness Trail with commercial-grade fitness equipment, wellness programming, ParkRx referrals, and community partnerships to expand free preventative health resources and promote long-term healthy lifestyles in Daviess and Martin Counties.

“This cycle was highly competitive, demonstrating both the significant needs across our region and the important work organizations are doing to address them,” said Mary Champion, BFO Director of Operations. “Earlier this year through our Community Snapshot Survey, community members highlighted mental health, substance use, transportation, and connectivity as top priorities. Those findings helped shape this cycle’s funding decisions, including investing nearly $80,000 into projects addressing those critical areas.

BFO’s 2026 Project Grant Cycle 2 is now accepting applications, and can be found on https://www.beingforothers.org/. Applications for Cycle 2 close on July 17, 2026. Eligible nonprofits, governmental entities, or school organizations in BFO’s eight-county service region are invited to apply.

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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 812-556-0400, info@beingforothers.org or visit www.beingforothers.org.