BFO Awards $123,420 to 11 Local Organizations for Second Round of 2026 Project Grant Funding

Being for Others Health and Wellness Foundation (BFO) announces its second round of 2026 Project Grant recipients, awarding a total of $123,420 to 11 organizations addressing health and wellness across Southern Indiana. BFO’s 2026 Project Grant Cycle 2 received 38 applications from various organizations serving communities throughout the Foundation’s eight-county region. Applicants requested more than $1 million in funding for projects ranging from program growth and sustainability to facility updates, youth mental health support, physical health opportunities, and housing programs. 

After a thoughtful and competitive review process, the following organizations and their projects were selected: 
1. Crawford County Community School Corporation - $4,920 Project: West Crawford Elementary School Neuroscience and Resilience Education - Implementing neuroscience and resilience education through Team Peace, Inc., combining weekly classroom instruction with digital learning tools to strengthen students’ emotional regulation, stress- management, and resilience skills. 
2. Daviess County Family YМСА - $3,500 Project: Daviess County YMCA Pilot Second Grade Swim Lesson Program - Launching a pilot second-grade swim program with Washington Catholic Schools that is focused on drowning prevention. This program will provide students with water safety instruction and foundational swimming skills that support safer, lifelong participation in swimming. 
3. Maria Hilf Foundation, Inc. - $9,800 Project: Mariah Hill Pines Park Multi-Use Court - Constructing a fenced, lighted multi-use court for pickleball, tennis, and basketball at Mariah Hill Pines Park to expand recreation opportunities and encourage physical activity and community use. 
4. Martin County Alliance for Economic Growth, Inc. - $20,000 Project: Home Starts Here - Creating the next step in Martin County’s affordable housing strategy by constructing a move-in-ready single-family home that provides a pathway from the new workforce housing apartment complex to attainable homeownership. 
5. Next Step Recovery Home Inc. - $10,000 Project: Building Recovery Capacity Through a Community Corrections Recovery Pod - Launching a Recovery Pod within Dubois County Community Corrections to provide structured recovery support and create a pathway for eligible participants to transition into residential recovery services. 
6. Paoli Police Department - $7,500 Project: Paoli First Responders EMR/EMT Initiative - Strengthening first-response medical care through EMR and EMT training, certification, continuing education, and lifesaving equipment for local police officers and firefighters. 
7. Perry County Council on Aging, Inc. - $20,000 Project: Perry County Council on Aging Transportation Program - Expanding low to no cost, door-to- door transportation for Perry County residents traveling to medical appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores, therapy, and other essential destinations. 
8. Personal Counseling Services, Inc. - $10,000 Project: Expanding Mental Health Services in Rural Communities - Sustaining and expanding mental health and addiction services for uninsured and underinsured residents through rural satellite locations and telehealth care. 
9. Pike County School Corporation - $12,000 Project: Pike County School Corporation & Cartwheel Care - Launching a school-based mental health initiative through Cartwheel Care to connect students with therapy, care coordination, and family support, while strengthening overall student health and attendance. 
10. Southridge High School - $5,000 Project: Impact Suite Project for Southridge High School - Implementing Impact Suite to support student mental health, safety, and wellness through teletherapy, screening, integrated academic and behavioral data, safety alerts, and coordinated intervention planning. 
11. Spencer County Habitat for Humanity - $20,700 Project: Spencer County Habitat for Humanity Chrisney & Rockport Homes - Renovating two donated homes in Rockport and Chrisney to provide safe, affordable housing for Spencer County families while supporting Habitat’s ongoing homeownership efforts. 

“There is no single path to building a healthier community,” said Mary Champion, BFO Director of Operations. “We are fortunate to have many organizations throughout our region bringing different expertise, resources, and approaches to improving health and well-being while addressing varied local needs. They each play an important role in our communities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support their work.” 

BFO’s 2026 Project Grant Cycle 3 is now accepting applications. Applications can be found at www.beingforothers.org and close on October 9, 2026. Eligible nonprofits, governmental entities, or school organizations in BFO’s eight-county service region are invited to apply.  

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 grantmaking, 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, [email protected] or visit www.beingforothers.org.