LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette (CFGL) announced the selection of a new President and CEO today (Aug 17).

After an extensive, nationwide search, Greg Kapp of West Lafayette, Indiana has been selected.

Greg Kapp of West Lafayette, Indiana has been named the new president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette.

“We had an overwhelming response to this opening from applicants locally and across the country,” stated Thomas B. Parent, CFGL Board Chairman. “The search was broad, and the selection process thorough and deliberate. The Board of Directors issued a clear mandate to the Search Committee, citing specific core competencies necessary to lead the organization effectively. At the end of the process, we found a highly qualified candidate who has a long history and familiarity with our community. Professionally and personally, Kapp is a proven leader who has demonstrated by action a commitment, passion, and appreciation for community service.”

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve the Greater Lafayette community in this capacity,” Kapp said. “I am looking forward to working with our donors, Board, volunteers, and staff to build upon the wonderful legacy that The Community Foundation has established.”

Kapp most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philanthropic Analytics Division at Grenzebach Glier and Associates, an international philanthropic management consulting firm located in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to that, he served in a number of capacities at Purdue University, which included Executive Assistant to the President, Associate Vice President for Advancement, and Director of Corporate and External Support at the Krannert School of Management. Previous to his Purdue career, he was with Inland Steel Company as a Business Analyst.

He holds a Management degree from Purdue University, and also a Master in Business Administration from DePaul University. He has been actively involved in numerous professional and service organizations for many years. Locally, he has been involved with the United Way of Greater Lafayette Board of Directors, Lilly Tippecanoe Laboratories Advisory Panel, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Kapp will begin employment in September 2009. A Welcome Reception is planned for Thursday, September 17, 5:00 – 7:00p.m., at Elmhurst Community Building (1114 E. State Street) in Lafayette.

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, established in 1970, serves the Tippecanoe County area. Its mission is to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities served. In 2008, The Community Foundation awarded $744,550 in 105 grants to 90 charitable organization and scholarship recipients. An Annual Report is available electronically.

For additional information, visit www.cfglaf.org or call (765) 742-9078.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. -– The 4th Stopping Child Abuse Summit, originally scheduled for this Wednesday, April 8th, is being postponed until Monday, May 4, 2009 out of respect for the deaths of two advocates for children in Tippecanoe County.

The theme for the summit is “Connections Count” and the steering committee determined that with the passing of Michael Dunlop, Tippecanoe County Juvenile Probation Officer, and Doug Eberle, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, family and colleagues needed to have the opportunity to pay their respects without concern for missing this community wide conversation.

The 4th Stopping Child Abuse Summit, originally scheduled for this Wednesday, April 8th, is being postponed until Monday, May 4, 2009 out of respect for the deaths of two advocates for children in Tippecanoe County.

“We are deeply saddened by these losses” said Pam Biggs Reed, chair of the Our Kids are Our Community collaboration which is sponsoring the summit. “Both Michael and Doug were dedicated to creating connections for the benefit of children and youth.”

Those registered for the Summit, but unable to attend the rescheduled May 4th date may send someone in their place, donate the registration fee to support next year’s summit, or request a refund.

The 4th Annual Stopping Child Abuse Summit is designed to help build connections to better improve the lives of children and families in our community.

The new event details for the 4th Annual Stopping Child Abuse Summit are as follows:

Rescheduled Date: Monday, May 4th, 2009
Time: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Location: Christ United Methodist Church, CR 350 S and S. 18th Street, Lafayette, IN
Cost: $25.00 (includes boxed lunch)

For registration questions or concerns, call Jillian Miller at 765-413-6049 or e-mail jmiller@uw.lafayette.in.us

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Tippecanoe Cultural Planning Steering Committee will seek input from the community in a public forum at 7 p.m. Monday (Dec. 8), as an important next step for assessing the contributions as well as short- and long-term needs for Lafayette-West Lafayette’s arts and cultural community.

Marc Goldring, associate principal of Massachusetts consulting firm WolfBrown, will moderate the forum, which will take place at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation building, 638 North St., in downtown Lafayette. Leading members of the Cultural Planning Steering Committee, which is working with broad-based support from TAF and local arts and cultural groups, also will be on hand.

The format will be similar to the public forums, held in June and October to full houses at TAF’s offices. WolfBrown officials will unveil the final report in mid-January.

“During this third public forum, the community will begin to see the picture being painted of the arts and local culture in Lafayette-West Lafayette,” said Sonya Margerum, co-chairman of the Tippecanoe Cultural Planning Steering Committee. “The discussion from the first two sessions was lively and instructive. We invite more from throughout the community to come forward to help us continue setting short- and long-term priorities for the types of events, types of facilities, and types of education and outreach programs we would place on a wish-list for the arts/cultural community.”

The committee, led by Jim Bodenmiller and Margerum, is using $75,000 generated with support from the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, arts and cultural organizations and the Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette to hire WolfBrown and launch the formal arts assessment process. Tetia Lee, director of TAF, also has provided support for the seven-month assessment process.

The Cultural Planning Steering Committee has met for several months with support from TAF, representatives of the arts and cultural organizations, the Lafayette-West Lafayette Development Corp., local government and other groups to chart what steps are needed to engage a consultant to help develop a plan to ensure local arts/cultural organizations are healthy, vibrant and sustainable for the future.

WolfBrown has led, conducted surveys, hosted communitywide meetings, examined funding options, and determined how the local arts venues, programs and events compare with communities similar in size to Lafayette-West Lafayette, Bodenmiller said.

Building on nearly 500 cultural events held in Lafayette-West Lafayette, the local arts community contributes more than $11 million each year to the economy, drawing visitors from throughout the region to performances and events as well as restaurants and retail outlets.

In addition, nearly 1,000 people are employed by the estimated 165 arts-related organizations and businesses in Lafayette-West Lafayette.

With offices in Cambridge, Mass., San Francisco and Washington, D.C., WolfBrown has worked in the field of arts education and cultural planning for decades. Clients have included national service organizations, local coordinating agencies and individual arts education providers. Services include comprehensive research (including parent and student surveys), program design and the development of community wide systems for service provision involving scores of organizations and agencies.

The Tippecanoe Arts Federation, which was launched in 1976, is the nonprofit service and advocacy agency for more than 100 local member arts organizations.

Working from its offices in the Wells Center in downtown Lafayette, TAF also is the re-granting agency for state funds to a 14-county area (Region IV) through the Regional Partnership Initiative of the Indiana Arts Commission and regularly hosts, co-sponsors and participates in community events including its annual fundraiser, The Taste of Tippecanoe, a festival of food and fun for the arts held in downtown Lafayette.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette awarded a Community Beautification Field of Interest Grant, in the amount of $1,800, to the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette. The funds will be applied to landscaping the Art Museum grounds.

John Collier, Director of Campus Planning for Purdue, has volunteered to design a new landscaping plan for the museum on the Ninth Street hill, in Lafayette. Master Gardener, David Lahr volunteered to oversee and direct the installation and maintenance. This grant, combined with a $5,000 grant received from Tipmont REMC, in August, will fund the materials and labor necessary to complete the project. Work will begin this fall and be completed in spring, 2009.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Grant proposals that address needs in the areas of children’s music education, children’s needs, and community beautification are being accepted at The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette from now until noon on Tuesday September 2, 2008. Not-for-profits serving the Tippecanoe County area are encouraged to apply. For information, go to www.cfglaf.org or call (765) 742-9078.

For projects benefiting “Music Education for Disadvantaged Youth”, $8,500 is available for grants in 2008. In 2007, grant awards from the Louisa Lee France Endowment funded $1,400 in music lesson scholarships (Children’s Music Foundation, Inc.) and $2,000 for piano tuning and repair (also at Children’s Music Foundation, Inc.)

For projects benefiting or addressing “Children’s Needs” a total of $7,500 is available for grants in 2008. 2007 grant awards from the Fund for Children’s Needs were awarded to:

• $350, spring break theatre classes, Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette.
• $2,100, membership fees, uniform pieces, and troop start-up money for 100 Hispanic girls as well as funds for participation in a Piñata Party and Fiesta Camp, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.
• $5,000, Systems of Care flex fund for small, one-time expenses impacting seriously emotionally disturbed children, Wabash Valley Hospital Department of Child & Adolescent Services.

A total of $2,300 is available for the 2008 grant cycle for “Community Beautification”.

This is the first year for grant awards from the Virginia B. Huth Fund and the George and Betty DeVault Fund.

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette is a nonprofit public charity established in 1970 to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities we serve. Additional grant opportunities are also available through The Community Foundation. For further information or to access a grant proposal application, visit www.cfglaf.org, call (765) 742-9078 or e-mail to info@cfglaf.org.