Donors support Transform Lake County grants through gifts to the Lake County Community Fund (LCCF). Transform Lake County Grants are intended to strengthen and empower nonprofits, neighborhoods and residents in Lake County.

TLC Grants are open to 501(c)3 organizations serving Lake County, Indiana. In selected cases, projects undertaken by organizations that normally fall outside Legacy Foundation’s guidelines may be able to receive funding. Examples include faith-based organizations whose proposal impacts the broader community, and units of government whose proposal extends beyond the traditional governmental functions that impact the broader community such as libraries or parks. Grants support programmatic or capacity building activities.

Programmatic Priority Areas

Transform Lake County Grants will continue to support our communities with a sharpened focus on the most pressing challenges our community is facing today: systemic racism and racial injustice and the underinvestment and lack of infrastructure in under-resourced and marginalized communities across Lake County. This funding opportunity recognizes that deeply entrenched inequities mean that our current challenges – and resulting traumas – are disproportionately impacting some populations and communities.

Capacity Building Activities 

Transform Lake County Capacity Building Grants focus on improving organizations’ operating capacity so that they can continue to provide their essential services to the community.

Capacity building grants focus not on the outward-facing, mission-based work of a nonprofit but on the inner workings of the organization. Ultimately, these grants are intended to help build organizational effectiveness and further the success of the organization’s mission. Through these grants, Legacy Foundation seeks to strengthen the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of organizations serving Lake County.

Eligible types of projects:
Funds are to be used to strengthen an organization’s infrastructure, management, and governance. Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s governance, leadership, technology, programmatic evaluation, and administrative capacity. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to:

• Communications & Marketing
  • External communication strategy planning
• Evaluation
  • Assessment of management and governance systems
  • Evaluation of program and/or service effectiveness
• Planning
  • Strategic planning
  • Succession planning
  • Fund development planning
• Technology
  • Upgrades to organizational technology
  • Establish or upgrade a management system
• Training
  • Board and/or staff development

Projects that do not qualify:
Examples of what is not considered capacity building may be, but are not limited to:

• Media campaigns
• Creating or expanding a new program/service
• Site relocation or general renovations
• Hiring new staff members (Consultants are allowable expenses)
• Creating or contributing to an endowment
• Paying overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, etc.
• Supporting capital campaigns

Strong proposals will come from organizations and programs that meet the following:

• Organizations with a budget under $2 million
• The proposed request aims to resolve the problem at its source
• Organizations that have not received consecutive grants from Legacy Foundation in recent years
• Innovative and new ideas
• Proposals that will help to improve services or eliminate duplication
• Proposals that help implement an organization’s strategic plan
• Proposals that are community driven or include community outreach and involvement
• Proposals that have a financial match or that can use Legacy funding to leverage additional resources

Begin your application
back to the Grants list

Unrestricted Funds

Unrestricted funds are established to support community grant-making in Lake County, Indiana. They allow Legacy Foundation’s staff and Grants Committee to evaluate aspects of community well being in areas of arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health and human services, neighborhood revitalization and more.  We are deeply grateful for these funds that help us meet the breadth of community needs—including future needs that may not yet be imagined.

American Savings FSB Fund
Nick Anoe Memorial Fund
Catherine and Calvin Bellamy Fund
Catherine Riley Boege Community Fund
The Centennial Fund
Chase Fund
Margot and Glenn Clark Unrestricted Endowment Fund
Terry Conley Memorial Unrestricted Fund
Ruth Cornwell Fund
The Webster Cornwell Fund
James L. and Prudence Dandurand Fund
The Robert and Barbara Gasser Fund
Richard A. Gordon Memorial Endowment Fund
James H. and Mary Ann Greiner Fund
HFS Bank Fund
Nancy and Allen Johnson Fund
Jack S. and Frances S. Killen Fund

Lake County Community Fund
Lake County Community Sponsorship Fund
Legacy Strategic Planning Grants
Memorial Fund
Francis Meyer Family Fund
Leonard and Mildred Millies Fund
The Morrow Family Fund
Nicholas J. Pangere Memorial Fund
William and Diane Payne Fund
Cyril Sandala Fund
Wilbert and Olga Seehausen Fund
Betty J. and Dick J. Sterk Fund
TrueWealth Advising Group Endowment
Fred & Judith Van Senus Memorial Endowment
Dean and Barbara White Fund
Louise and Bancroft Yarrington Fund