News & Notes

December 2024

Over $327,000 in Grants Awarded to Local Nonprofit Organizations

The final grant awards for 2024 were presented on December 5 at the MCCF office. We were thrilled to be joined by donors, fund owners, and nonprofit representatives for the celebration. CEO Kelly Taylor also shared exciting news- with the latest round of grants, MCCF will award over $2 million back to Montgomery County this year!

Seventeen grants totaling just over $327,000 were awarded to local nonprofit organizations to support their work in the community. Thank you to the fund owners and donors who make these awards possible!

For a full list of recipients and more about their grants, click here.

Nunan Named 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar

Congratulations to Ava Nunan, Montgomery County's 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar!

Ava is a senior at North Montgomery High School and the daughter of Andrew and Nancy Nunan. She will receive four years of full tuition at the Indiana college or university of her choice, along with a $900 yearly book stipend. We were able to surprise her with the good news at school earlier this week!

Read more about our newest LECS recipient here.

Montgomery County Early Learning Center Update

The Montgomery County Early Learning Center (MCELC) continues to make great progress!

The building is now fully enclosed, with all new windows and doors. Playgrounds have been installed and new asphalt has been poured, making most of the outdoor work complete. Inside, crews are continuing to work on cabinetry, HVAC, electric, and other important components. To date, we are still on track for a Spring 2025 opening date.

Michaelan Pantoja-Sharp has been hired by Kindercare Learning Centers as the Center Director for the MCELC. She will have a temporary office at MCCF until the building is complete and is available to meet with prospective families to assist with enrollment. Those interested in setting up a meeting can contact Michaelan at michaelan.pantoja@kindercare.com or 765-376-6372.

Enrollment is now open; those interested can contact KinderCare’s enrollment specialists by calling 833-905-3276 or emailing enrollnow@kindercare.com.

Thank you, Paula!

It is a bittersweet time of transition in our office, as Paula Reed, our longtime Donor Services Director, has retired. Paula joined MCCF in 2010 and helped guide our organization through many changes and a great deal of growth.

In addition to assisting donors and fund owners, Paula also produced the MCCF Annual Report, newsletters, and other publications. Her gift for storytelling and attention to detail connected readers with the work of MCCF through grants, scholarships, and other initiatives.

We will miss her incredible talent, office antics, and so much more, but wish Paula the very best in her retirement!

It's the Season of Giving at MCCF

Have a few people on your list that are hard to shop for? Don’t forget that gifts to MCCF are a great way to honor or memorialize loved ones. We do the work for you and notify honorees, or their families, of your thoughtful gesture with a special card.

For a limited time, we’re offering a $1 for $1 match on gifts to the Montgomery County Early Learning Fund!

How to Give to MCCF

MCCF Scholarship

Applications Now Open

It's time! All MCCF scholarship applications are open until January 15.

We are fortunate to be able to offer awards for high school seniors, current college students, and those returning to school. Click here to get started and learn how to apply.

Students are also welcome to contact Ashley Warren, Scholarship Director, with any questions.