The Hendricks County Community Foundation (HCCF) is a nonprofit in and of itself. However, since 1993, it has been serving organizations just like itself.
As a community foundation, it helps others give and support the work of local nonprofits in the county and build charitable resources that will serve the county far into the future.
It awards grants, hosts community needs surveys and connects people to needed resources. Looking back over 2026, HCCF has given more than ever before, with even more promised on the horizon.
William Rhodehamel, HCCF president and CEO, said to think of HCCF as a three-legged stool. The donors are one leg, the nonprofits are the second leg, and connection or collaboration is the third.
One of those connection pieces is the Hendricks County Women’s Giving Circle, a philanthropy group designed to provide financial support for local nonprofits. Each member donates annually to support the mission, and then selected nonprofits receive support through grant applications.
“We had 202 members this year in the Giving Circle, and we’ll be signing up for our third year soon. Registration runs from the middle of November to mid-January,” Frances Mock, director of community relations at HCCF, said. “This year, we’ve awarded $63,000 in grants to nine nonprofits.”
Mock said the women enjoy the networking aspect and, of course, learning about other nonprofits and supporting them.
In 2026, 34 nonprofits applied for grants. The women review the applications, select nine of those and give applicants an opportunity to present their work to the membership.
“[The organization] is fairly new and has been an amazing program. We’ll have one more grant event in November, and it’s just been a phenomenal program to get women involved. These are generous and good-hearted women that might not have known where to or how to get involved,” Mock said.
Of course, grant giving is a large portion of HCCF’s mission, with an average of more than $2 million awarded to nonprofits in Hendricks County.
“Our unrestricted grants were greatly enhanced this year. I think it was close to $500,000 awarded this spring. That may be the largest we’ve ever done, with more than 50 grantees. We’ve been traveling all over the county giving grant presentations, presenting checks and learning more about the nonprofits. It’s been an amazing year,” Rhodehamel said.
This year, another exciting opportunity has presented itself.
“We’re in the process of receiving our Stronger Together Moonshot Grant applications now. That’s a $1 million grant we received from Lilly Endowment Inc.’s GIFT IX Initiative,” Rhodehamel said. “We worked with the community to put together what we would describe as a transformational application, and it has already started a lot of good conversations.”
The initiative invites proposals for projects spanning one to three years, with implementation beginning between March 2027 and January 2028. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government entities, park districts and collaborative coalitions serving Hendricks County. Cross-sector collaboration is encouraged.
“Our committee will be looking at those applications in the next few weeks, and we’ll pick five or six for the next step in the process: a more in-depth application. Then we’ll be announcing the recipient of the grant early next year. We’re pretty excited about this. It’s the largest grant we will have ever given in terms of competitive grants,” Rhodehamel said.
What makes HCCF different from other nonprofits in the county? There is no singular focus on homelessness, animal rescue, domestic violence or food insecurity. Rather, HCCF is interested in supporting all of them through funds raised from residents of Hendricks County. Due to its unique position, volunteer opportunities directly with HCCF often require serving on one of the many committees that help move the mission forward. But that doesn’t stop the foundation from helping make those connections elsewhere.
“Our volunteer opportunities at HCCF are somewhat limited other than committee service, but we also help people connect within the community, so there may be opportunities in the county that are appropriate, and we can help facilitate,” Mock said. “There is a volunteer tab on our new website for those that want to get involved directly with us. We review those regularly and reach out. I’d encourage women specifically to get involved in the Giving Circle.”
It’s the connection piece, or leg on the stool, Rhodehamel stressed, that keeps the process moving forward.
“If not volunteer opportunities with HCCF committees, we have a number of great nonprofits who are doing such important work in Hendricks County.
Everyone needs not just money but good people to help realize their mission,” Rhodehamel said. “Whether it’s taking care of the kitties at Misty Eyes or helping sort clothing for the residents at Sheltering Wings, we can help people who aren’t sure where to find those volunteer opportunities make that entrance into giving service.”
HCCF conducts a Community Needs Assessment every three years, and it will return in 2027.
HCCF will partner with IU West Hospital and Hendricks Regional Hospital, and they’ll be asking everyone from every walk of life to participate because the results often advocate for or dictate where funds go in future years.
“Hearing from the community is so important as we’re looking to understand how to distribute the $2 million-plus. It’ll be even more next year, and responding to the survey really makes a difference,” Rhodehamel said.
After all, residents in Hendricks County give to their nonprofits through the community foundation, trusting HCCF to make the right decisions.
“Our community is so generous, and we work with so many wonderful nonprofits that are doing incredible work to make Hendricks County a better place,” Rhodehamel said. “It’s an honor to be able to be a part of that work.”
Giving Tuesday is Dec. 1 this year. Follow HCCF’s social media to learn more about nonprofits in Hendricks County and how you can get involved.
Visit hendrickscountycf.org for more information.
