Community Foundation Nets Largest Single Gift

Tina Peterson is CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc.

The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County says it has received the largest single donation from an individual or family in the organization’s 27-year history. The foundation says it will use the $800,000 gift from the estate of Judy Feldpausch to provide grants to area nonprofits.

The gift will establish the Judith B. Feldpausch Fund, which will provide annual grants in perpetuity to seven nonprofits, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, the Monroe County Humane Association, People and Animal Learning Services, American Red Cross services benefiting Monroe County, The Salvation Army – Bloomington, and Volunteers in Medicine.

"We are grateful to Judy for her passion for making Monroe County a better place," said Tina Peterson, chief executive officer of the foundation. "At the Community Foundation, our mission is to create positive impact to improve the quality of life in our community. Judy’s estate gift is an example of the power of giving exponentially, advancing the Foundation’s capacity to meet the community’s most pressing needs and compelling opportunities, year after year, forever."

The foundation says it will invest the gift so it will grow over time and then distribute funds annually to each of the organizations. Peterson says the gift is one of many that have advanced the foundation’s goal of doubling its endowment to $40 million by 2022.