History

The Scott County Community Foundation was established in January 1997, in affiliation with the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana.

In 1999, Lilly Endowment established a grant, the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) IV initiative, to help set up community foundations. The Scott County Community Foundation voted to obtain a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and become a stand-alone community foundation. The date for disaffiliation was September 30, 2000.

An executive director was employed, and an office was established. A board of directors was announced, equipment purchased and office furniture donated. During the following months, committees worked on developing guidelines and procedures for the organization.

In October 2006, the Scott County Community Foundation purchased a building at 60 N. Main Street in Scottsburg for a permanent site for its office. After extensive remodeling, the staff moved in February 2007.

The Foundation celebrated our 10-year anniversary in 2007. In January 2007, we were named in compliance with the Ethical and Operational Standards for Indiana Community Foundations, and have been re-certified through the National Standards ever since.

In late 2012, we partnered with United Way of Scott County to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Scott County. This program addresses early childhood literacy. We also began a collaboration with the community foundations in Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Washington counties to address adult education through our Education Matters Southern Indiana initiative. This initiative now falls under the umbrella of Align Southern Indiana.

In 2022, we celebrated our 25th anniversary. We currently manage over $13 million in assets, and have awarded over $6 million in grants and scholarships to the community. In addition, over $13 million has been granted to Scott County through the Community Foundation, from Lilly Endowment Inc.