Earlier this month, the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation awarded $25,000 grants to seven nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity in Indianapolis:

Six of the grants were awarded as part of our annual Charitable Grants program. Since 2021, the Fairbanks Foundation has awarded Charitable Grants – one-time, $25,000 grants to Indianapolis nonprofits whose work aligns with a funding theme reflecting the city’s most pressing needs. The program honors the legacy of Dick Fairbanks’ interest in making small, unrestricted grants to organizations where these funds can make a significant impact.

To further support this important work outside of the Charitable Grants program, the Fairbanks Foundation also awarded $25,000 to Gleaners to help fund their food distribution efforts.

This year’s funding theme, food insecurity, has been identified by Indianapolis city and community leaders as an ongoing challenge. In fact, the Indy Hunger Network’s 2023 Food Assistance and Hunger in Indiana report indicates that food insecurity in Marion County is worse than it was before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, 15.9% of people in Marion County lived in a food-insecure household, according to data available on the Vitality section of our Community Data Snapshot.

As Claire Fiddian-Green noted in her November IBJ Forefront column, “The impact of hunger goes beyond empty stomachs. Children who lack consistent access to food are at higher risk for chronic disease, poor mental health, and lower academic achievement in reading and math. These outcomes affect not only individual families but the health and prosperity of our entire community.”

The Fairbanks Foundation is pleased to support each of these organizations.