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The David Hovde Civil War Tract Collection contains mostly tract publications from the American Tract Society, the American Sunday School Union, the American Bible Society, and similar nonprofit organizations during the American Civil War. The tracts were used to promote moral and spiritual uplift for soldiers and sailors and to inspire patriotism.

William Vincent Wheeler, founder of Wheeler Mission Ministries of Indianapolis, Indiana, was born in 1845 in Ohio and in 1853, his family moved to Indiana. After serving in the Civil War, Wheeler moved to Indianapolis where he was employed by Layman-Carey Hardware Company beginning as a delivery driver and eventually becoming head of the sales department. In 1868, Wheeler experienced a religious conversion and became active in the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church as well as becoming a lay-preacher. In 1893, the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) opened a home for unwed mothers. Wheeler volunteered his help and suggested the range of services offered be broadened to include men, women and children in the form of a rescue mission. He became part-time superintendent of the mission and in 1895, resigned from the hardware company to become a full-time salaried superintendent of the mission, one of the first charitable operations of its kind in Indianapolis. He remained in this position until his death in 1908. The papers consist of correspondence of members of the Wheeler family, family photographs, Wheeler's civil war diary and family history materials.

Oscar McCulloch was a minister, leader, and an advocate of community betterment through charity and social betterment. Born in Ohio in 1843, McCulloch attended seminary and later settled in Indianapolis as minister at the Plymouth Church on Monument Circle. McCulloch's work with the Charity Organization Society and on the Tribe of Ishmael continued until his death in 1891. The collection contains articles written by and about McCulloch, information about Plymouth Church when McCulloch served as minister, and obituaries.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis is a social service organization focusing on youth in Indianapolis. The organization started in 1893 as the Newsboy's Home. Founders of the home were Thomas C. Day; Caleb S. Denny, three term mayor of Indianapolis; Carrie Lowe Denny, his wife; and M.V. McGilliard, a local philanthropist. Today the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis operate ten clubs: five in clubhouse facilities and five clubs based at Indianapolis Public Schools. These clubs are strategically located in the city to serve the most at-risk youth. Programs offered by the organization's professional staff and volunteers include counseling, career development, cultural enrichment, social recreation, citizenship and leadership development, and individual and team sports. The records consist of association and individual club materials and include board of director's minutes, events and activities, fundraising and publicity, annual reports, individual club files, record books, photographs, and videos.

Wheeler Mission Ministries is a charitable organization serving the material and spiritual needs of poor individuals and families in Indianapolis, Indiana through Christian evangelism and conversion. Begun in 1893 as a home for unwed mothers by the Meridian Union of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, it was expanded by William Vincent Wheeler later that year to include a Rescue Mission. Coupling its charitable work with programs to develop a sense of self-sufficiency among the poor, Wheeler Mission was among the city's first charitable operations of its kind and continues to serve the needy of Indianapolis. The records, 1904-1992, consist of the administrative files which contain the correspondence and subject files of superintendents Herbert E. Eberhardt and Leonard C. Hunt, financial files, documentation of Wheeler Mission Associated Groups, printed materials, some research materials from the Door of Hope publication, photographs and audio/visual materials.

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), established in 1893, is the oldest volunteer Jewish women's organization in the United States. It is "dedicated in the spirit of Judaism to advancing human welfare and the democratic way of life" and focuses on five major areas of philanthropy: Women's Issues, Children and Youth, Israel, Jewish Life and Aging. The Indianapolis Section of NCJW was officially formed in 1903 by women of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation formalizing what had begun in 1896 as a primarily social and religious study group. Advocacy and community service remain the focus of the Indianapolis Section of the National Council of Jewish Women as it begins its second century of service. The records consist of meeting minutes, yearbooks which list membership and projects, financial records, newsletters, news clippings and two short videotapes.

The Indiana FFA Association, formed in 1929, was the 19th state association chartered by the National FFA Organization, an agricultural education organization consisting of 52 chartered state associations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Each state association is governed by its own constitution approved by the National FFA Organization and is comprised of chapters within secondary schools throughout the state. In 1968 the Indiana FFA Leadership Center was established in Trafalgar, Indiana, to house leadership activities, the State FFA Officers, and state staff. By 2004, the Indiana FFA Association included 9,000 members in 188 chapters statewide.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is an organization formed by the 1975 merger of the American Alumni Council (AAC) and the American College Public Relations Association (ACPRA). Constituents of both groups believed their goal of increasing the professional competence of those individuals involved in all phases of alumni work including, alumni administration, educational fund raising, public relations and publications in order to promote the cause of education could be better achieved as a single entity. The collection contains the records of CASE and its predecessor institutions covering the development of the early organizations and their merger to form the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Kiwanis International, briefly called the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order Brothers, was officially chartered in 1915 as a club for businessmen that also had social and commercial benefits. That original intent evolved quickly into a club for businessmen who wanted to improve their communities, hence the 1920 motto "we build." Today, Kiwanis International is a global organization, with numerous projects dedicated primarily to their current motto of "serving the children of the world." Through community-based, volunteer efforts, Kiwanians work toward improving the lives of children worldwide through projects such as The Worldwide Service Project for Iodine Deficiency Disorder, Young Children: Priority One, and their current global campaign, The Eliminate Project: Kiwanis eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus. Kiwanis International membership includes clubs for ages six through adults, with approximately 600,000 total active members. This collection contains minutes, correspondence, newsletters, supply catalogs, publications, scrapbooks, photographs, negatives, slides, and audio/visual materials.

The Indianapolis Foundation was created in 1916 by the resolution of three financial institutions, the Fletcher Trust Company, Indiana Trust Company, and Union Trust Company. It was officially introduced as one of the first community foundations in the United States in the January 5, 1916, edition of the Indianapolis Star. According to the resolution, income from the Indianapolis Foundation would "be dispersed by said companies on the written order of a board of trustees for such charitable uses as well in its judgment promote the welfare of persons now or hereafter residing in Indianapolis, Indiana." The foundation began making grants in 1924 and today continues to give to Indianapolis organizations to help improve the quality of life in the city.

The National FFA Organization, originally called the Future Farmers of America, was founded in 1928 as a national organization for boys in rural, farming communities. Its original purpose, the education of youth in agricultural fields of study, is still recognized through its current programs. Today, the mission of the National FFA Organization is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Through educational programs the FFA teaches students how to become active in their communities and successful in their occupation. FFA membership includes junior high, high school, and college students and totals approximately 450,000. This collection contains correspondence, minutes, newsletters, publications, reports, audio cassettes, video cassettes, and photographs.

Kiwanis International, briefly called the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order Brothers, was officially chartered in 1915 as a club for businessmen that also had social and commercial benefits. That original intent evolved quickly into a club for businessmen who wanted to improve their communities, hence the 1920 motto "we build." Today, Kiwanis International is a global organization, with numerous projects dedicated primarily to their current motto of "serving the children of the world." The Downtown Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis was the first Kiwanis club in Indiana, founded in 1916, and currently has more than 250 members, making it the largest Kiwanis Club in Indiana. This collection contains by-laws, minutes, correspondence, newsletters, club rosters, tax information, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and brochures.

Junior Achievement, Inc. (JA) was founded in 1919 as the Boys' and Girls' Bureau of the Eastern States League. Embracing the concept of "learning by doing," the leaders of the Bureau dedicated themselves to teaching urban youth proper business practice and methods. They accomplished this through hands-on training in management and production. For much of its history, JA used one program to teach business to high school students. Beginning in the 1970s, JA started to expand its programs to include Kindergarten, Middle School, and college students. Over the last 20 years, the programs of JA have changed immensely. While the face of JA has changed, the mission of teaching youth about business remains at the core of Junior Achievement. Today, JA continues to be one of the most influential business education organizations worldwide

Altrusa International, Inc. is an international service organization for professional and executive business women with membership on a limited classification basis. The National Association of Altrusa Clubs, founded in 1917 as Altrusa Institute, was the first national organization of business and professional women. In 1935 Altrusa became international and the name was changed to International Association of Altrusa Clubs, Inc. The organization's name was changed again in June 1947, to Altrusa International, Inc. The Indianapolis Altrusa Club was formed in April 1917. Its programs and activities have included vocational education and guidance, senior citizens programs, civic service and community service projects, financial assistance for graduate women from other countries and literacy related programs. The organization's objectives are to cultivate friendly relationships and solidarity among business and professional women to encourage mutual helpfulness; to provide vocational information and service to women of all ages; to encourage members to actively participate in community, national and international affairs, and to promote educational and cultural training. The records consist of legal documents, board and committee records, meeting files, financial records, correspondence, publications, special event materials, scrapbooks, news clippings and photographs.

In 1947 Charles Edward Marsh founded the Public Welfare Foundation to render direct financial assistance to the needy. His purpose, to offer the greatest good to the greatest number of people, symbolized the efforts of the foundation he created. His method of distributing money, called the agent system, dispersed financial assistance to provide for the immediate needs of individuals. As tax laws required more detailed reporting, the foundation began to phase out the agent system and created a more formal method of receiving proposals from organizations worldwide. With a commitment to supporting organizations that help people overcome barriers to full participation in society, the foundation had distributed more than $400 million in grants by 2007. Its purpose continues in the spirit of Charles Marsh to focus on "ensuring the fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need."

American City Bureau, a fundraising consulting firm, works with not for profit organizations to design and run fund raising campaigns. Established in 1913 by Edgar and Harold Buttenheim, the company merged with Beaver and Associates in 1963. The firm has worked on capital campaigns on the national and local level. American City Bureau has been instrumental in developing campaigns for organizations such as the Young Men's Christian Association,(YMCA), the Young Women's Christian Association, (YWCA), United Fund, and the Salvation Army. The records detail the fund raising efforts and campaigns of the American City Bureau and its predecessor origins. It consists of 4 page reports of campaigns from Howard T. Beaver Associates, (later Beaver and Associates) from 1936-1963, campaign information from American City Bureau from 1944 -1995, conference addresses and programs, from 1938-1978, promotional materials and publications from 1919- 1973, and their newsletter, Bureau News from 1920-1976.

The Social Health Association of Central Indiana began as the Anti-Syphilis League of Indiana in 1938. Its purpose was to eradicate venereal diseases, particularly syphilis and gonorrhea, and the conditions which contributed to its proliferation. In 1939, the name was changed to the Indiana Social Hygiene Association. In 1943, their mission included the eradication of venereal diseases; the battle against prostitution and sexual delinquency; the promotion of sex education and appropriate sexual behavior; and the support of family and marriage relations. As the organization's focus evolved, it underwent a name change to the Social Health Association of Indianapolis and Marion County, and in the 1960s, became more involved in sex education, developing materials for elementary and secondary schools and education professionals. In 1976, the name changed to the Social Health Association of Central Indiana as it began to develop programs for areas outside of Marion County. In the 1980s, the organization added AIDS education to its curriculum and in the 1990s it added "Life Skills" education. The agency changed its name to Social Health Association of Indiana in 2000; in the 2000s its focus shifted to puberty education, internet safety, and bullying prevention. In 2018, it became LifeSmart Youth, Inc. and focused on health and behavior education. The collection consists of board of directors and committee minutes, administrative records, publications, program materials, sex education plans, teaching materials, and audio materials including class instruction, advertisements and radio broadcasts.