Collections

The JEHT Foundation was established in 2000 by its trustees based on the core values behind its proposed mission: "justice, equality, human dignity, and tolerance." Most of their efforts focused on grant making and advocacy in support of community justice, and by 2008, JEHT advertised its primary areas of interest as: 1) criminal justice; 2) juvenile justice; 3) international justice; and 4) fair and participatory elections. The Foundation was forced to cease operations in December of 2008 when Bernie Madoff was arrested for securities fraud, resulting in the loss of most of JEHT's financial assets, invested with Madoff for more than 30 years.

John Gomperts is the current President and CEO of America's Promise Alliance. This collection primarily focuses on his time working with the Corporation for National and Community Service, first as Chief of Staff and later as the Director of AmeriCorps.

The Near Eastside Multi-Service Center (NEMSC) was founded in 1971 as a nonprofit, community-based agency designed to coordinate and provide social services and programs for the diverse population of the near eastside of Indianapolis. In 1994, NEMSC officially changed its name to the John H. Boner Community Center (JHBCC) in order to honor John H. Boner, a long-time active member and director of the organization. Historically, the JHBCC's services have shifted based on funding and community needs, but they largely focus on cooperating with other neighborhood and Indianapolis organizations to provide social services, housing, and community programming to inhabitants of the near eastside community.

John J. Schwartz, fund raising executive and author, worked hard to assist in the development of standards and ethics for fund-raising professionals and to influence legislation on the national and state level. During his 41 active years in the field, Schwartz was employed by various philanthropic organizations including John Price Jones, Inc., Fund Raising for Traveler Aid Society of New York, Development for the Community Service Society, G.A. Brakeley & Co., the American Cancer Society, and American Association of Fund Raising Counsel, Inc. (AAFRC). Schwartz spent a majority of his career, 1966-1987, at AAFRC, advancing to become the President of the organization in 1973 until his retirement. Throughout his career, he has served on various boards and committees promoting the understanding of philanthropy and was instrumental in the establishment of Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations (CONVO), Independent Sector, and the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. The papers consist of records documenting his involvement with several philanthropic organizations as an employee and as a member of professional organizations. Included are organizational information, correspondence, meeting minutes, project reports, conferences, articles and papers.

Junior Achievement of Central Indiana (JA Central Indiana) was founded in 1957 as an area franchise of Junior Achievement. JA Central Indiana has implemented the major educational programs of Junior Achievement from 1958 through today, teaching Central Indiana students from the grade school to high school level about economics and business in a hands-on format.

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

James Warren McClure, born in 1919, was a newspaper executive and publisher. In 1971 he sold the Burlington, VT Free Press and the Chambersburg, PA Public Opinion to Gannett Co., Inc., making him Gannett's largest individual stockholder, as well as their first vice president/marketing. McClure retired from Gannett in 1975 and created McClure Media Marketing Motivation Company, and later Ener/Gem Success Systems, Inc. McClure and his wife Lois began making substantial financial donations to major educational, health, and community organization projects in the early 1970s, and have continued to do so to the present. The collection consists primarily of their Donation Files regarding most of their major gifts.

Kenneth L. Gladish, born in 1952, was an executive director of Indiana Humanities Council from 1984 to 1991 and the president of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (including the Indianapolis Foundation) from 1993 to 2000. He contributed to several Indiana-based foundations and organizations such as Hanover College, the Rotary Foundation and IUPUI Board of Advisors and the Indiana Jewish Community Relations Council. This collection includes records of his work until he became a chief executive officer of the YMCA of the USA in 2000.

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.

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.

Leslie Lenkowsky is the former CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and professor emeritus of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington and of the Lilly School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. Lenkowsky taught on topics including nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, civil society, and public policy. He has written articles for national publications like The Wall Street Journal and has spoken worldwide about philanthropy. The Leslie Lenkowsky Papers consist of Lenkowsky's records from his involvement with the Corporation for National and Community Service, both before and during his time as CEO. It includes board meeting minutes, reports on CNCS and its programs, congressional and legislative records, correspondence, articles, and programs records.

The A.L. Mailman Family Foundation was established in 1980 as a private, successor organization to the Mailman Foundation, which was founded by Abraham and Joseph Mailman in 1943. The foundation, named for Abe Mailman and originally chaired by his daughter, Dr. Marilyn Mailman Segal, provides grant funding for projects and programs concerning early childhood education and development. Initially, the Foundation's early grants supported applied research and model programs, but based on feedback and replication issues, the Foundation began to focus on products and practices intended to inform public policy. In 1993, the Directors of the Foundation decided to proactively address larger societal issues, such as racism, violence, and poverty, in addition to their continued support for early childhood education and family care. The Mailman Foundation Records contain board meeting minutes, symposia memorabilia, annual reports and administrative files, grant files and related publications, records of contributions, and correspondence.

Malcolm Richardson's records contain the planning documents and proceedings from the White House Conference on Philanthropy, as well as materials from the President's Council on the Arts and Humanities, the White House Millennium Council, and the 3rd annual Expanding Philanthropy through the Internet conference.

This collection contains predominantly publications and reports of the America Reads Challenge program with correspondence, news clippings, posters, and a VHS. The America Reads Challenge, a national movement, was started to promote and ensure children's literacy in 1997 as part of President Clinton's Call to Action for Education. The publications are from the America Reads Challenge office creating teaching materials and guidebooks, and institutions that received grants for the program review by Marsha Adler, who was a director of Higher Education at the America Reads Challenge office.

Mary Fink was an active volunteer and leader in the Jewish community. An active member of the National Council of Jewish Women, she served as the organization's president from 1962-1964. As a volunteer in the Indianapolis community, she worked on a variety of governing boards and committees aimed at community betterment. This collection contains information about her and her activities in the Indianapolis community.

Maurice Gilbert Gurin (1911-1990), was nearly 50 years old in 1959 when he made the career change from public relations to fund raising. Gurin incorporated new and innovative fund raising methods with more traditional techniques and in only 12 years rose from free-lancer fund raising to president of a fund raising firm with offices in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. He continued over the next 30 years to seek creative new answers to old questions, using imaginative new approaches to fund raising focused on individual client needs and making the fund raising plan fit the client rather than the client fit the fund raising plan. The papers consist of correspondence, speeches, published materials, client feasibility studies, and client files.

Working in higher education and philanthropy, Merrimon Cuninggim gained national recognition in both fields. His early career was as a professor at various colleges and in 1951 he became Dean of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He remained there until 1960 when he accepted the position of Executive Director/President of the Danforth Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained until 1972. From 1973 to 1975 he worked as an advisor/consultant to the Ford Foundation and from 1976 to 1979 served as President of Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. From 1979 until his death in 1995 Cuninggim served as a special consultant to both colleges and foundations on management problems. In 1981 he was one of the 16 founders of the Center for Effective Philanthropy which was formed to advise foundations and other charitable institutions on effective management. The papers consist of correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, and notes from Cuninggim's professional life.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy is a progressive organization formed in 1976 to monitor private philanthropy in the United States. The records consist of board and committee records, meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, subject files, reports and publications, and photographs.

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 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.

The National Network of Grantmakers (NNG) is an organization formed in 1980 to bring together individuals committed to the idea that a "fully functioning democracy depends upon involved and empowered citizens who share both the responsibilities and benefits of society." It was a progressive-minded organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice. Records include board and committee records, program files, correspondence, financial records, and publications.

The New Farmers of America (NFA) began as a national organization for African-American farm youth in 1935 to promote agricultural leadership, character, thrift, scholarship, cooperation, and citizenship. This organization served its members for 30 years providing experience in leadership and education in the agricultural field. Programs and contests designed for the organization awarded youth for achievement within the NFA and their community. In 1965 the NFA merged with the National FFA Organization. At the time of the merger, the NFA consisted of 1,004 chapters in 12 states and over 50,000 members.

The Oram Group, Inc. (formerly Harold L. Oram, Inc.) was founded in 1939 as a fund raising and public relations consulting firm specializing in liberal social causes. Early clients of the Oram Group addressed social and political issues including human and civil rights, the environment, nuclear weapons, and refugee relief. Today the Oram Group, Inc. continues to serve the non-profit organization in the areas of religion, social action, health, civil rights, the environment, and performing arts.

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 1987 Pan American Games were held in Indianapolis between August 7 and August 23, involving 38 countries and 31 different sports. It was planned and hosted by an offshoot of the Indiana Sports Corporation, PAX/Indianapolis (PAX-I). While preparing for the upcoming games, PAX-I researched how previous organizations had handled similar events. They arranged for corporate licensing and in-kind donations and worked with Disney to design the opening and closing ceremonies. PAX-I security staff cooperated with the Indianapolis Police Department and the U.S. Department of Defense to provide security for residents and visitors. The Language and Meeting Services Division organized bilingual interpreters and translation services, and the Games and Venues Division determined sites and schedules for sporting events and practices. Human Resources coordinated a large team of volunteers, and the Communications Division arranged publicity, speeches, tours, and the "look" of the games. Support staff established an athlete's village at Fort Benjamin Harrison with the permission of the U. S. Army and handled the many logistical details necessary for the influx of athletes, dignitaries, and spectators for the 1987 games. Some political problems accompanied the games because of tensions between the United States and Communist Cuba.

Peter Dobkin Hall was a historian of American philanthropy, who held appointments at Wesleyan (1974-1982), Yale (1973-1999), and Harvard (2000 until death), and was Scholar in Residence at the Rockefeller Archive Center in 1989. He was extensively published in philanthropy but it probably best known for his book "'Inventing the Nonprofit Sector' and Other Essays on Philanthropy, Voluntarism, and Nonprofit Organizations."

Transcripts for oral history interviews related to philanthropy, which were conducted by the Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice, formerly known as Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory, formerly known as the Indiana Oral History Research Center. The American Foundations Oral History Project consists of a series of interviews with prominent American philanthropists, each of whom relates their background, the development of their values, and their philosophies of philanthropy. The purpose and state of American philanthropy, including those family foundations and corporate foundations, form a central topic, as do the recent trend of increasing diversity and opinions on grant evaluation and philanthropic assessment. In addition, many interviewees comment on the role of government in philanthropy and the system of ethics at play in American philanthropy. The Center on Philanthropy Oral History Project traces creation of the Center from its earliest stages and its evolution into a fully operating academic institution dedicated to the study of philanthropy. It includes the negotiations in bringing the Fund Raising School to Indianapolis, Indiana, the grant proposals to the Lilly Endowment, finding the Center's first director, and the creation of its mission statement. This project also contains many different people's views on the study of philanthropy and the importance and success of the Center. The "Philanthropy: a history of fund raising" Project discusses the history of philanthropy and fundraising as a profession. The interviewees, all workers of different generations, discuss the various issues and changes the field of fundraising has faced over the years, with a major focus on fundraising in America. The changing public image of philanthropy, the introduction of women into the field, and the skills and techniques needed within the profession are all discussed in depth throughout the interviews. The major differences between various types of fundraising are also discussed.

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."

The Quixote Foundation was established by Arthur Stuart Hanisch as a family foundation in 1997, and after his death in 2002 the organization adopted a limited-life strategy that resulted in full expenditure of all philanthropic funds by 2017. The foundation espoused a progressive world view, with a majority of grantees working for media reform, election integrity, reproductive rights, environmental equity, and social equality. The records consist predominantly of grant files, with other materials including board meeting minutes, Forms 990-PF, publications, and other materials created by or for the organization.

Robert Eddinger Nelson, a pioneer in the field of higher education fund raising and development, was born in Rochester, Indiana on March 2, 1928. In 1969 he founded Robert E. Nelson Associates, Inc. as a consulting firm to advise colleges and universities in development and fund raising. He remained active in the field as a consultant, a speaker, a board member, and as a member of several university development associations until his retirement. Robert Nelson died in 2012. The Robert E. Nelson Papers consist mainly of Robert Nelson's correspondence and speech files. The collection also includes administrative files from Robert E. Nelson Associates and correspondence and administrative files from the Pith Helmet Society and the Have A Heart Foundation.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Volunteer Center of Daviess and Martin Counties was started in 1973 to engage seniors in meaningful volunteer service that strengthens the well-being of self and community. The group offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for senior citizens. This collection consists of five scrapbooks. Each scrapbook contains mainly news scrapsnewspaper clippings from 1974 to 1999 and occasionally includes letters, postcards, and photographs.

The Shirley Sagawa Papers contain a record of the development of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, the Commission on National and Community Service, and the early years of the Corporation for National and Commmunity Service.

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.

TRI-CAP (Tri-County Community Action Program) is founded by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as part of the War on poverty and has served the low-income population in Dubois, Pike, and Warrick counties, Indiana since 1966. This group provides health, housing, education and volunteer programs including Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). This collection consists of two scrapbooks. Each scrapbook contains mainly newspaper clippings from 1974 to 2005 and occasionally includes letters, postcards, and photographs.

Vivian B. Allen (VBA) Foundation was created in 1938 in New York State by Vivian Beaumont Allen with the stated purpose, "to promote the well-being of mankind in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world, including as a means to that end research, publication, the establishment and maintenance of charitable, benevolent, religious and educational activities, agencies and institutions already established." Upon Mrs. Allen's death in 1962, VBA Foundation began to liquidate itself and was dissolved in 1971. The records consist of correspondence between VBA Foundation and grant applicants, including notification of awards or rejections, and descriptions of projects under consideration for grants; and administrative records and correspondence of the Board of Directors, including Board meeting agenda and minutes, and Memoranda distributed to the Board Members. The collection contains records dating back to 1946.

Volunteer Center at the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Fort Wayne - Allen County was the first RSVP group in Indiana and started on August 1st, 1972. It began with the Older Americans Act and was funded by the federal volunteer agency, Agency for Volunteer Service (ACTION). The group committed to provide individuals with opportunities for meaningful volunteer experiences that benefit the community. Their program included not only volunteer works such as helping school children, rolling bandages for the hospital burn units and having community events, but also educationals opportunities like a presentation by the Police Department about identification theft and social activities like field trips and picnics.

Waldemar A. Nielsen (1917-2005) was widely recognized for his expertise in and analysis of charitable foundations. Nielsen worked in government and the nonprofit sector before establishing a consulting agency, Waldemar A. Nielsen, Incorporated, which focused on corporate social policy. Nielsen is best known for his writing on the biggest foundations within the American philanthropic world. Through publications like The Big Foundations (1972) and The Golden Donors (1985), Nielsen examined the foundations' methods and their effectiveness. The Waldemar A. Nielsen Papers consists of Nielsen's research, notes, and drafts for the books and articles published over the course of his career. The collection also contains correspondence, reports, and publications from Nielsen's time working for the government, the Ford Foundation, the African-American Institute, and from his years as a consultant.

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.

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.