Collections

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.

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

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."