LAWRENCEBURG, IND., APRIL 17, 2026 – The Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc. (DCF) recently awarded a $125,000 Community Support Grant to Dearborn County Parks & Recreation to help with improvements to the county-owned Bright Meadows Community Park. The Community Support Grant is made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.’s GIFT IX initiative.
Lilly Endowment awarded DCF $1.275 million in GIFT IX Community Support Grant funds, which are meant to provide flexible funding to enhance grantmaking of Indiana community foundations and support their capacity to address compelling needs in the communities they serve.
The $125,000 Community Support Grant awarded to county parks & recreation brings DCF’s total contribution to the park project to $175,000, as the Foundation previously awarded $50,000 from its Lawrenceburg Community Grant Program (LCGP) for recreational path improvements. Dearborn County Parks & Recreation is applying for Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) grant funds through the Stellar Communities Program and, if successful, will receive a dollar-for-dollar match up to $1 million for funds contributed toward the improvements to the park in Bright.
“Bright Meadows Community Park is the busiest of the county-owned parks and it serves a highly populated, underserved area of our county,” said Fred McCarter, Executive Director of DCF. “DCF sees the Community Support Grant and the LCGP funds as meaningful investments in needed recreational opportunities in this part of our county.”
The fact that the DCF grant funds can be matched dollar-for-dollar through the Stellar Communities Program is a huge bonus, McCarter added. “We are especially pleased to be a part of a project where public, charitable and private contributors are making it happen.”
Dearborn County Parks must apply for the IDNR funds by August 1 with a decision expected by December 2027. Due to the matching component, none of the park work can begin until after a decision on the IDNR grant. The county has raised a significant portion of the $1 million needed for a match in IDNR funds, said Gene Cleary, Treasurer of the Dearborn County Parks & Recreation Board. He said county parks & recreation has contributed more than $400,000 of their own funds and has received significant donations toward the project from the county redevelopment commission and private donors.
“These two generous grants from Dearborn Community Foundation are putting us in a position to make these needed improvements possible,” said Cleary. “We can’t say enough about the impact this will have far into the future for this area of our county.”
The improvements to Bright Meadows Community Park are to include a rebuilt recreational path; six pickleball courts, a basketball court, an inclusive playground; fitness area with outdoor equipment; amphitheater stage; and parking and drive improvements.
About DCF
Established nearly 30 years ago, DCF is a catalyst to connect people who care with causes that improve the quality of life in our community by advancing cultural, educational and social opportunities, while preserving our community’s heritage and helping donors to create a permanent legacy through endowment in Dearborn County. Visit dearborncf.org to learn more about DCF.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. While the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States on an invitational basis to support these causes, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.