Endowment fund to celebrate $1 million milestone Saturday

The Hawcreek Flat-Rock Area Endowment has reached a huge fundraising milestone. To mark the special occasion, it is inviting Hope area residents out for a free celebratory luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Hope Town Square.

The HCFR Area Endowment, established in 2002 by community members in Clifford, Hartsville and Hope, has reached a historic $1 million milestone this year, says Adam Miller, vice president of fund development for the HCFR Area Endowment.

“They decided to form this fund and have board of members representing the two townships because Hope, which is located in the northeastern corner of Bartholomew County, is really the only other town that is large enough other than the Columbus area,” Miller says. “And so that was kind of the kicker behind this.”

The whole point of the endowment -- whose funds are held in trust by the Heritage Fund, the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County -- is to establish a fund where gifts and donations can come in, Miller adds. The endowment will never dip into those gifts, he says, but instead uses the earnings to essentially write grants to local nonprofits each year.

The endowment’s first grant was written in 2004 for $1,000 for the year, Miller says.

“To put that into perspective, in 2021, we went through our annual grant process and granted $42,000 of grants to nonprofits,” Miller says. “And it’s purely to be for new projects that nonprofits are trying to do to boost up the community as a whole or get new initiatives going, like renovations to facilities and things like that.”

Since 2004, the endowment has written more than $306,000 in grant funds to nonprofit organizations in the townships, including the Yellow Trail Museum and Hope Fire Department, Miller says.

Miller, who started out as a student representative on the board during his junior and senior years at Hauser High School, says the growth he’s witnessed since the beginning has been incredible.

“There were a lot of situations where we weren’t able to fully fund projects,” he recalls. “Sometimes those projects might have gotten half done or sometimes didn’t fully work out as anticipated because nonprofits aren’t just overflowing with cash. Well, now that we are seeing $30,000 to $40,000, we are able to fully fund roughly 10 to 15 different projects throughout the community. It is incredible to see the growth of our fund.”

Among the fund’s contributors is business executive and philanthropist Tim Andrews.

Describing himself as a “bit player,” Andrews considers his contributions to the fund as a means of paying it forward.

Having grown up in the township of St. Louis Crossing and attended Hauser High School, Andrews says he was inspired by the community of Hope from a young age.

“I always found growing up there that people were so welcoming, caring, giving and always looking out for each other,” he says.

In 2002, Andrews was approached by two of the endowment’s founding members, the late Don Dillman and late Charlie Biggs, who invited him to a launch dinner for the endowment. Andrews recalls that he hadn’t planned to give anything, but with the more he heard things changed.

“As I sat there, I really got to thinking about the impact the community had had on my life growing up, more than I had ever acknowledged,” he recalls. “I had been so moved by the conversation, I said, ‘If you guys do this, I will match the $100,000.’”

That challenge was accepted, met and exceeded.

Next up was a goal for $1 million and, in 2019, Andrews again issued a challenge. If the endowment was able to raise $975,000, he would give the final $25,000 that would allow the endowment to reach its goal.

Again, the challenge was accepted and met even earlier than expected.

“It shows that anything can happen,” Andrews says. “I think one of the things that is pretty obvious is if likeminded people get together and set a goal, no matter how audacious that goal may seem it can be reached. And that is what those folks did, those were people who said, ‘We have a dream here of a different approach for our nonprofits and we can do this.’”

Andrews will be one of four of the endowment’s supporters offering a few remarks at Saturday’s luncheon, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also speaking:

• Tom Miller, Hope resident and owner of Miller Hardwoods, was the founding chairman and is a current HCFR Endowment board member.
• David Webster, retired Hope Elementary school teacher and HSJ Online volunteer, will speak about the impact the endowment has made in the community.
• Shelby Fugate, a 2020 Hauser High School graduate, will speak about her experience serving as student HCFR Endowment board member and what that service has meant to her and the community.

“Those speakers will be sprinkled throughout the three-hour window,” Miller says. “There will also be entertainment on the grandstand."

That will include a performance by The Good Time Band, featuring Larry McCrory, Arnold Ellison, and others.

The endowment is working with area organizations, restaurants and vendors to offer a diverse range of items at the luncheon, including items from WILLow LeaVes of Hope, Hope Baptist Church, Tonala Mexican Restaurant, Clifford, Hartsville and Hope Fire Departments, Heartsville Sweets and Swiss Maid Country Market.

“Our fund is paying for food, and we want to show support to our local vendors as 2020 was really hard,” Miller says. “They are all going to be a part of our menu with the free lunch we are providing to everyone.”

In case of adverse weather, the event will be moved to the Hauser High School Fieldhouse, Miller adds.

Andrews says he looks forward to returning to Hope this weekend and is excited to see the town and its newly renovated Town Square in person as his primary means of keeping up with Hope news has mainly been through HSJ Online and social media.

“I’m also excited to touch base with some people who have been involved so importantly in this,” he says. “I am very proud of the community for what it has done. I think if someone back then had said we would raise $1 million, I just don’t think people would have thought it would be possible.”