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Northern Indiana Community Foundation
The Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) operates as a collective of three county-level affiliates covering Fulton, Miami, and Starke counties in...
Northern Indiana Community Foundation
The Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) operates as a collective of three county-level affiliates covering Fulton, Miami, and Starke counties in north-central Indiana. The foundation's architecture funnels donor-advised funds, scholarship endowments, and unrestricted community funds through a single administrative umbrella headquartered in Rochester. Executive Director Corinne Becknell Lucas was the first employee hired by the Starke County Community Foundation before ascending to lead the consolidated entity. NICF's deployment model centers on grantmaking cycles that fund nonprofit organizations across its three-county footprint. The foundation participates in the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, a statewide initiative that provides full-tuition scholarships to Indiana students, with Lilly Endowment Inc. serving as a major grantor to the foundation. Additional grantmaking flows through field-of-interest funds targeting education, health, and community betterment projects. The foundation maintains an investment portfolio pool structure to steward its endowed assets, though it does not publicly disclose its asset allocation or external manager roster. The organization maintains three physical offices — one in each county seat — and participates in the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, a professional network for the state's foundations. NICF also engages with the Council on Foundations' CF Insights survey for benchmarking against peer community foundations nationally. Former Executive Director Jay Albright continues involvement in community initiatives, reflecting a governance pattern of long-tenured local leadership rather than revolving professional management. NICF's structural differentiator is geographic: it is one of the primary institutional philanthropic vehicles serving three rural Indiana counties with limited alternative sources of organized charitable capital. Unlike national foundations that allocate remotely, NICF's grantmaking decisions are made locally by boards drawn from the communities they serve, linking its deployment directly to resident priorities rather than outside program officers.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1993
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Rochester
Corporate office
227 East 9th Street, Rochester, IN 46975, United States
Additional offices
13 East Main Street, Peru, IN 46970 · 300 Keller Avenue, North Judson, IN 46366
Principals
Corinne Becknell Lucas
Executive Director
Harry Webb
Board Chair
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How is NICF structured across its three counties?
NICF operates as a single entity with three county affiliate foundations covering Fulton, Miami, and Starke counties. Each affiliate maintains its own board and grantmaking authority but shares administrative and investment infrastructure through the central Rochester office. This structure allows each county to direct funds to local priorities while pooling back-office costs and investment management.
What relationship does NICF have with the Lilly Endowment?
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a major grantor to NICF, most visibly through the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which provides full-tuition scholarships to selected students from each county. The Endowment also provides matching grants and capacity-building support to Indiana community foundations. NICF administers the scholarship selection process locally for its counties.
Does NICF manage its investments internally or through external managers?
NICF maintains an investment portfolio pool structure for its endowed assets, but does not publicly disclose whether investment management is handled internally, through an outsourced chief investment officer, or via a discretionary manager. Many Indiana community foundations of comparable size use oCIO arrangements or pooled funds through the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance or national community foundation investment programs.
What types of funds does NICF administer?
NICF's portfolio includes donor-advised funds, scholarship endowments, field-of-interest funds, designated funds, and unrestricted community funds. Donors can establish named funds under any of the three county affiliates. The foundation's grantmaking supports education, healthcare, community development, and other local needs across Fulton, Miami, and Starke counties.
Who governs investment and grantmaking decisions at NICF?
Overall governance rests with the NICF Board of Directors, currently chaired by Harry Webb. Each county affiliate maintains its own board for local grantmaking oversight. Executive Director Corinne Becknell Lucas leads day-to-day operations and staff, a role she assumed after serving as the Starke County Community Foundation's founding employee.
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