The presence of the Johnson County Community Foundation can be felt all across the county.
Grants help support local agencies and nonprofits, providing funding to address everything from public safety to homelessness to the arts. The foundation’s Color the County program has added 12 murals in Franklin, Greenwood, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Edinburgh and Whiteland. Special initiatives have focused on issues ranging from mental health to workforce retention.
None of its successes would be possible without everyone working together, though.
“It really takes a whole community convening and collaborating to make community foundations successful — from the donor side to the nonprofit side,” said Kim Kasting, president and CEO of the Johnson County Community Foundation.
As the Johnson County Community Foundation looks to the future, that united spirit will guide its work moving forward. This week, the foundation launched JCCF Together, its new five-year strategic plan to provide direction through 2030.
The plan’s different components are a reflection of a continued commitment to strengthening community connections, expanding philanthropic impact, and enhancing quality of life across Johnson County.
“It gives us the roadmap. There are so many projects and programs and initiatives that the community foundation can get involved in. We have identified that this is where our strengths will lie and where we can be the best value-add to our community,” Kasting said. “This keeps us on the path, so we don’t veer off to the next thing that pops up.”
As an accredited organization through Community Foundation National Standards, the Johnson County Community Foundation is required to have a strategic plan in place — something the foundation itself recommends for all of the nonprofits it works with, Kasting said.
Working with DCS Consulting, foundation leadership developed JCCF Together — created through thoughtful reflection, community input, and collaboration, ensuring the plan aligns with both current needs and future opportunities.
“At the heart of this plan is the belief that our greatest progress happens when we work together,” Kasting said. “JCCF Together reflects our commitment to listening, leading, and partnering with our community to create meaningful and lasting impact.”
Within the plan, foundation leaders outlined four key priorities that will shape the organization’s work over the next five years.
The first concept is to elevate awareness and connection. Expanding awareness ensures more people know about and can benefit from the foundation’s work, strengthening its ability to make a difference across the region.
Donors are the lifeblood of any community foundation, which makes deepening donor engagement and growing support another important idea. Stronger donor relationships build trust and long-term support, ensuring the foundation’s resources continue to meet community needs for generations to come.
The foundation also aims to lead and convene for greater community impact. By stepping into a leadership role and bringing others together, the organization can address complex community challenges more effectively and equitably.
Finally, leaders want to strengthen internal tools and team capacity. Investing in the foundation’s people and systems allows it to operate more effectively and sustainably, maximizing the impact on the community it serves.
“These were the four areas that continually came up in conversations with stakeholders, with volunteers, with board members, with staff. These were the four things that will allow us to continue our mission, to grow and thrive,” Kasting said.
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