Community Foundation of Elkhart County

09/12/2026

Today's the day for the Pumpkinvine Classic. Around 500 riders will be on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, other trails, and roadways as part of today's event. If you see them, give a friendly wave and help keep our riders safe.

09/10/2026

We love our cities and towns, particularly our vibrant downtowns in Elkhart County. Keep up the great work, Downtown Goshen!

Thanks to the support from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, we can keep building events that bring people together and strengthen our local roots. We appreciate their ongoing commitment to making Goshen a great place to live and play! 💚

To learn more about the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, visit the link below.
inspiringgood.org/

09/09/2026

The weather looks amazing for Saturday's Pumpkinvine Classic. You can register in the coming days, including Saturday morning as the ride begins. We hope to see you on the trail!

We are just a few short days away from the 2026 Pumpkinvine Classic! We look forward to welcoming the community for this scenic ride through Northern Indiana that supports the development and care of the Pumpkinvine Trail.

Still haven't registered? Whether you're in it for the miles, the views, or just a good ride and a slice of pie, there’s a route for you. Plus, the weather forecast looks perfect! Sign up today to save on registration: https://pumpkinvine.org/classic/

09/04/2026

Our office will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. We'll reopen Tuesday with regular hours. Enjoy the holiday and the extra time with family and friends.

09/03/2026

A welding hood doesn't sound like much until it's the thing standing between someone and their paycheck.

On the newest episode of Inspiring Good, hosts Kevin Deary and Marshall King sit down with Chris Ulery, who has led Saving Grace Advocacy in Elkhart for more than a decade. Chris talks about what it really means to meet a crisis where it is: retrieving a stolen welding hood from a pawn shop so a man could get back to work, helping someone find housing after years without it, and quietly filling the gaps other agencies can't reach because of strict rules and long waitlists.

Last year alone, Saving Grace showed up more than 4,000 times for someone in our community. This conversation is a good reminder of how much of that work happens one person, one problem, at a time.

09/02/2026

We love supporting events that make our community better for families. Enjoy this fun night at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens!

09/01/2026

Thanks for leading, Angie Carel AI Consulting! We learned a lot and are delighted you had a great time.

Yesterday I led a workshop for the Community Foundation of Elkhart County — 80 nonprofit leaders in the room — and the only photo I snapped was a selfie with the lovely Patty Rose as we were both exiting the restroom. So her face is carrying this post today. 😄

This group was kind, thoughtful, and truly engaged. Curious, unafraid of the challenge, and full of people willing to raise their hands and ask great questions. I loved every minute of it.

Just wanted to share few of the main points from my talk:

→ The tech isn't the hard part. Understanding deeply how you work, and where AI can (and should) fit into that, is far harder for most people.

→ Your attitude and effort are what make the difference. It's a choice.

→ You have to use AI to understand it. You can't listen to piano and suddenly play Beethoven. You have to put your fingers on the keys. Constantly.

→ Using AI is a habit you train your brain into. Can AI help me with this? Could I build a solution here? Ask yourself these questions on repeat, and it won't just teach you AI, it'll blow your mind with the results.

→ AI slop isn't an AI problem, it's a human ownership problem. The fix is to build systems where humans understand what's good and what isn't, and they take full ownership of the output.

And finally: in the AI world, everyone is a builder.

The conversations before the talk, at lunch, and after were a reminder of just how diverse everyone's AI journey is right now, how deeply personal this has become on so many levels, and how exciting it is to be alive, in this moment in time, with the privilege of leading people through this transformation.

08/27/2026

"AI in Your Hands" kicked off The Learning Center's new season today with a full room. Nearly 80 nonprofit leaders and staff from across Elkhart County spent part of today with Angie Carel AI Consulting, learning the basics of AI and a whole lot more. Angie was recently named to the Top 50 Women to Watch in AI list and recognized as a Top 100 Entrepreneur by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Thank you to everyone who joined us and to Angie for a day full of new skills. We're delighted to offer education on this fast-changing aspect of our world as part of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Community Foundation. As she said, AI was different by the time we left the room than it was when we walked in.

08/27/2026

Elkhart County students, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is open now through September 15 at 5 p.m.
To be considered, students must:
- Live in Elkhart County
- Graduate from an accredited Elkhart County high school
- Plan to enroll in a four-year degree program at an accredited Indiana college or university starting fall 2027
- Have completed Core 40, an Indiana Academic Honors Diploma, or an equivalent course of study
- Come from a household where neither parent nor guardian has completed a four-year college degree
Students should talk with their high school counselor about requesting an access code to begin the application online. After the deadline, each high school forwards its applications to a school committee, which selects one nominee to move forward.

08/25/2026

Our condolences to the Fidler family following the death of John (second from right), who was buried on Monday. John and Lois (center), shown here with their children, have been dear friends of the Community Foundation. John was a board member and key figure in our history. He and his family have done so much good for Goshen and Elkhart County. Lois died two years ago and John died last week. We will miss them both.