Greater Lafayette libraries now offer searchable database of grants, funding

LAFAYETTE, Ind. and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Finding grants and funding opportunities in sectors as diverse as the arts, the sciences and community services may prove easier in Tippecanoe County with the purchase and installation of a searchable database in four Greater Lafayette libraries.

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette and United Way of Greater Lafayette sponsored the installation of GrantSelect. GrantSelect has more than 16,000 unique funding opportunities to help individuals and organizations more easily find and access federal, state and local grant opportunities. Schoolhouse Partners LLC, based in the Purdue Research Park, manages and commercializes the database.

Greg Kapp, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, said the organization assists individuals and groups that are looking to give back to the community.

"The Tippecanoe County Public Library system and the West Lafayette Public Library serve the community by providing quality content in their print, multimedia and digital collections," he said. "The foundation supports the libraries because the libraries support us all." 

James Taylor, CEO of United Way of Greater Lafayette, said bringing GrantSelect to Tippecanoe County libraries aligns with the organization's mission.

"Our mission is to mobilize our community to improve lives," he said. "When individuals and organizations have the resources to successfully carry out their goals, our community is strengthened. The GrantSelect database is another resource that can help achieve that end result."

Louis S. Schafer, editorial director of Schoolhouse Partners, said GrantSelect includes all grant opportunities listed in Schoolhouse Partners' print directories: Directory of Research Grants, Directory of Biomedical and Health Care Grants, Directory of Grants in the Humanities, Funding Sources for K-12 Education, Funding Sources for Children and Youth Programs, Funding Sources for Community and Economic Development, Operating Grants for Nonprofit Organizations, and Funding Sources for Faith-Based Programs.

"These opportunities can be used for programs, planning, start-up, endowments, technical assistance, facilities and equipment, and other projects," Schafer said. "We're very happy to work with local community partners to help Greater Lafayette grow."

GrantSelect has been installed at all three locations in the Tippecanoe County Public Library system and the West Lafayette Public Library:

* Tippecanoe County Downtown Library, 627 South Street, Lafayette

* Tippecanoe County Campus Library, 3101 S. Creasy Lane, Lafayette

* Tippecanoe County Klondike Branch, 3062 Lindberg Road, West Lafayette

* West Lafayette Public Library, 208 W. Columbia Street, West Lafayette

Individuals with a valid user name and password also can access the GrantSelect database through the Tippecanoe County Public Library website (http://www.tcpl.lib.in.us/databases) and the West Lafayette Public Library website.

Jos N. Holman, country librarian of the Tippecanoe County Public Library, said GrantSelect strengthens the county's online resources and the libraries' mission to meet the informational needs of the public.

"The Tippecanoe County Public Library has several databases that enable the public to view and research the content of our online resources, including articles, literature, reference materials, and science and education," he said. "The GrantSelect database extends our ability to help our almost 67,000 visitors each quarter find the best sources of funding for their personal and professional projects."

Nick Schenkel, director of the West Lafayette Public Library, said GrantSelect will encourage additional cooperation among Greater Lafayette organizations as they search for and apply for grants.

"There is already a lot of cooperation among organizations in Tippecanoe County, but GrantSelect will encourage those connections even more," he said. "I'm also impressed by how GrantSelect is very intuitive and easy to work. A person can find great results upon their first use."

About Schoolhouse Partners LLC

Schoolhouse Partners is a full-service consulting firm that provides assistance to educational, nonprofit and community agencies in obtaining grant funding. Since 2003 the company has helped nonprofit and tax-exempt groups raise millions of dollars through hundreds of funded grants and awards.

About The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette

The mission of The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette is to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities we serve.

About United Way of Greater Lafayette

United Way will add value to the Greater Lafayette community by enabling people to help one another. It will provide leadership in defining community needs and in coordinating resources to address community issues.

About Purdue Research Park

The Purdue Research Park has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country in four locations across Indiana. The parks are home to about 200 companies that employ 4,000 people and are located in West Lafayette, Merrillville, Indianapolis and New Albany.

Purdue Research Park contact:

Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org

Sources:

Jos N. Holman, 765-429-0100

Greg Kapp, 765-742-9078

Nick Schenkel, 765-743-2261

James Taylor, 765-742-9077

Louis S. Schafer, 765-237-3390, lou.schafer@schoolhousepartners.com