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Nineteen community and regional leaders accepted into new Indiana Uplands Grant Writing Fellowship

Program to support grant writers pursuing projects and programs that improve the quality of life for Uplands residents


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) has announced that its new Grant Writing Fellowship program is launching July 22 with 19 community and regional leaders selected from a competitive application process.

“It was clear from the quality of applications we received that people in the Indiana Uplands are eager for this type of fellowship program,” said Lisa Abbott, ROI Vice President of Economic and Community Development. “We are thrilled to welcome this talented group and look forward to the different perspectives they will bring as we work collectively to enhance grant writing skills and positively impact lives in the Indiana Uplands.”

In the 10-month program, participants will learn to effectively develop compelling grant applications by gathering data, developing budgets, and finding funding opportunities. In addition, fellows will receive professional development on a variety of related topics and form a network of fellow grant writers. Upon completing the program, fellows will each receive $1,000 stipends, plus up to $1,000 in matching dollars for successful grant applications fellows submit and win using their new skills.

Indiana Uplands Grant Writing Fellows, 2021-2022

First NameOrganizationPositionCounties
Jesse BelcherCrawford County Economic Development CorporationProject SpecialistCrawford
Timber BrowningBoys & Girls Club of Lawrence CountyResource Development & Marketing DirectorLawrence
Emily CookGreene County FoundationCommunity Relations CoordinatorGreene
Michele EvansOwen County Chamber of Commerce and Economic DevelopmentGrant WriterOwen
Kathy GoadLinton-Stockton School CorporationSuperintendentGreene
Cheryl HamiltonLinton-Stockton Chamber of CommerceExecutive DirectorGreene
Jennifer JonesLawrence County Economic Growth CouncilMarketing ManagerLawrence
Apryl KiddCOSMOSDirector of InitiativesLawrence
Jill KingBoston International Import Export, Inc.Human Resources ManagerOrange
Valerie MoonFirst Chance CenterDirector of DevelopmentOrange
Danielle MurphyMartin County Community CorrectionsCommunity Corrections DirectorMartin
Kristal PainterOrange County Economic Development PartnershipExecutive DirectorOrange
Erin RaperBloomfield ElementaryTeacherGreene
Stacy SedoryMonroe County Community School CorporationOutreach & Innovation CoordinatorMonroe
Katie StoutGreene County FoundationProgram ManagerGreene
Katelyn ThomasWhite River Valley School DistrictMath Teacher/Wolverine Enterprise Program DirectorGreene
Lindsey Wade-SwiftWashington County Community FoundationProgram and Finance ManagerWashington
Kristen WeidaBloomington Board of RealtorsAssociation ExecutiveMonroe
Andrew WoodardIndiana University/Uplands Maker MobileMaker Education SpecialistMonroe

ROI’s Grant Writing Fellowship was developed to help seek and secure grant funding for projects and programs that can strengthen communities in the 11-county Uplands region. Fellows applied for the program in May and commit to providing grant writing services to their community through their organizations for a minimum of two years.

“We’re grateful and excited to partner with a variety of organizations with this new grant writing fellowship,” added Abbott. “Participating fellows will learn and gain insights from Purdue Extension, Indiana University, Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs, Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, as well as many entities and nonprofits that have successfully secured grant funding. We look forward to more collaborations as our program continues. We can’t wait to get started!”

Read more about ROI’s Grant Writing Fellowship Program.

About Regional Opportunity Initiatives

Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance economic and community prosperity in the 11 counties of the Indiana Uplands (Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties). ROI is growing potential and possibility through a focus on advanced industry sectors, regionalism, transformative school and workforce redesign, and placemaking strategies.

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