Legacy Fund holds ninth annual Celebration of Philanthropy

On Thursday, Nov. 9, Legacy Fund, the community foundation serving Hamilton County, will host its ninth annual Celebration of Philanthropy dinner, which honors philanthropy, showcases 48 local not-for-profits and recognizes winners of the first-ever Legacy Fund Community Pillar Awards.

“I am honored to preside over my first Celebration of Philanthropy,” says Tom Kilian Jr., who joined Legacy Fund, a Central Indiana Community Foundation affiliate, as president in April of this year. “This event is truly unique, in that we convene the county’s greatest not-for-profit with community, business and thought leaders throughout our community. And this year, in addition to this not-for-profit showcase, we are recognizing three pillars of the community and enlisting their help in investing $15,000 for the betterment of the county.”

The Legacy Fund Community Pillar Awards honor individuals or corporations doing visionary work to solve pressing challenges, build opportunity and equity and create a brighter future for Hamilton County residents in three leadership areas – college readiness and success, family success and inspiring places. Among other recognition, Pillar Award winners receive $5,000 each to be granted to a Hamilton County not-for-profit of their choice.

The 2017 Legacy Fund Community Pillars are:

  • Family Success: Nancy Chance, founder and executive director of the Good Samaritan Network, a network of not-for-profits that provide direct and indirect services throughout Hamilton County.
  • College Readiness and Success: Alex Volyk, admissions advisor at Eleven Fifty Academy, a not-for-profit coding school that aims to help close the nation’s growing technology skills gap.
  • Inspiring Places: Darren Peterson, architect at Peterson Architecture and community volunteer who works to uniquely activate space in downtown Noblesville as a board member for both Nickel Plate Arts and Noblesville Main Street.

Celebration of Philanthropy begins at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9, at Ritz Charles, 12156 N. Meridian St., Carmel. Tickets can be purchased at LegacyFund.org.

About Legacy Fund 
Legacy Fund, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, is a $56 million public foundation that serves Hamilton County by administering charitable funds, foundations and organizational endowments for individuals, families and not-for-profit entities. Established in 1991, Legacy Fund’s goal is to inspire philanthropy as it helps people enhance their family and charitable legacies in tax-smart ways. For more information, visit LegacyFund.org.