Indiana Philanthropy Alliance

Postsecondary attainment drives economic mobility—but Muncie’s rates remain far below workforce demands. On June 11, join IPA and local leaders to explore a collective impact approach that aligns education, workforce readiness, and family support. https://ow.ly/yLUg50Vypfm George and Frances Ball Foundation

Welcome 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class member Wes Scott! Wes serves as the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, where he oversees the organization’s branding and messaging. Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and has worked in educational and nonprofit sectors for 15 years. He has served on boards and committees for organizations, including the Greater Clark Education Foundation and the Jeffersonville Arts Alliance, as well as providing marketing services for Align Southern Indiana and the Jeffersonville Township Public Library Foundation. A dedicated father and husband, Scott is married to Sofia and has a six-year-old son, Jovian. They currently reside in Jeffersonville, IN.

Meet 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class member Sam McFadden! Sam serves as the Director of Community Grantmaking and Financial Management at the Community Foundation of Wabash County. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, McFadden spent ten years working for the U.S. General Services Administration, lived for a year in Seville, Spain, and completed his MBA at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. McFadden is an active member on several local boards and committees and is a lifelong supporter of his alma mater, Manchester University. McFadden and his wife, Mackenzie Coulter-Kern, became first-time parents when they welcomed their son, Ruben, into the world in late July, 2023.

What happens when philanthropy takes the lead? A former industrial wasteland becomes a national model for urban parks. 🌱 Environmental restoration 💰 State & private investment 🏞 Accessible public space Join us at Origin Park to see philanthropy in action: https://lnkd.in/gnN-mjHG

Meet 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class member Neysa Meyer! Neysa is the Executive Director at the Putnam County Community Foundation. In this role, she ensures the responsible stewardship of the Community Foundation’s funds, leads the strategy laid out by the Board of Directors and supports the philanthropic goals of Putnam County. A native of Avon, Indiana, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Indianapolis and completed graduate studies at Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis. Neysa began her career with the U.S. Peace Corps and later worked in the nonprofit sector with an international service organization. She and her husband, Adam, live in Greencastle with their daughter, Charlee.

In a recent IPA think piece, Arvetta Jideonwo, MHA, CSSGB, CFRE explores creating results-based funding models to improve impact. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gGtjXJNA Arvetta is a member of the 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute

Meet 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class member Wendy Sedlak! Wendy is the strategy director for research and evaluation at Lumina Foundation. In her role, she establishes and synthesizes the evidence and data necessary to advise Lumina’s strategic direction and documents effective practices and policies to inform the foundation and the field. Prior to coming to Lumina, Sedlak worked at Equal Measure, where she managed and directed projects across various portfolios of work, including many large-scale complex national systems-change evaluations addressing complex challenges in the social sector. Sedlak earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Temple University.

Meet 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Class Member Eric Hessel (He/Him/His)! Eric is the Vice President of Programs at the Hendricks County Community Foundation. Hessel started working with the Community Foundation in 2003 as a youth grantmaker. Since receiving his bachelor's degree in Politics from New York University in 2009, Hessel has worked for Portraits of Hope, Easter Seals, and the US Census Bureau. Hessel serves on the Leadership Hendricks County Program Committee, the IPA Education Committee, and is Co-Chair of the Hendricks County Bicentennial Steering Committee. Eric grew up in Pittsboro, IN and currently lives with his partner and two dogs in Carmel, IN.

How can we balance the priorities of those providing financial support with those directly engaged in the work? K. Tyrone Spann, a 2025 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership class member, offers his answers in this think piece: https://lnkd.in/g_ftW6PP

Jud Fisher of Ball Brothers Foundation (an IPA member) has been awarded the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash Awarded. Learn more about Jud Fisher and how his work earned him one of Indiana's highest honors: https://ow.ly/jWrS50VrKLA