Community Impact

We Love Central Indiana

We Love Central Indiana

At MIBOR REALTOR® Association we place high importance upon our continued involvement with economic and community development efforts because we know it directly impacts the strength of our communities and the sustainability of the real estate industry. By leveraging our relationships with elected officials, economic developers, civic leaders and other organizations across central Indiana, we are involved in our communities’ most important conversations and initiatives.

We love living and working in central Indiana and want to ensure it continues to be a great place for years to come. This is why we continuously strive to enhance each community in our region through impactful initiatives that support a talented workforce, quality jobs, a diverse housing stock, quality of place, accessibility and many other components that make central Indiana an attractive place to live, work, play and invest.

Economic and Community Development

Economic and Community Development

Does your organization have a project or initiative that will build and maintain inclusive and vibrant communities or work towards the attraction and retention of quality jobs for central Indiana? Apply for the MIBOR Community Impact Initiative Grant to be considered for funding!

Each year, MIBOR’S Community Impact Council awards dozens of grants for local projects throughout central Indiana aimed at job attraction/retention and expansion, workforce development, placemaking, quality of life, affordable housing, tourism and regional collaboration.

How to Apply for a Grant

How to Apply For a Grant

To apply for a grant, please confirm you meet the eligibility requirements below and submit an application for your organization.

  1. Applicants must have current tax-exempt status as nonprofit/not for profit or be a government entity.
  2. Applicants may include but are not limited to economic development organizations, community development corporations, parks and recreation departments, Mainstreet organizations, housing partners, community foundations, MIBOR Divisions, civic entities, and non-profit organizations.
  3. Organizations must be located in the MIBOR service area which includes Boone, Brown, Decatur, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Parke, Putnam, and Shelby counties.

If you have questions about the application process or are interested in additional information on the grant program, email us or call 317-956-1912.

Email Us
Grant Application Timeline

Grant Application
Timeline

Applications for 2025 grants are due August 1, 2025. Check out our MIBOR Community Impact Initiative Grant Preferences guide to increase your chances of receiving a grant!

Next Round:

  • Due: August 1, 2025, by 12:00 PM
  • Reviewed by the MIBOR Community Impact Council: August 28, 2025
    Apply Here

    Large Grant Requests

    Large Grant Requests

    Large grant requests are defined as applications requesting over $10,000 for a single project in any year. Applicants who wish to submit a large grant application must contact MIBOR staff to discuss the project and receive the application no later than one week prior to the application deadline. Applications for a large grant request will only be considered if the request meets one of the following criteria, along with all other guidelines of the grant:

    • Does the project have a regional impact?
    • Is the project scalable?
    • Is the project replicable?
    • Is the project a catalyst?
    • Is the project a major initiative in the region?

    CURRENT GRANTEES

    Once your project funded by the MIBOR Community Impact Initiative is complete or you have spent the funding awarded, submit an impact report in our online grant system.

     

    Past Investments

    MIBOR has invested over $570,000 into over 170 projects throughout the MIBOR region. For more information on each project, click below!

    2024 Investments

    2023 Investments
    2022 Investments
    2021 Investments

     

    Economic and Community Development Priorities

    Economic and Community Development Priorities

    MIBOR focuses on four key priorities when deciding where to focus our efforts to make the biggest economic development impact in central Indiana.

    1. Housing: Ensuring that central Indiana has an appropriate housing inventory and affordable housing options are critical components in our economic development strategy.
    2. Regional collaboration: Local and regional leaders working together is essential to making central Indiana the best region in the country to live, work, play and invest.
    3. Quality of Life: Quality of life focuses on the wellbeing of people in our communities, including improving the community through parks and trails upgrades, beautification efforts, art initiatives, community gardens, community networking opportunities, community events and more that help attract and retain people in the region.
    4. Regional Workforce: Attracting, developing and retaining a skilled regional workforce is essential in advancing the economy in our region. We support and provide data to organizations that work to bring new companies to Indiana, aiding in workforce development initiatives around the region and talent attraction efforts.