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May 18

Charitable Advisors Joins CICF to Strengthen Central Indiana’s Nonprofit Sector 

By Feature

We are excited to share that Charitable Advisors has joined Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), bringing together two organizations deeply committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector in Central Indiana.

This partnership connects CICF’s role as a community foundation and regional convenor with Charitable Advisors’ trusted expertise in nonprofit talent, leadership, and information, creating a more coordinated and powerful system of support for nonprofits to grow, improve, and sustain their work.

Since its founding in 2000, Charitable Advisors has published more than 1,200 editions of Not-for-profit News, shared over 15,000 job postings, supported 120 executive searches, and worked with more than 300 Indiana nonprofit clients.

CICF, meanwhile, has worked with our region’s donors, stakeholders and nonprofits to connect funding and other resources. In 2025 alone, CICF’s generous fundholders worked with CICF to grant $37.3 million into the community.

Together, this partnership represents an investment not just in individual organizations, but in the strength of the nonprofit sector.

We spoke with President and Founder of Charitable Advisors Bryan Orander and CEO of CICF Jennifer Bartenbach to learn more.

How will CICF and Charitable Advisors work together?

JENNIFER: One of the four pathways in CICF’s new strategic plan is People & Potential, in other words, how we support nonprofit staff and workplaces across Central Indiana. The stronger the people behind the work, the stronger the impact. Charitable Advisors will play a significant role in advancing that priority.

BRYAN: We’ll also be strengthening CICF’s Nonprofit Ecosystem pathway alongside People & Potential.

The Nonprofit Ecosystem and People & Potential pathways are directly in line with the work we’ve been known for over the last 25 years. It goes well beyond our weekly newsletter. For example, we convene the Nonprofit HR Peer Group, host the Central Indiana nonprofit job board, and started the Indiana Nonprofit Consultant Community, which is a key part of talent development in the sector. These initiatives will now receive even more support with Charitable Advisors being a part of CICF.

Jennifer, talk a little more about the “nonprofit ecosystem”. What is it and how do the services Bryan mentioned intersect with CICF’s strategy?

JENNIFER: It refers to the interconnected network of nonprofits across Central Indiana. We have several thousand nonprofits across the region doing tremendous work, but they can create even more impact when they know about each other’s efforts, connect and learn from each other, and are fully equipped to run their administrative operations. More than 90% of nonprofits have fewer than 20 staff members. Many cannot afford full-time expertise in areas like finance, marketing, HR, IT, or evaluation.

That is where ecosystem support matters. Through initiatives like Office Hours, the Nonprofit Benefits Consortium, and planned giving programs like Stronger Partners Brighter Futures, CICF helps nonprofits share these resources, expertise, and long-term funding strategies.

Those are not traditional grant programs, but they are critical. When nonprofits spend less time navigating operational challenges, they can focus on their mission.

What was it about this partnership, specifically, that felt like it would be valuable for our region’s nonprofits?

BRYAN: We have many more ideas than our small team can implement. CICF has the resources, staff, connections, and capacity to turn more of those ideas into action, something they do for other nonprofits and community foundations every day.

JENNIFER: For our part, and as Bryan said earlier, Charitable Advisors is far more than a newsletter. Their nonprofit salary surveys help organizations make better decisions in real time. Their executive search service helps nonprofits in our sector attract the best talent for a price that is affordable and with experience that is unmatched.

At a time when nonprofits face rising demand, funding uncertainty, and policy shifts, this partnership allows us to accelerate support where it’s needed most. Charitable Advisors brings deep insight into nonprofit leadership and operations. CICF brings the ability to
connect that insight to resources, capital, and regional strategy. Together, we can strengthen the sector in ways neither of us could do alone.

Bryan, with the staff and leadership remaining in place at Charitable Advisors, will readers and those who utilize your other services notice many changes due to this partnership?

BRYAN: We have usually seen our development as more evolutionary than revolutionary. That’s allowed us to become a consistent and trusted resource for our local communities, so changes will come gradually – there are enough special programs out there that make a splash and then disappear.

In the near term, we are refreshing the look of our weekly Not-for-profit News e-newsletter, launching our fourth “Work for a Nonprofit” campaign in May that shares videos from 30 area nonprofits, continuing several consulting projects, and supporting the staff across the various partners in the CICF Collaborative.

When my daughters were young, and they asked about my work, I used to tell them that Charitable Advisors “helps the people who help people.” I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with the Collaborative organizations to do even more.

More than ever, nonprofits need to engage new audiences and donors. Why should those outside the nonprofit sector care about and support this work?

JENNIFER: I’m not sure anyone actually lives outside the nonprofit sector. If we visit a hospital, attend a school, attend a house of worship, or visit a museum, then we “live in” the nonprofit sector.

But even setting aside direct impact, Hoosier nonprofits employ nearly half a million people – roughly 1 of every 6 private-sector employees in the state. That’s almost the same share of Hoosiers who work in manufacturing.

And most importantly, services provided at nonprofits can be lifesaving – childcare, food support, housing, mental health.

That’s why partnering with Charitable Advisors is important to us. I agree with Bryan. Any group that supports people in the nonprofit sector is improving our quality of life. The stronger the sector is, the stronger our community is.

Read the press release

Jun 19

Anti-racism: The unspoken word every organization should be talking about

By Sponsor Insight

By Tashi Copeland, marketing and communications manager, CICF

While diversity, equity, and inclusion have become commonplace in companies’ town halls and “About Us” sections, there’s still a word that many are shying away from — anti-racism.

According to The Center for Study of Social Policy and Racial Equity Tools, anti-racism is the active process of identifying and challenging racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes to redistribute power equitably. By omitting anti-racism from the conversation, organizations find themselves in patterns of passive awareness of equity issues without honestly confronting the reality of systemic racism, acknowledging how they contribute to it and changing their behavior to actively create an equitable society.

So maybe you’re thinking to yourself—wow, that sounds extremely challenging. And honestly, it is. Because our racist systems were built on more than 400 years of oppression, understandably, it will take time to dismantle them. However, The Indianapolis Foundation has created a tool to move you and your organization into the space of anti-racism work. It’s called the Movement of 10,000 (MVMT10K).

What is MVMT10K?
MVMT10K is a digital tool designed as both a website and a mobile app with the goal of educating individuals in Central Indiana and beyond about the history of racism, its present implications, and methods to make constructive change against systemic racism. It is a continuous, adaptive curriculum that invites our community to continue learning.

Kayla Knox, researcher and sociologist, serves as the platform’s project manager and an equitable initiatives officer for The Indianapolis Foundation. Along with her efforts, many of the tools The Indianapolis Foundation and its collaborative partners have used to contribute to a more equitable and anti-racist institution support the MVMT10K.

Learning objective #1: Recognize that anti-racism work benefits EVERYONE
Everyone is negatively impacted by systemic racism. Deeply racialized systems are costly and depress outcomes for all populations. Challenging and changing these systems benefits us all. The Curb-Cut Effect has shown us that changes initially designed for a specific group of people spread out to help the vast majority. A commitment to an anti-racist community allows for more authentic relationships, space for innovation, abundance, joy and economic development. The Movement of 10,000 can be your entry point to that commitment.

What to expect
Once you sign up for the platform, you’ll agree to the rules of engagement. These guidelines are a commitment to own the space and responsibility for collective engagement that’s both respectful and insightful — allowing for reflection, learning and unlearning.

Guidelines include:

  • Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
  • Respect and listen to others’ lived experiences and respect different levels of awareness.
  • Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing (“I” instead of “they, “we” and “you.”)
  • Take risks, make mistakes and keep going and growing with the movement.

After setting up your profile, you’ll take a self-assessment. There are no right or wrong answers. The assessment allows you to recognize where you are on your learning journey, and you can retake it along your way to gauge where your understanding has shifted and how you feel about your role in building a more equitable community for all. You’ll then be able to dive into the initial learning pathway.

The pathway gives users — or Movers — a solid foundation for the road ahead, resources to protect their mental well-being and a shared vocabulary to make courageous conversations a little easier.

Tools to start the conversation
Whether you’re leading your organization’s equity work or an individual who wants to see some change in your organization, the thought of having a conversation around race might seem daunting. That’s why The Indianapolis Foundation team, in partnership with trained facilitators, experienced educators and current students, created the Movement of 10,000 facilitation guide. The guide is for anyone interested in facilitating group conversations using the resources uplifted by MVMT10K to inspire reflective learning about themes relating to anti-racism. It’s meant to direct your conversations and empower you and others to bring members of your staff or community together. We recognize that this is just a starting point.

Anti-racism isn’t just a moment
Even after you joined the Movement of 10,000 and went through the learning pathways, recognize that the work is not done. Awareness should eventually evolve into action—or Works of Equity. If you and your organization are genuinely going to have anti-racism implanted into your DNA, you must continue on the learning journey—the app is just an entry point.

Continuously evaluate your organization’s policies. Recognize your privilege. Assess where you’re at on your equity journey and where you still need to go further. As Pamela Ross, vice president of community leadership and equitable initiatives for The Indianapolis Foundation, says, “anti-racism cannot be just a moment. It must become a state of being.”

So, what are you waiting for? Join the movement today.

Jan 09

Making inroads towards equity in the nonprofit sector

By Feature

The Indianapolis Foundation’s Pamela Ross shares insights about the organization’s initiatives

by Shari Finnell, editor/writer, Not-for-profit News

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been at the forefront of priorities for many nonprofit organizations in recent years. However, as many leaders have recognized, implementing DEI initiatives can be complex considering that many leaders and employees will have different perspectives on how to successfully move forward.

We recently talked to Pamela Ross, vice president of community leadership and equitable initiatives for the The Indianapolis Foundation to gain insights on the inroads the organization has made since changing its mission to focus on equity initiatives nearly five years ago. The philanthropy, which was established in 1997, and its family of funds contribute more than $40 million annually to nonprofits in Central Indiana. In 2020, it was the steward of more than $825 million in charitable assets. 

As Ross puts it, even after several years of being immersed in DEI initiatives, the foundation still is in the beginning stages of initiating change because it involves uprooting deeply ingrained institutionalized systems.

“We changed our mission to mobilize people, investments, and ideas to create a more equitable Central Indiana where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential no matter their place, race, or identity,” Ross said in describing the foundation’s shift in focus. “In order for people to reach their potential and have the most opportunities, we couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that race is a factor in who gets access — access to money, access to resources in all the different sectors, including education and the workforce.”

Ross noted that one of the most important steps for any nonprofit leaders who are seeking to make progress with DEI is to start by addressing institutional racism within their own organizations. 

“We have to have different perspectives at the table — not just those who are working in the community but those who work in finance, those who sit in leadership seats,” Ross said. “We must change the institutional makeup of the organization.”

Ross said that the process requires taking a critical look at hiring practices. “If all of your staff is white and you serve a population that is 90 percent Black, there’s something wrong with that,” she said.  It’s not a matter of looking at diversity but people who have lived experiences. The people who are most impacted by them will be the best advisors on how to create programs, build out programs, and deliver messages. Their perspectives should be represented.”

With institutional change, the organization must be structured in such a way that it persists beyond a momentary place in time, Ross said. “Several things have changed in all of our departments, including practices, policies, and accountability,” she said. “Many nonprofits struggle with making real change because there haven’t been substantive changes within the organizations for years.”

Embracing community representation 

The foundation also implemented a Community Ambassador program to include decision-makers that represent the communities it serves. That program has been instrumental in giving people throughout Central Indiana a voice about critical decisions, including the foundation’s grant-making process. 

“It’s important to ask, ‘What’s your feedback loop for getting information?’,” Ross said. “For us, it was with our community ambassadors through a program that was started five years ago. It made us better in our own anti-racist practices and policies because the ambassadors are our feedback loop. They’re the ones who will say, ‘Why are you still granting dollars to ‘ABC’ organization? This is what they’re not doing in our community.’”

Ross noted that community ambassadors provide an extra level of accountability. “When you say you’re planning to change something, they will hold you to the fire about it.” 

Supporting grassroots organizations

The foundation also examined avenues to support more grassroots organizations that are making an impact in their communities but may not have the resources to invest in traditional grant-making procedures, Ross said. 

According to Ross, a shift toward a more equitable grant-making process requires a willingness to give up a risk-averse approach. “Not everyone has to show up with a beautiful well written proposal,” she said. 

Ross also pointed out that many grassroots organizations may not have the infrastructure typical of larger nonprofits. “We’re not scared away if they don’t look like the most developed and scaled institutions that are typically led by white executives,” she said. 

As part of its equity focus, The Indianapolis Foundation is dedicated to helping grassroots organizations become more sustainable. The foundation has launched a $3 million, 3-year initiative to help grassroots organizations scale through infrastructure development.

“In the not for profit world, it’s called capacity building,” she said. “We call it infrastructure development, because capacity building has this overarching assumption that there’s a deficit within the organization. The organization … the people who are doing the work … can be very solid in what they’re doing, but they need the structures that typically have not been invested in black and brown grassroots organizations in the same way that they have been for other organizations .”

Through the initiative, the foundation helps these types of nonprofits with various aspects of successfully running an organization, including program evaluation, data management, executive mindset, grant writing, board development, and fundraising. 

This March, the foundation also will host a BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) bootcamp that is focused on the challenges of being a black or brown leader in the nonprofit area, Ross said. “We’re trying to create more equitable opportunities for them to scale without feeling like they should be ashamed because they’re not in a certain space,” she said.

Movement of 10,000 app

The Indianapolis Foundation also sought to engage a large community on equity solutions through the development of the The Movement of 10,000 (MVMT10K) digital platform, which is accessible through an app and online. It supports people who are genuinely interested in ways to become more conscious of their decisions and how they invest their dollars and time to create a more equitable society, Ross said.

“If you’re an individual who really wants things to be different, this is a convenient space to learn about what has happened as well as create relationships,” she said. “There’s so much we can learn. We are where we are because too often spaces of power are typically held by white people. And if we’re actually going to change systemic racism and institutional racist structures, we must get to a place where people recognize their power to break those systems by making different decisions.

“The hope is that a lot of different people, especially people who are white and in spaces of power and influence,  can engage so we can see some change,” Ross said.

Jul 19

The journey to an anti-racist community

By Sponsor Insight

by Pamela Ross, vice president of opportunity, equity and inclusion at Central Indiana Community Foundation

Almost three years ago, Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) and its affiliates, The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, announced our new shared mission and a focused commitment to dismantling systemic racism. After spending generations committed to making the Central Indiana community stronger through philanthropy, we were faced with the realization and data-driven proof that our collective efforts were still leaving people and communities behind while others prospered. And it was clear that race still has a profound impact on the opportunity for someone to reach their full potential.

We committed to learning more, having hard conversations amongst our staff and leadership, and most importantly, developing authentic relationships with residents, listening to them — and activating what we heard. We made space to learn and encouraged our employees and board members to bring their whole selves into this work. As we’ve continued to learn more, we’ve invited others — community leaders, corporate leaders, not-for-profits, our fundholders — to join us on this journey towards equity. All with mixed success.

On our journey to be a leader in creating one of the most anti-racist communities in this nation, a few of our fundholders chose to take their philanthropy elsewhere. In conversations about race with our staff, there were times when we were challenged by the tone of voice used to share their perspective and experiences instead of listening to what was being shared.

There were times when our choice in language could have been chosen more wisely when addressing privilege and our country’s history of centering the White experience. In reflecting on those moments, we were faced with Abraham Maslow’s two options, “step forward into growth, or step back into safety.” We chose — and will continue to choose — the former. And in that choice, new funds and relationships came to fruition because of our commitment to equity and growth is not wavering.

We don’t pretend to have all the answers or have this journey figured out. We have to be intentional and authentic and willing to make mistakes — and learn from them. The process of becoming an anti-racist organization, community, and nation is ever evolving.

Centering and empowering the voices and experiences of people of color is crucial in equity work. Uplifting, trusting and valuing the lived experiences of the people most impacted by the systemic issues you’re trying to address cannot be a step you skip over. When so many companies are trying to improve in this space, too often, people of color are burdened with the expectation to draft anti-racism statements and inclusion strategies without adjustments to existing workloads or emotional support when they’re constantly reliving this trauma. This work must be an opportunity for those voices of color, not another obligation.

Anti-racism cannot be performative. If your allyship or pledge to equity is designed to primarily benefit you or your organization’s reputation, it is simply a distraction. Celebrating a new DEI hire across your social media but not giving that individual any true power or voice within the organization is not advocacy. Being a keyboard warrior by reposting a hashtag or sharing a crafted statement without acknowledging your own privilege and role in systemic issues does not lead to equality. This work must include actions and real change that may never get publicly recognized but you know it is important, nonetheless.

We, at CICF, have learned that the path towards equity is beyond challenging and continuously filled with nuance. There is no guidebook with proven solutions. It is not fast or transactional. But we must all unite in our commitment to struggle towards racial equity. The time for change must happen now.

May 26

CICF commits to not returning to ‘business as usual’ after COVID-19

By Sponsor Insight

By Brian Payne, president/CEO, and Gregory F. Hahn, chair, Central Indiana Community Foundation

One year ago, you heard us pledge our commitment to this community. Central Indiana Community Foundation, The Indianapolis Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana came together and pledged to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a community where all individuals have the equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity. That is our mission. And it has never been more critical than right now.

The uncertainty and vulnerability that has weighed on all of us for weeks have been an everyday reality for many residents, neighborhoods and communities in Central Indiana for generations.
We recognize the uniquely destructive impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on residents already made vulnerable by business as usual in an unfair and unjust system. We refuse to return to business as usual after this moment has passed.

As we all work to find a way to navigate this health and economic crisis, we are making another commitment:

  • To every family impacted by the loss of jobs and income, we are with you.
  • To small business owners and gig-workers navigating an uncertain future, we are with you.
  • To artists and performing arts organizations who have canceled exhibits and performances, we are with you.
  • To organizations reinventing themselves to accommodate a new reality, we are with you.
  • To students whose educations have been interrupted and those robbed of the safe haven and meals that school provides, we are with you.
  • To senior citizens and those with disabilities who are now feeling even more isolated, we are with you.
  • To our neighbors living without shelter or struggling to meet their basic needs, we are with you.
  • To the workers on the frontline taking risks to keep us fed, healthy and safe, we are with you.
  • To the immigrants and refugees separated from lifesaving resources by a language barrier or their undocumented status, we are with you.
  • To the Black and brown families devastated by disproportionate access to quality health care and a corresponding increase in illness and death, we are with you.
  • And to everyone grieving, we are with you.

The neighborhoods hit hardest by this pandemic are the very ones where we’ve worked with CICF Community Ambassadors to build meaningful relationships through listening and learning.

We are committed to continuing this work — especially in our communities of color who have been historically ignored. We will continue to invest in their futures because they are our future. We will hold to our mission of equity and continue our work to dismantle systemic racism, remove the barriers separating opportunity from so many of our neighbors, and create our Inclusive City and region. We will give residents the support they say they need. We will continue to fight for you and lead with you. Now and when the COVID-19 headlines have passed.

There are ways that every one of us can help our neighbors during this difficult time. Check on your neighbors — especially if they are seniors. Leave a note in the mailbox with a way to reach you. Before you take a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy, ask if your neighbor needs anything. Check the credibility of information and resources before sharing. (CICF is curating a list of resources available on our website at cicf.org) Our community’s not-for-profits need support now more than ever. Give to them if you can. Find ways to stay connected with loved ones.

Take care of yourself. Be safe. Be kind.

And remember that we are community. We are in this together. And we are with you.