Media Contact:
Dora Anim, President & CEO
Bethany Legacy Foundation
812.916.4393
dora.anim@bethanylegacy.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Milestone Grant: Bethany Legacy Foundation Reaches Its 100th—and Makes It Count

MADISON, Ind. — When Bethany Legacy Foundation was established in 2022, it set out to serve Jefferson County, Indiana, by creating and funding real solutions to the social issues affecting health. Grant by grant, that mission has taken shape. Now, with its 100th grant, the foundation is marking the milestone in a way that reflects everything it was built to do.

The Thriving Families Fund is a new initiative launching in Q1 2027. Through a partnership with the national nonprofit UpTogether, the program will provide $525 in unrestricted monthly cash assistance directly to Jefferson County families for 18 months. No strings. No requirements. Just trust. Because families already know what they need—they simply need the resources to act on it.

"One hundred grants is a profound moment to pause and reflect on why we exist. From the very beginning, our vision has been to meet Jefferson County families where they are—with dignity, with trust, and with real resources. The Thriving Families Fund is that vision in its purest form. We're not telling families what they need. We trust that they already know. There's no more fitting way to mark this milestone."

— Dora Anim, President & CEO, Bethany Legacy Foundation

Each grant provided by Bethany Legacy Foundation is an expression of the belief that Jefferson County's challenges deserve real, community-rooted responses. This one is no different—and perhaps more fitting than any that came before.

In a county where median wages in the most common occupations range from roughly $22,000 to $49,000 annually, and more than 12% of residents live below the poverty line, $525 per month isn't a windfall. It's breathing room. It's the difference between surviving and beginning to build a more stable future.

National research supports this model. More than 200,000 families participating in similar programs have used unrestricted cash assistance to stabilize housing, reduce food insecurity, lower stress, and build confidence in achieving future goals. In one city, the percentage of families caught up on rent increased by nearly 20 percentage points and continued to improve even after the program concluded.

Local nonprofit partners are helping lay the foundation for the initiative and identify the families who will receive funding. While families will have complete discretion over how they use the funds, participants will voluntarily report how the money is spent. The data collected will help shape and refine the program moving forward.

"We're proud of every grant we've made. We're proud that this one happened to be number one hundred."

— Sharyn Whitman, Board Chair, Bethany Legacy Foundation

For more information, visit bethanylegacy.org or uptogether.org.

About Bethany Legacy Foundation

Bethany Legacy Foundation is a private health foundation based in Madison, Indiana, established following the transition of ownership from King's Daughters Health to Norton Healthcare. Proceeds from that partnership were used to establish the foundation in 2022.

The foundation's mission is to put faith into action by bringing the Jefferson County community together to create and fund solutions for the social issues affecting health.

Learn more at bethanylegacy.org.