Billionaire philanthropists Mel and Bren Simon are laying the groundwork to donate Asherwood–their extravagant Carmel estate
and golf course–to the Indiana University Foundation, potentially to house a new think tank. The couple plans to downsize
into a home just outside the town square in the nearby Village of WestClay.
A $40 million gift from the Simon family to Riley Hospital for Children will help finish a new 10-story in-patient building and launch a fund-raising campaign, Riley Children's Foundation announced this morning.
Leaders of small not-for-profits often are so concerned with day-to-day survival that they have little–if any–time to worry
about saving for the future. A growing number of local organizations are bucking that trend, taking a proactive approach to
build an endowment its leaders hope will result in more stable, predictable income.
The charitable organization awarded 84 grants totaling nearly $22 million in 2005. Already this year, it has announced another
$24.5 million in high-profile, high-dollar gifts that will ensure the Fairbanks name isn't forgotten.
