Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Marquis Foundation

The Marquis Foundation is a community-based charitable foundation serving the Greater Lafayette area. Created in 1998 by four local businesswomen, it was established to meet a growing need for supplemental funding for social service and educational non-profit agencies. The foundation channels the generosity of individual donors, corporate sponsors and event patrons into direct financial support for community organizations.

A key feature of the foundation’s model is its signature fundraiser, the Crystal Ball. This annual event brings together more than 200 supporters for an evening of dining, dancing and recognition of local agencies. Proceeds from the ball, along with other donations, are pooled and awarded each year as grants that typically total between $10,000 and $20,000.

The foundation’s mission is to support and foster programs and initiatives that enhance quality of life in Greater Lafayette. It focuses on providing either gap funding to sustain critical services or seed funding to help launch or expand new initiatives. Grants are awarded in response to annual requests from community organizations rather than to individuals.

Over the years, recipients have included a wide range of health, social service, education, housing, arts, youth and public safety organizations. Examples include domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers, hospice and cancer support services, mental health associations, senior transportation programs, police foundations, arts federations, youth development groups, homelessness services, animal welfare organizations and special needs programs.

The Marquis Foundation operates an annual competitive grant cycle. A dedicated “Grant Application” page outlines the call for proposals and provides a downloadable application packet. For 2025, applications are accepted until June 30, 2025, indicating a structured deadline-based process. Community organizations prepare proposals describing their programs, funding needs and anticipated impact, following the instructions in the packet.

Past grant recipients are publicly listed by year, from 1998 through recent cycles, which showcases the breadth of the foundation’s support and provides transparency about how funds are used. This long history of recurring awards demonstrates that the foundation is an established, ongoing grantmaker in the Greater Lafayette community.