Foundation News

Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc.
Twenty-One Southeast Third Street, Suite 610 | Evansville, IN 47708
Phone: (812) 437-8260 | Fax: (812) 437-8269
Email: info@welbornfdn.org| web site address: www.welbornfdn.org

Copyright © Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc., 2007


Evansville, Indiana – Welborn Baptist Foundation today announced the results of a major health survey that will provide the region surrounding Evansville with reliable benchmarks of the community’s health status—all the way down to the county level. These benchmarks cover 18 distinct health issues that impact the area’s health and economy.

The research survey was conducted in 2008 among more than 2,200 adults in five of the fourteen counties served by the Welborn Baptist Foundation, which commissioned the survey. These counties were selected because they are representative of the region’s overall population. These include Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Spencer counties in Indiana, plus Henderson County in Kentucky and Saline County in Illinois.

“The survey shows that our community is proactively taking the initiative to screen for health conditions like diabetes and cancer,” said Kevin Bain, Foundation Executive Director and CEO. “This is a critical step because the area’s high degree of overweight and obesity makes residents prime candidates for related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.” 

Bain added, “Smoking remains the single greatest avoidable cause of disease and death; the community’s high incidence of smokers places citizens at risk for poor health and increased economic costs. The other health conditions reported are largely related to physical inactivity and eating habits, and are mostly preventable with lifestyle changes. Consequently, addressing these health challenges will bring tremendous social and economic benefit to our area.” 

Welborn Baptist Foundation anticipates that making the survey results broadly available will encourage informed dialogue about the region’s current health status, provide direction for efforts by community leaders, and make it possible to track community progress toward a healthier Tri-State.

The entire report is available on the Foundation’s web site here
. Printed copies are also available upon request at the Foundation’s office at Twenty-One Southeast Third Street, Suite 610, Evansville, IN.

Evansville, Indiana -
Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc. has awarded a total of fifty-three (53) grants to tri-state not-for-profit organizations, totaling approximately $3.99 million for programs within the Foundation’s target areas of Promotion of Early Childhood Development, Promotion of Healthy Adolescent Development, Faith-Based Initiatives, Improvements In Community Health Status and School-Based Health Programs. Coupled with the $24 million granted by the Foundation between 2000 and 2007, this year’s grants bring total Foundation support to more than $28 million dollars.

“This is the culmination of a process that began in March of this year. Initially, we received 150 letters of interest requesting more than $12.8 million dollars. We reduced that number to 61 projects that were requested to submit full proposals. After much careful consideration, we have arrived at these fifty-three (53) grants. We believe these grants represent the very best in efforts to improve the health and well-being of infants, children and adults in our community”, said Foundation Board Chairman E. Lynn Johnson. “The organizations receiving these grants have overwhelmingly demonstrated their ability to contribute to community health and the immense need for their services”, Johnson said.

Funds for 2008 are distributed as follows:

TARGET

AMOUNT

Promotion of Early Childhood Development

942,000

Faith Based Initiatives

441,000

General Opportunity

486,000

Promotion of Healthy Adolescent Development

977,000

Improvements in Community Health Status

632,000

School-Based Health Programs

509,662

Total 2008 Welborn Baptist Foundation Funding

$3,987,662

“Our interests continue to be in efforts that make a meaningful difference in individual lives and in the collective health of our community. Among our goals is to raise awareness about those actions and activities that will result in healthier choices and healthier lives. These projects help us do that”, said Marjorie Z. Soyugenc, Welborn Baptist Foundation Executive Director and CEO. “We have found those projects to be of the highest quality, consistent with the goals, objectives and mission of the Foundation and worthy of our support. There is a discipline of accountability in every grant award made in that all grant recipients must complete an approved evaluation component.”

Included in the funds granted, the Foundation designated the Donald B. Cox Memorial Grant of $130,000 award to Evansville ARC. The award is named for Mr. Donald B. Cox, a former Foundation Chairman, who died in 2005. A complete listing of 2008 grants can be found here.

Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc. names Kevin Bain next Executive Director/CEO
Welborn Baptist Foundation’s Board of Directors has concluded a nine month national search for the private foundation’s next leader by naming Kevin R. Bain as Executive Director/CEO, effective
October 6, 2008.

M
r. Bain is President of K. Bain Consulting, Inc., a marketing and strategic planning consultancy based in Indianapolis, serving industry and not-for-profit clients.  As part of his consulting practice, since 2003 Mr. Bain has served as Project Director for the Indiana Youth Institute’s College and Career Counseling initiative, featuring Indiana-specific Web sites geared to career exploration for teenagers and college exploration for parents.

Prior to founding his company, Mr. Bain had more than twenty years of progressive management experience with various divisions of Bristol-Myers Squibb, including international general management, product management, strategic planning, and business development.  Mr. Bain’s experience includes fifteen years in various headquarters roles with Mead Johnson Nutritionals in
Evansville, as well as six years managing Bristol-Myers Squibb businesses in Hong Kong, China, and Japan.

Mr. Bain holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the
University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business, as well as a BA from Hanover College.

“Kevin is a perfect fit for the Welborn Baptist Foundation”, said E. Lynn Johnson, the Foundation’s Board Chairman.  Mr. Johnson stated the Board is confident Mr. Bain will lead the Foundation to its next level of the strategic plan and commitment to support for the community in health, education and early childhood development.

Chairman Johnson states Kevin has a unique blend of business leadership experience, as well as knowledge of foundation operations gained as a Board Member of a wish-granting foundation and in his foundation-funded consulting with the Indiana Youth Institute.  Further, he has many contacts in the
Evansville region and will be a quick study in his new role.


Fortunately for the Welborn Baptist Foundation Board, the community and Kevin, Marjorie Soyugenc will be available to guide his orientation to WBF and the region.  Marj has served with distinction as Executive Director of the Welborn Baptist Foundation since its inception.  She and Kevin will work well together to insure a smooth transition.

“In a short period, the Welborn Baptist Foundation has established a state-wide reputation as an invaluable resource to the Tri-State area.  I am honored to become a part of the Foundation at this important juncture”, Mr. Bain said.

Mr. Bain will succeed Marjorie Soyugenc, Welborn’s founding chief executive, who is retiring in December.  Mrs. Soyugenc had served as the President of the former
Welborn Baptist Hospital prior to the formation of the Foundation from the assets of the sale of the hospital.  Her vision and leadership during the Foundation’s start up phase have been critical to the Foundation’s evolution the past nine years.

2009 Grant Writing Class
If you are interested in attending the class, please complete and submit an application. Classes will be scheduled in the fall based upon applicant demand.

For application and other information c
lick here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). Due to limited class size, only one representative per organization, please.

Leading Community Indicators Report
The Welborn Baptist Foundation has updated its Leading Communty Indicators report. It can be accessed here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).





Watch this space periodically for news related to the Welborn Baptist Foundation.

NOTICE
The Welborn Baptist Foundation conducts one defined grant cycle per year. Historically, that cycle has begun on March 1 and concluded in the fourth quarter of the year. Information regarding the commencement of the grant cycle is generally published on or about March 1 of the year. Please consult this web site for the most up to date and relevant information related to the grant cycle.

 

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