Funding Focus Areas
Grant Opportunities
The Avis Foundation focuses its funding on programs that improve the quality of life in our communities, stewarding the Boren legacy.
Arts
Support of the arts with interest in fine arts, art therapy, and programs that utilize art for educational and enrichment purposes in communities.
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to support the Cinema and Media Arts Major and the Blackbird Cinema
2023
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to support Quest for the West, select exhibitions, and annual support
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
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for its Small Town Initiative to help strengthen local neighborhoods through art, oral history, and “Porch Parties”
2020
for Art as a Visioning Tool program
2023
for Polklore Museum launch
2025
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for support of the Visual and Performing Arts Atelier
2024
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for the production of Come from Away
2025
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for Jacobs Virtual Academy
2025
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for the Boyce Block building remodel
2025
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for the remodeling and opening of the Boren Art Gallery on Taylor’s campus. The art gallery houses the collection of paintings and sculptures acquired by the late Leland and LaRita Boren of Upland, Indiana, over the course of their lives.
2022
for specialized equipment to support the Film and Media major
2023
for Mitchell Theatre infrastructure enhancements
2025
RECENT ARTS GRANTS
Education
Support for education in a myriad of ways: program support, building capacity, development of special courses, and more.
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to support a high-tech classroom, cybersecurity conference, simulations, and security work with local organizations
2020
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in support of a sensory room and signage in the new Conner Prairie Museum Experience Center
2023
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vocational training in welding for individuals with disabilities
2024
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to support ongoing operations
2025
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for its Advancing the Agbiosciences Through Experiential and Applied Learning Project
2020
to support Veterinary Nursing, Leadership Coaching, and Occupational Therapy Assistant training
2024
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to support a feature film, accompanied by educational materials, on the life of Carl Erksine, former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player from Anderson, Indiana
2020
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in support of the On the Road to Reading program
2021
in support of children’s literacy programs
2025
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to support Heartland Scholar House
2025
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to support the development and installation of Wonderscape
2025
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for the NextGen/multipurpose space in downtown Upland, Indiana
2023
to complete Phase I of the Dream Big program, primarily for satellite construction and curriculum development
2024
to support “Pipelines of Impact”
2025
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to purchase library books representing their student body
2022
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to purchase and renovate their facilities in Matthews, Indiana
2023
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to help establish a new graduate program in Counseling
2024
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to support their College and Career Readiness program
2025
RECENT EDUCATION GRANTS
Entrepreneurship
Support for entrepreneurship to encourage creativity and innovation mainly through educational program support, but may include other initiatives.
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for educational and entrepreneurship programming in the Doermer School of Business, specifically in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a center for students, educators, and entrepreneurs to collaborate on innovative ideas and concepts
2022
for the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Engineering Nexus
2025
RECENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANTS
Autism
Support for individuals, families, and communities addressing the needs of those affected by autism. This may include direct support, services, research, training, and building awareness.
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to support construction of a therapy room and observation space at their future headquarters in Noblesville, Indiana
2024
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to support Camp Achieve, a summer camp for students on the autism spectrum. Camp Achieve focuses on academic support and social skills.
2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
to support the project, School Nurses Enhancing Healthcare Services for K-12 Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
2023
for a cross-college collaborative project focusing on autism services, programs, and outreach
2021
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to enhance career-readiness for individuals with disabilities
2023
to enhance their staff training and development in autism studies
2025
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for comprehensive support for autistic students
2025
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to support an applied behavior analysis (ABA) facility in Pendleton, Indiana
2022
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for autism certification through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES)
2025
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to support the Bridges Program, an on-campus program supporting college students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
2022, 2025
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for an online undergraduate program in applied behavior analysis (ABA)
2025
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to help establish the first master’s degree in applied behavior analysis (ABA) in Arkansas designed to equip graduates to provide therapy options to treat such issues as autism, dementia, and Alzheimer’s
2020
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for an online master’s degree in special education
2025