Delmar & Betty Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Jones, owners of Jones Tool & Machine, were the first to make a major endowment contribution to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation in the amount of $1 million. They wanted to give back to the community they lived and worked in. After learning about the Community Foundation, the Jones' decided that the donation would be a good move for them. Their donation was matched by the Lilly Endowment GIFT Initiative.

"When we weighed it , it just made good sense," Mr. Jones said.

With the income from this unrestricted fund, the Jones family has provided funding for the placement of defibrillators in area high schools, the Collette Park Pavilion restoration, the Crossroads of America Youth Orchestra, pre-school education, a free health care clinic, and many other projects. The donation they made years ago will continue to impact the Wabash Valley for years to come.

The Jones family had a strong belief in the Community Foundation's mission to engage people, build resources and strengthen community in the Wabash Valley.

"I feel fortunate that I could do this," Mr. Jones said. "The community has been good to my family... and this will be good for the community. It will be there forever."