Indiana Barn Foundation Receives Leadership Grant

Indiana Landmarks has selected Indiana Barn Foundation to receive the 2024 Local Leadership Challenge Grant, providing $100,000 to help the preservation non-profit hire its first full-time executive director.

Alarmed by the loss of historic barns across Indiana, Indiana Barn Foundation formed in 2013 to support preservation of the iconic rural structures, aiming to raising awareness about threats to barns and boost financial incentives for their rehabilitation. An all-volunteer group, Indiana Barn Foundation offers educational programs and workshops on barn heritage and preservation and conducts assessments of barns around the state. The group also coordinates an annual barn tour highlighting local agricultural heritage in various parts of Indiana.

“Indiana Landmarks’ selection committee was impressed by Indiana Barn Foundation’s statewide efforts to engage rural residents and the hands-on participation of its board members,” says Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks. “The group presented a clear plan for a new full-time director who can lead the organization in expanding its important mission.”

Indiana Landmarks introduced the Local Leadership Challenge Grant program in the late 1990s to provide funding for affiliate preservation organizations to hire their first full-time staff. The program’s first three recipients—Bloomington Restorations, Inc., Franklin Heritage, Inc., and Historic New Carlisle, Inc.—remain stalwart forces for preservation in their communities and serve as a blueprint for other groups looking to broaden their impact.

Between 2024 and 2030, Indiana Landmarks will provide a total of $300,000 through the program—$100,000 to three affiliate preservation organizations—to help them hire full-time directors.

As part of the grant agreement, Indiana Barn Foundation will be tasked with raising an additional $80,000 in matching funds by 2026. Indiana Landmarks staff will work with the board of Indiana Barn Foundation to promote the director’s position, hire a qualified candidate, and begin implementing first-year goals.