Piece of the PI: Newsletter

A monthly publication for the members of Prosperity Indiana

We REAP prosperity by providing Resources, Engagement, Advocacy, and Programs that support our members' work!

Membership Renewal Reminder 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we want to take a moment to recognize the dedication and hard work of our members. Across Indiana, your efforts in community economic development continue to strengthen families, neighborhoods, and communities with the rapidly changing political climate.  

This is a reminder that all memberships expire on December 31, 2025. Your membership ensures you stay connected with resources, policy insights, and a statewide network that can turn challenges into solutions.  

For more information, contact Destinee Lewis at dlewis@prosperityindiana.org

Vote for New Prosperity Indiana Board Members

Each nonprofit member organization will have the opportunity to vote for new PI board members. Check your email inbox on Friday, November 21 for your ballot.

• November 20: Path to Capital for Latino Entrepreneurs and First-Time Home Buyers, Prosperity Indiana

• November 20: Financial Literacy Class: Intend Indiana

• December 3: Evansville Policy & Pizza, Prosperity Indiana

• December 12: Lafayette Policy & Pizza, Prosperity Indiana

Resources

Paths to Capital for Latino Entrepreneurs and First-Time Home Buyers  

November 20, 2025 | Virtual | 11:00 a.m. - 12:15.p.m. ET | 75-minutes 

This webinar will provide participants practical skills to increase access to capital for Latino entrepreneurs and first-time home buyers. From defining challenges to dispelling myths, the program will arm participants with best practices and resources to assist potential borrowers in beginning a journey toward loan success.  

Speakers for this event include: 

Claudia Mendez-Perkins | Officer, Lending and Community Investments | LISC Indianapolis 

Edwin Montano | Residential Loan Portfolio Manager | Intend Indiana 

Sam Centellas | Executive Director | CDFI Friendly South Bend Region 

Click here to register or learn more about this upcoming program!  

Housing Navigation 101 

Prosperity Indiana hosted the first in-person Housing Navigation 101 training in early November in La Porte, Indiana! Trainees walked away from this training with an increase in housing navigation knowledge, tools, and resources that can be implemented to increase housing stability in Hoosier communities. PI would like to thank our subject matter experts from CoAction (Jordan Standfill), Indiana Legal Services (Jenny Terry), and the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (Erika Fotsch) for sharing their knowledge and expertise! PI would like to extend thanks to the Health Foundation of La Porte for their interest in HN101 and on-going support that made this training possible!  

To learn more about the HN101 training opportunities, please reach out to PI’s Danielle Drew at ddrew@prosperityindiana.org.   

Engagement

Mark your calendars for May 13 – 14, 2026 to join us at the Indianapolis Marriott North! 

Prosperity Indiana will be celebrating 40 years of impact that we have built together with members who drive meaningful change in their communities. Keep your eye out for Summit registration opening in January, and renewing members will receive one FREE Summit ticket.  

Share Your Feedback in the Member Survey 

As we prepare to celebrate 40 years of service and collective impact, your feedback is essential in shaping Prosperity Indiana’s advocacy, resources, and initiatives that strengthen Hoosier communities.  

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please take just 8 minutes to share your insights. Your input guides our work and helps us better support your organization and the communities you serve. 

Completing the survey also enters you for a chance to win one free ticket to the 2026 Summit. 

Advocacy

Prosperity Indiana Releases 2026 Policy Agenda 

Earlier this month, Prosperity Indiana issued a press release announcing our 2026 member-driven Policy Agenda, titled ‘Strengthening Indiana’s Communities and Supporting Those Who Serve Hoosiers’. The release, which was covered by outlets including Indiana Public Broadcasting and Axios, puts PI’s housing and economic opportunity priorities in context of a statewide affordability crisis, as identified by the responses to our annual Members Policy Survey.  

The new Policy Agenda serves as the driving focus of PI’s ongoing ‘Policy & Pizza’ regional legislator meeting series. Register now and share an invitation with your network and local legislators to join our remaining meetings in Evansville on December 3 and in Lafayette on December 12. 

Mark Your Calendars for Advocacy Opportunities in Early 2026 

With the 2026 session of the Indiana General Assembly set to begin in early January and with an ongoing need for united federal advocacy, PI encourages members to mark your calendar for the following advocacy opportunities (more details and registration pages coming soon): 

Starting in January, PI’s ‘Advocacy 101’ serieswill build the capacity of members to learn and apply‘the rules’, ‘the strategies’, and ‘the experience’ of effective advocacy. Mark your calendar for that series onJanuary 23, January 30, and February 6. The series will also prepare PI members and coalition partners to advocate with us for the 2026 Prosperity Indiana Statehouse Day on February 12. We will again be looking to fill the large atrium on the main floor of the State Capitol, so please plan to join us and bring your team and partners! 

Also, consider taking your federal advocacy capacity to the next level by joining PI staff for a pair of Capitol Hill Day experiences in Washington DC in Spring 2026. PI will facilitate and provide preparation for the Indiana delegation as part of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Housing Policy Forum on March 10-13 and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s Just Economy Conference on April 14-16. 

Member Holiday Initiatives

New Hope

This holiday season, New Hope Services is spreading warmth where it’s needed most. Our Hope for the Holidays Essentials Drive is focused on providing critical items to the individuals and families we serve.

Most-needed items include: Socks, Gloves, Coats, Hats, and Personal care items.

How to Give:

• Donate items directly at one of our drop-off sites:
• • New Hope Services Main Office (Jeffersonville)
  • Gardner Place in Scottsburg
  • For other site drop-off times, please call your local New Hope office.
  • Make a monetary donation. Put "Holiday Hope" in the comment section & we’ll purchase the essentials on your behalf!

The campaign kicks off on Monday, November 17th, and runs through the week before Christmas. Together, we can make the season brighter by meeting essential needs in our community.

BSU

Holiday Arts & Culture Night is Saturday, December 6, on the Ball State University campus.

Presented by Ball State’s Integrated Cultural Committee, the free festive event
shines the holiday spotlight on many arts and culture spots along the campus
Cultural Corridor.

Enjoy activities, live performances, and demonstrations at the David Owsley
Museum of Art, Emens Auditorium, Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, Sursa
Performance Hall, the Nature Center, Christy Woods, the Glick Center for Glass, and the Charles W. Brown Planetarium!

Visit the Holiday Hub, located on the second floor of the Fine Arts building (please use Riverside Avenue entrance) to learn more about the Integrated Cultural Committee, The Rinker Center, University Libraries, and more!

Learn more about the Holiday Arts & Culture Night here.

PI & Member Jobs

• Vice President of GIFT Technical Assistance, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance

• Program Officer, LISC Indianapolis

• Street Outreach Case Manager, Heading Home of Southern Indiana

• Client Services Vetting Specialist, Home Repairs for Good

• Diversion and Prevention Case Manager, Heading Home of South Central Indiana

• Landlord Engagement Specialist, Heading Home of South Central Indiana

• Street Outreach Case Manager, Heading Home of South Central Indiana

• Head Start Center Supervisor, Brightpoint

PI in the News

Members in the News

Housing Stability Program Manager Danielle Drew presenting at the Housing Navigation event in La Porte.

Connect with Prosperity Indiana on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to see more of what we're out in the community doing for you!

Additional Information & Opportunities

NCN Launches Nonprofit Resilience Fund

The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) today launched the Nonprofit Resilience Fund, an initiative to ensure charitable nonprofits across the United States have the resources, protections, and infrastructure they need in an increasingly complex and challenging environment.

 Learn more about the Nonprofit Resilience Fund here.

Apply Now for REDI 2026

ULI Indiana’s Real Estate Diversity Initiative (REDI) is working to change that—preparing the next generation of developers, planners, and real estate professionals for opportunity in Indiana.

If you’re ready to grow your career, expand your network, and make a meaningful impact on the future of real estate—apply now for REDI 2026! Applications close November 29.

Apply here.

Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness

This one-pager from CSH provides five proven state actions to reduce unsheltered homelessness. In response to recent executive orders, these practical, evidence-based strategies for responding to unsheltered homelessness deliver measurable results.

View the downloadable resource here.

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