8020 Foundation Trust

About 8020 Foundation Trust

A defining feature of 8020 Foundation Trust is its repeated use of large, multi-year grants to build career pathways in northeast Indiana. The trust has backed school districts, colleges, and youth-serving organizations that connect students to manufacturing, engineering, and workforce readiness. Recent awards include $973,551 to Whitko Community School for Whitko Career Academy startup funds and $742,500 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne for a Career Pathway Center, showing a preference for programs that move learners from classroom exposure into career-linked experiences. That same pattern appears in higher education, where the trust supported Indiana Wesleyan University with $702,173 for school of engineering equipment and Taylor University with $1,000,000 for a mechanical engineering degree and certification track. The grants suggest a funder focused on capacity-building rather than short-term activities: renovations, equipment, startup support, and partnership infrastructure recur across recipients. Its public programs point to the same strategy, with named efforts for career ready grants, developing talent, engaging youth, and manufacturing ecosystem support. The result is a portfolio centered on education-to-workforce transitions, especially where schools, employers, and community partners work together.

What 8020 Foundation Trust Funds

In CTE and workforce readiness, the trust funded Dekalb County Eastern School District Impact Institute with $1,500,000 for the Fairview Project and J Kruse Education Center with $712,000 for a manufacturing pathway career exploration effort. Those grants align with its Career Ready Grant and Developing Talent programs, both built around partnerships that link K-12, higher education, nonprofits, and employers. For engineering capacity, Indiana Institute of Technology received $907,370 in 2023 and $791,895 in 2024 for the Zollner Engineering Center renovation, while Grace Schools got $443,240 for Grace Engineering 2.0. Youth STEAM and exploration are another theme: Garrett-Keyser-Butler Education Foundation received $240,068 for Garrett Middle School career development, and Nearspace Education received $335,000 for Dream Big. Entrepreneurship also appears, including $262,725 to Northeast Indiana Innovation Center for Entrepreneurism for All Phase 1.

How 8020 Foundation Trust Gives