Absolutely fabulous: Local group gives $16,500 to nonprofits

For nearly a decade, the Fabulous 50 group has gathered together and awarded thousands of dollars to various nonprofits in the community.

Though the worldwide pandemic prevented their annual, in-person award ceremonies the last two years, it did not stop the giving. Adjustments just had to be made to make sure the awards could be made safely with notifications being made via email instead.

The Fabulous 50 group has awarded local organizations a total of $162,031.50 in the community since they began nine years ago. And it’s no longer a small group. It was initially called the Fabulous 50 because 50 was the membership goal. Now, the group has 85 members. An offshoot of the group is the Magnanimous Men, which has four members.

Each member of Fabulous 50 gives $200 per year to the giving circle. Each donor writes a cause she would like to support on a slip of paper, and three slips are drawn from a basket to be contenders for that year’s donations. Then, members make pitches to the group about why their nominee is deserving.

This year $16,500 was given away in two prizes. The $11,000 first prize went to the Early Education Center.

Brown County Habitat for Humanity (BCHFH) was awarded the second place prize of $5,500.

Pre-pandemic, the group named nominees at the annual meeting at the Nashville United Methodist Church in February where donations are also given. The Fab 50 meets in August for an “accountability” meeting, where those who are awarded the funds attend and share progress they are making thanks to the money.

The Brown County Community Foundation acts as a support and liaison between the donor group and fund recipients.

For the past two years, nominees have been suggested by members of the Fab 50 via email.

Out of those suggestions three are chosen to contend for first and second prize.

The Indiana Raptor Center was the third nominee this year.

Nominated organizations then prepare an outline of how they would spend funds if they were to win.

BCHFH will put some of the award money towards extra costs of building a new home. Another portion of the money will be used in their “Brush with Kindness” program, which assists low-income individuals and families by providing small structural repairs and access ramps for their homes.

The Early Education Center will be located at the Educational Service Center alongside the Career Resource Center. The school district’s goal is for the Educational Service Center to be the spot to educate people of all ages in the community.

Money from Fab 50 will help purchase furniture, toys and supplies for their two-year-old toddler room. The Early Education Center is set to open next school year. Funds will also be used to advertise for open positions in the center, Lease said.

Community foundation CEO Maddison Miller said that Fab 50 has held a number of planning activities over the last two years, providing opportunities to tell the group which amenities they want and need to ensure the community’s economic viability and ability to attract a more diverse work force.

“Time and again, the topic of childcare rose to the top,” she said.

“Considering the available data and various conversations we’ve had with local employers, we believe the Early Education Center (EEC) is the largest economic development project happening in Brown County today,” Miller said.

”We are incredibly grateful to all (85) members of the Fabulous 50 Giving Circle who have bought into our vision and financially supported the development of the EEC. We hope more local partners will jump on board in helping us make this very important community resource a sustainable reality for Brown County.”

Lease came up with the idea for Fab 50 after working in education.

Working with mothers on bake sales and other fundraising events, she once thought if she just asked them for money, they would be happy to not have to spend the time baking cakes.

“They just sent the money they’d take to bake the cake,” she said. “And they actually sent more. … We can give and it doesn’t have to be work. We can just give.”

The group name came after with Lease then thinking about the impact that could be made in the community if she could get 50 women from the local community to donate to certain causes.

“I thought, ‘It’d be fabulous if I could get 50 — there’s the name’,” she said.

Years later, Lease said she has been “so happy” with the group and how it has faced pandemic challenges.

They are only down one member from last year and members gave extra this year because they had identified more needs in the community.

The first year there were only 49 members, but it has continued to grow ever since. Lease now says the group is “Fabulous 50 and More.”

Members consider the group to be a social event now with people dressing up, bringing food and socializing at the events.

“It’s really fun,” she said.

Lease enjoys hearing comments from members during each donation process.

Member Red Nasthoff shared with Lease how deciding which organization to give funds to is a difficult task.

“This just shouldn’t be so difficult,” member Red Nasthoff wrote to Lease. “But then again, maybe it speaks highly of the wonderful nonprofits we have in this community.”

By virtual vote last year, the group chose Do Something to receive the top grant award of $11,000 and the Brown County Humane Society to receive the second-place award of $5,500.

Do Something, a community and organization for people seeking substance abuse recovery, asked for support for Hope Fest. Do Something also planned to use the money to add a phone and a stipend to get another person to answer calls for help; to further develop its website to point to resources and testimonials; and to do more social media outreach.

The Brown County Humane Society planned to add its grant money to its medical fund.

Another member, Susie Woodall, wrote to Lease after her nominee, Habitat for Humanity, was selected for an award this year. She was “over the moon” when they were selected.

To Lease, the Fab 50 members are all winners in this.

“We are all winners no matter what. Truly,” she said. “We are all part of something unique. We give and gather and learn from each other. I am happy to be a part of this.”