By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana State Fair officials now have a way to solicit donations and grants, thanks to passage of a bill during the recent state legislative session.

The bill, signed last month by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, authorizes the State Fair Commission to establish a separate nonprofit foundation. The foundation will be able to accept donations and apply for grant money, said Andy Klotz, public relations director for the commission.

The commission was unable to do that in the past because as a state agency, it wasn’t set up as a nonprofit organization, he added. Donations made to the foundation will be tax deductible.

“This allows us to go to large corporations or individual entities and apply for any grant funding that’s available,” he noted. “And that’s the key. There are a lot of those out there that we haven’t been privy to before.”

The money will be used for youth development programs and to maintain the fairgrounds, more than 100 years old. “We want to preserve and enhance the Indiana State Fairgrounds,” Klotz explained. “The money will go toward maintaining the structure and integrity of the fairgrounds and the state fair itself.”

Fair officials are in the process of fine-tuning details of how donations would be accepted, he said, adding promotional information should be available when visitors attend the fair this summer. This year’s fair, Aug. 5-21, will be the 156th.

Last year’s fair attracted 950,000. Attendance last year was second only to that of 2009, Klotz stated.

“People have a deep love and affection for the state fair. People have made some great memories. And they’ve asked in the past about donating. They’ve wanted to offer financial support to the fair and the fairgrounds for a lot of years,” he explained.

Fair officials hope to generate funding to establish programs recognizing the hard work of youth in the state, explained Cindy Hoye, state fair executive director, in a statement.

“The Indiana State Fair will always be centered on agriculture, youth and education,” she noted. “The formation of this foundation will only help us emphasize that. We are very focused on creating new revenue streams to maintain the high standards we’ve established for the state fair and the hundreds of other events we host here throughout the year.”

The bill establishing the foundation was authored by Indiana Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis). It passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.
“This legislation makes for a wonderful vehicle to grow the State Fair outside of the use of state funds,” Merritt said. “Having the opportunity to solicit donations to benefit the fair directly would significantly speed up facilities renovations and projects.”

Daniels said support for the bill in both branches of the legislature indicates the importance of the fair to the state.

“By creating this foundation, we are allowing the State Fair Commission to explore new income sources without additional tax dollars,” he said.
“The legislature’s unanimous support of this bill is a clear indication of how Hoosiers feel about the state fair and fairgrounds.  It’s something we want to continue to enjoy for years to come.”