Congratulations on the arrival of your baby!
First Things First Porter County believes that every Porter County baby* deserves a head start.
As a first step towards saving for your baby’s future, the Porter County Community Foundation will invest $100 toward expenses for their education beyond high school. If you transfer your funds into a College Savings Account, an extra $50 will be gifted to your child!
The Seeds of Promise funds will be invested into an account owned by the Porter County Community Foundation on behalf of your child. Since it is invested early, it will have up to 18 years to have the potential to grow.
*A child whose mother’s address is in Porter County at the time of birth is considered a Porter County resident. Babies must be enrolled before their first birth day.
“Thank you, First Things First!! This is an incredible gift; thank you for being a part of this and supporting our son’s future.
We appreciate you!”
Did you know?
A children’s savings account contributes to an equitable beginning for every one of the children born in Porter County, leading to a successful and productive life.
Children with a college savings account are three times more likely to go to college and four times more likely to graduate—even if there is only a few hundred dollars in the account.
(Source: William Elliott, Hyun-a Song and Ilsung Nam, Small Dollar Children’s Savings Accounts, Income and College Outcomes St. Louis, MO: Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013).
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Children who are Porter County, Indiana residents on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible to receive the Seeds of Promise investment. Children must be enrolled before their first birthday. Residency is determined by a physical address of the child’s mother, custodial parent, legal guardian, or foster parent being in Porter County, Indiana within one year of the child’s birth.
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The community foundation will set aside $100 in your child’s name. We strongly encourage you to, as soon as possible, establish an Indiana 529 Direct Savings Plan. Indiana 529 is Indiana’s own savings plan for educational expenses beyond high school. Learn more here. Once you have opened a 529 account, email Melissa Martin at melissa@pccf.gives and provide the UGift code. The Community Foundation will then deposit the $100 Seeds of Promise award into your child’s 529 account, along with an additional $50 as a special gift just for opening a 529 account.
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Besides Indiana529 accounts, the funds can be deposited into College America 529 accounts, Private College 529 plans, and Indiana ABLE accounts. This year, as a bonus for opening a 529 account, an additional $50 will be deposited along with the original $100 for a total investment of $150 into your child’s account! If your account doesn’t utilize UGift codes, please e-mail Melissa at melissa@pccf.gives for guidance.
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Money invested in 529 plans can be used at eligible higher education institutions. These include all accredited post-secondary institutions that are eligible to participate in Federal student aid programs – public universities, private college, graduate schools, technical schools, and vocational schools. The funds do not need to be used at a school in Indiana.
Generally, you can use these funds to pay for items like tuition, room & board (if enrolled at least half time), mandatory fees, books, supplies, and even computers!
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No.
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The Seeds of Promise funds will be worth far more if deposited into your child’s 529 account where you can watch it grow with your child!
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Your child has until age 21 to use the Seeds of Promise Investment money. If your child does not use the funds by age 21, then the $100 Seeds of Promise Investment (and any gains/losses incurred in the market while invested) will be forfeited and revert back to the Seeds of Promise account to be used for other future recipients.
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The Seeds of Promise investment money can be used whether or not the participating student still lives in Porter County or attends an educational institution in Indiana.
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We encourage Porter County families to actively support their children’s education including saving for future education after high school. Seeds of Promise believes the $100 investment is a great start. There is no better time to learn about ways that you can support a child’s education, including how to invest in a 529 plan so that friends and family can also contribute. To learn more about saving for your child’s future, go to https://www.indiana529direct.com.
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There is no catch. The Porter County Community Foundation believes strongly in the importance of education after high school. The Foundation has allocated resources to ensure every baby born to a Porter County family will start life with funds already dedicated to furthering their education.
Additional questions can be sent to Laura Green: laura@firstthingspc.org
If your family’s contact information has changed since enrollment, please call us at 219-510-0383.
In the Press
“It will give her an opportunity for her education when she decides to further it.”
