ABUNDANCE 2026
Invest in Affordability and Wellness for Our Families and Community
Looking back at 2025, we would like to thank you and celebrate the accomplishments of our Kheprw community to build abundance and resilience.
OUR IMPACT IN 2025
Affordable Housing
Diondrea dreamed of owning her own home since she was a little girl. She's now a mother and a teacher and wanted to make a permanent home for her family.
She realized this dream through the Indianapolis Community Land Trust, which provided up to $100,000 to families below 60% of the Area Median Income (about $40,000/year for an individual) to help them buy a home, while committing to keeping the home permanently affordable.
Kheprw incubated Indy CLT and with funding from the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI), we created 4 permanently affordable homeownership opportunities all of which went to households headed by Black women with children making less than $60,000/year.
Without this support, these women would be forced to continue renting, struggling to keep up with rent increases. Now they have greater control over their living situation, a fixed, affordable monthly payment, and the opportunity to build equity, and a home to pass on to the next generation.
IMPORTANT: Scroll down for details on the NEW tax benefits for small donors who take the standard deduction 👇👇👇
Do you have a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)?
Do you have appreciated stock?
Recommend a grant to Kheprw Institute to help us reach our goal for our Abundance 2026 Campaign. Because of capital gains, you receive a greater benefit by transferring the stock directly to Kheprw as a gift toward our annual campaign. Click below to easily recommend a DAF grant or donate stock to us in a couple of clicks.
HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS
In 2025, Kheprw purchased and distributed over 100,000 pounds of produce, representing over $400,000 of economic investment in 18 small and socially disadvantaged local farmers as the administrator for Central Indiana’s Local Food Purchase Assistance USDA program.
“This was an opportunity number one to help...the BIPOC farmers and get food to insecure areas that aren’t normally served,” said Denise Jamerson, Legacy Taste of the Garden, Lyle Station, IN.
We had 7 middle and high school and 2 college students in our Next Generation Farmers summer camp who learned sustainable agriculture, caring for chickens, bees, and making pizza using food they grew at Octavia's Visionary Campus, our 17.5 acre urban farm.
Volunteers expanded our community gardens at Octavia’s Visionary Campus, producing hundreds of pounds of fresh food that we shared with families in our community.
EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
When Diop and Mystrie, two of Kheprw’s family gave birth to Azad and then Mizon, they knew that they were going to need to create an enriching, community-centered educational environment for them. They came together with Kahlil and other parents and educator in our community to create Early Growers Preschool Cooperative.
Kheprw invested in the startup through our Kheprw Integrated Fund and by providing a house to operate. The preschool launched January 2025 and now provides affordable nature-based education for seven 3-5 year olds in our neighborhood.
All of Kheprw’s work is fundamentally about inter-generational leadership development and community-based education, including over 50+ youth-led Mumbo Jumbo Community Conversations that we held in 2025 on topics ranging from Artificial Intellegence & Data Centers, Affordable Housing, Coopertives, and the meaning of life.
In October, Kheprw's young leaders organized our 2nd Annual Translocal Afrofuturism Conference, which brought future thinkers, artists and writers from around the country and city together to discuss the impacts of Artificial Intellegence, Climate Change, and the role art and stories play in changing culture and creating the future.
In Spring 2025, we partnered with Co-op Cincy to provide a 14-Week Power in Numbers: Black-led co-op business bootcamp, supporting 5 cooperative businesses, including Bountiful Growers United, a cooperative of local urban farmers (pictured above). In October 2025, we launched our third Cohort of 30 entrepreneurs focused on launching cooperatives as part of the Alkhemy Social Enterprise Accelerator.
COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING
Thanks to support from the Lilly Endowment we were able to acquire, renovate, and open the Alkhemy Community Wealth Building Center (CWB) our 8,000 square foot commercial building at 3802 N Illinois Street, serving as a hub for community organizations and youth-led community conversations.
In 2025, this included our talk with Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, author of Collective Courage, on the history and power of Black cooperative movements, the recent resurgence of Black cooperative development, and the relevance of cooperatives to increase affordability and economic opportunity in Indianapolis.
In 2025, we welcomed Inspire Music Collective into Alkhemy CWB and were thrilled to host 3rd Sunday Free Jazz Concerts featuring Brandon Meeks and MANY talented local muscians. Alkhemy CWB hosted Cafe Creative a weekly gathering of local artists to build community and provide technical assistance and training on topics like grant writing, publishing, etc.
We have also been organizing financial capital to invest in local businesses and help start cooperatives. Since its launch in 2022, our charitable loan fund, the Kheprw Integrated Fund (KIF) has invested over $140,000 in local businesses and cooperatives, contributing to 120 living-wage jobs.
LOOKING FORWARD:
A VISION OF ABUNDANCE IN 2026
Looking forward to 2026, we need your continued support.
Will you become a monthly sustaining donor, joining the Kheprw Family, and making critical investments in affordability and wellness for families in our community?
We are manifesting abundance in 2026 by cooking up some exciting community projects:
1. Thanks to investments from the Climate Justice Alliance and IAAQLI, we’ve secured commitments for nearly $500K to invest in cooperative businesses and affordable housing through the Kheprw Integrated Fund. Our goal is to prepare these projects for investment through our Alkhemy Social Enterprise Accelerator supported by the Lilly Endowment.
2. We are in the process of a feasibility study for a 1 MW solar farm at Octavia’s Visionary Campus, or a similar project that reduces energy burdens for members of our community, while moving Kheprw’s facilities toward resilience and sustainability.
3. Thanks to our friends at Inspire Music Collective, Sekhem Institute, Kafe' Kuumba, and Alkhemy Cohort Members, our Alkhemy Community Wealth Building Center will continue to grow as a bustling hub for businesses, in-school and afterschool programs engaging youth in making music, Kemetic Yoga, community-wellness programs, and free community open mics and jazz concerts.
4. We are exploring how to leverage our relationships with local farmers to create a Food Hub at Octavia’s Visionary Campus to help increase food access and connect institutions and community members to fresh local produce.
HELP US REACH OUR GOAL
Our goal is to raise $100,000 from supporters like you, allowing us to not only survive, but thrive and share this abundance with families in our community.
Here are three ways you can help us reach our goal:
1. Pledge now to give to our campaign and become a recurring monthly donor. Recurring donations are critical to provide us with consistent and stable support for our work.
2. Email/text this campaign to 5 friends and family who would appreciate the opportunity to invest in affordability, wellness, and abundance for families in 2026. Also share on social media and in your network. Here's the link: give.kheprw.org/abundance
3. Host a Fundraiser at your home, your work, your place of worship, or at one of Kheprw’s spaces, Alkhemy CWB or Octavia’s Visionary Campus. Did someone say holiday dessert party for a cause? We can join to share about our story and work.
Our Roadmap to $100,000
This table shows just one way our community can reach our goal for Abundance 2026, from our monthly sustaining donors that are the foundation to larger gifts that help us reach our goal.
Look at the table and find the level that is meaningful for you. Every gift, of every size, is a critical investment in affordability and wellness for our families.
P.S. See below for details on the NEW tax benefits for small donors who take the standard deduction 👇👇👇
NEW TAX BENEFITS FOR SMALL DONORS STARTING IN 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, the tax laws will change in a way that directly benefits the majority of our donors—the everyday givers who take the standard deduction.
For the first time in several years, you'll be able to receive a tax benefit for your generosity even if you don't itemize your taxes:
Individuals: Can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts.
Married Couples Filing Jointly: Can deduct up to $2,000 in cash gifts.
This is an "above-the-line" deduction, meaning you can take the standard deduction and still claim this new deduction for your cash contributions to Kheprw Institute.
What This Means for You: Cash gifts made after January 1, 2026 may directly reduce your taxable income on top of the standard deduction! If you sign up to give monthly all your gifts next year will count toward the $1,000-2,000 deduction you're allowed to claim.
Keep in mind: This new deduction applies to direct cash gifts and does not apply to contributions made through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs).
Do you have a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) or appreciated stock?
Recommend a grant to Kheprw Institute to help us reach our goal for our Abundance 2026 Campaign. Because of capital gains, you receive a greater benefit by transferring the stock directly to Kheprw as a gift toward our annual campaign. Click below to easily recommend a DAF grant or donate stock to us in a couple of clicks.
CREATIVE WAYS TO GIVE
Advance on a Bequest: Would you consider including Kheprw Institute in your estate? Would you consider advancing this gift to our annual campaign so you can witness the impact on our families in 2026? For example, Erin has been writing up her will, and upon consulting with her financial advisor, she realized she's got more than enough resources for retirement in addition to what she wants to leave to her family. She was excited to be able to contribute $25,000 to the campaign to leave a legacy and invest in important community work.
Gift of Stock: Do you have stock that has appreciated (held for more than one year)? Because of capital gains, you receive a greater benefit by transferring the stock directly to Kheprw as a gift toward our annual campaign. Click here to make a direct transfer in a few clicks.
Individual Retirement Account: If you have an individual retirement account (IRA) and are 70.5 years of age or older you may make gifts directly from your IRA as part of your distribution each year, which could provide a tax advantage. Checks can be mailed to: Kheprw Institute, PO Box 88856, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Sale of Property: Have you recently downsized your home or are you planning to this year? You could contribute a percentage the appreciation to our annual campaign. For example, after retiring Sean and Tanya sold their 4 bedroom home for $400,000 and bought at 1 bedroom condo for $250,000. They generously decided to donate $30,000 or 20% of their $150,000 gain, while also realising a tax benefit.
Donor Advised Fund (DAF): Have you already set aside funds to give to charity in a donor advised fund? Would you consider drawing down 50% of your account to invest in our impact? For example, over the years Terry and her husband have built up $50,000 in their DAF and they chose to contribute $25,000 to our annual campaign and felt great about getting us 25% closer to our goal. Click here to recommend a DAF grant from your fund in a few clicks.
Cancelled Subscriptions or Finished Payment: Have you recently cancelled streaming subscriptions or finished a car or house payment that was already built into your budget? Not only did that feel good, what felt even better was being in a position to sign up to give $50/month as a sustaining donor.
*Please also consult your tax and/or financial advisor for their recommendations on how to maximize your gift and tax benefit.
We are Deeply Grateful to all of our partners and supporters.
Our work would not be possible without your support. There are too many to name, but please let us know if we've forgotten you by emailing us at cultivation@kheprw.org.
Abbey Chambers
Adriel Trott
Alan Archibald
Aletha Powell
Alex Sangsuwangul
Alicia Collins
Allie Combs
Allison Barkel
Allison Schumacher & Sam Carpenter
Alvin Sangsuwangul Amalgamated Charitable Foundation
Amanda Cook
Amy Smith
Andrea Price
Anna Beatrice Scott
Anne Laker
Annie Smith
April Doner
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Ben Rose
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Betty Lynch
Bowden Quinn
Brandi Mack
Brian Carman
Brian Stanley
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Bruce Russell-Jayne
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Camden Asay
Carl Hines
Carol Crenshaw
Carol Johnston
Carol Lora Castillo
Cassandra Gray
Catia Canteiro
Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF)
Chad Franer
Charles Crenshaw
Charles Hammond
Charles Knight
Charitable Allies
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Christine Daly
Christopher Bell
Chrystal Gray
Corey Ewing
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Daniel Krouse
David Craig
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Deb Keller
Deborah Frieze
Deborah Keller
Deborah Ross
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Elizabeth Kryder-Reid
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