Damar meets capital campaign goal

Coming as the campaign was drawing to a close, the gift from Holladay Properties allows Damar to take ownership of 8 acres of land in the AmeriPlex business park adjacent to its 38-acre campus. That gift, combined with the contributions from more than 800 other donors, fuels the greatest period of growth in the history of Damar, an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit organization that provides residential and community-based treatment, education and other services to children and adults facing intellectual, developmental and behavioral challenges. “I am touched by the compassion donors showed for the children and adults we serve,” said Damar President and CEO Greg Johnson. “Even in difficult economic times, people across the state stepped forward to help us improve the lives of people affected by some of life’s greatest challenges, including autism and mental retardation.”

The Exceeding Expectations campaign represents Damar’s mission-focused response to the increasing demand for quality treatment and services for individuals with disabilities. The goal was to double the organization’s capacity, which would include the revitalization and expansion of facilities and programs, and the creation of new jobs. Before the campaign kick-off in 2005, Damar served nearly 400 children and adults through residential and community-based services. The organization now serves more than 800 individuals each year, narrowing the ever-present gap between demand and capacity, and employs an additional 330 workers in and around central Indiana.

“Every year, we turn away about 160 children due to a lack of space,” said Johnson. “The generous donations from our partners and the community have been a godsend for many Indiana families.”

The Exceeding Expectations campaign supports the following growth:

• Construction of two new residential buildings on Damar’s campus, which will increase residential capacity from 105 to 145.
• Construction of a gymnasium, performing arts and conference center that enhances Damar’s ability to offer recreational and athletic programs and provides a much-needed large gathering space.
• Construction of the Damar Services Center, providing enhanced programs and support to clients and families.
• The acquisition of 8 acres of land adjacent to Damar’s residential campus for future development.
• A dedicated Damar Academy building, allowing Damar to provide educational support services to nearly 200 students through an Indiana Department of Education-accredited program.
• Additional athletic fields, providing additional space for highly therapeutic physical and recreational activity.
• Community education and training outreach to advance Damar’s efforts to share industry best practices.
• Expanded transitional living services, including 20 new transitional homes serving an additional 79 youth in Marion, Hendricks, Elkhart and Tippecanoe counties.
• Expanded outpatient services, enabling Damar to more than double the number of children and adults annually receiving outpatient mental health, behavior management and autism support services from approximately 67 to nearly 300.

More families want their children at Damar – and that’s understandable in light of the agency’s success rate: Although children who come to Damar have already been through at least five and as many as 30 other placements, Damar succeeds in placing 96 percent of its residents into more independent living in the community.

As it wraps up the Exceeding Expectations campaign, Damar also is developing plans for 8 acres of grassy field adjacent to its campus at the corner of Decatur Boulevard and Kentucky Avenue. Holladay Properties – developers of the neighboring 1,500-acre AmeriPlex business park – made it possible for Damar to acquire the land, which is earmarked for future expansion.

"This will help us further our mission by allowing additional room to increase our services capacity to meet community need,” said Greg Johnson, president and CEO of Damar Services.

A total of 838 individuals, corporations and foundations made contributions to the campaign. Major gifts include Lilly Endowment Inc. – $3.25 million; The Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation – $325,000; Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation – $250,000; Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust – $250,000; The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF Fund – $100,000; and the Damar Guild – $100,000. Damar also received a $100,000 contribution and two $50,000 gifts from individual donors.

“One thing we’re particularly proud of is the fact that our employee giving was higher than the national average for a campaign like this,” said Dalton. “That demonstrates the commitment and loyalty of our staff.”

About Damar Services, Inc.

With more than 750 employees across the state of Indiana, Damar Services, Inc. www.damar.org provides residential and community-based treatment, education support and other services to more than 800 children and adults facing the intellectual, developmental and behavioral challenges associated with mental retardation and autism. Damar's residential campus is located at 6067 Decatur Blvd. in Indianapolis. It also operates the state-accredited Damar Academy school, four group homes, 24 transition homes and a growing number of community-based home sites across central Indiana as well as offering comprehensive outpatient counseling and mental health services.

Damar won the Indiana University Entrepreneurial Award of Distinction for Social Enterprise in 2006 and the BKD Indiana Excellence Award in 2005. Damar's excellence is further evidenced by national distinction and acclaim of Damar Best, a best practices research, development and training initiative. Damar is currently ranked the 25th largest Indianapolis-area not-for profit organization, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Damar was founded in 1967 by Beverly and Theodore Farkas, whose children, David and Martha, had developmental disabilities. The name Damar comes from the merging of the children’s names. Sharing the dream of Mr. and Mrs. Farkas were two co-workers, Jacqueline Berns and Sherry Gore, and the four visionaries established Damar, Home, Inc. in honor of David and Martha.