Fortitude Fund

The Fortitude Fund Inc. is organized under an 8-member Board of directors as a non-profit organization. Fiscal sponsorship is provided by the Huntington County Community Foundation in partnership with Huntington University. The Fortitude Fund supports all micro-enterprise entrepreneurs with an emphasis on young entrepreneurs, rural entrepreneurs, women and minority and disadvantaged entrepreneurs by working with communities and economic development organizations and Entrepreneurial Service Organizations (ESOs) in the region. The Fortitude Fund Inc. originated as the Farnsworth Fund under the umbrella of Elevate Ventures. Elevate Ventures focuses on high growth businesses for investment and returns for stakeholders throughout Indiana, whereas the Fortitude Fund Inc. focuses on micro-enterprise development throughout the 11- county region. Elevate Ventures provided funding to seed the the Fortitude Fund grant programs which is further evidence of the necessity to support these small fledgling micro-enterprises. The Fortitude Fund Inc. supports micro-enterprise development through community, connections and money. Working alongside community partners, the Fortitude Fund hosts entrepreneurial events that educate and inform by sharing the stories of other successful founders and entrepreneurs. These events provide access that is often difficult to achieve and support for new founders. Fortitude Fund events are focused on micro-enterprise founders, entrepreneurs and small businesses that creates a network of resources as ideas and concepts are being formulated.