Lilly Endowment GIFT initiative announcement

Jan. 1—GREENSBURG — Lilly Endowment recently announced the eighth round of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, allocating up to $210M to support Indiana's community foundations as they work to strengthen and enhance their local communities.

The GIFT initiative is based upon Lilly Endowment's longstanding belief that community foundations are uniquely positioned to play central roles in supporting and strengthening communities throughout Indiana. Decatur County Community Foundation is humbled to be offered this opportunity.

Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $210M to community foundations, broken down into three grant components. These include:

1. Community Leadership Grants-Lilly Endowment has dedicated $65.5M for Community Leadership Grants across the state. Foundations are encouraged to continue engaging community stakeholders and, if desired, apply for Community Leadership funding to develop and implement large-scale action plans that address high priority community challenges and opportunities.

2. Board Engagement Grants-Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $9.2M for Board Engagement grants across the state. Community foundations are eligible for a $100,000 unrestricted grant with 100% board-member participation.

3. Matching Fund Grants-Lilly Endowment has set aside up to $135.3 million statewide for matching grants, of which Decatur County Community Foundation is eligible for up to $750,000. These funds are to be used for developing unrestricted assets; implementing projects and programs that address community needs; and building internal capacity.

Thanks to the Matching Fund Grant, Lilly Endowment will match a generous $2 for every $1 raised locally for community grant making funds (also known as unrestricted funds). Community grant making funds support large grants, small grants, fire department grants, teacher grants and more. These include:

* Colleen Cherry Family and Friends Memorial Fund

* Crites Family Community Fund

* David J. & Linda M. Fry Family Memorial Fund

* Decatur County Community Foundation Community Fund

* Decatur County Tourism Community Fund

* Dennis A. Wilson And Susan V. Wilson Family Fund

* Descendants of Paul C. and Dorotha A. Wenning Family Fund

* Donald & Alice Clapp Family fund

* Donald D. Austin General Endowment Fund

* Dr. Irwin and Dorothy Lanning and Family Memorial Fund

* Elks Memorial Fund

* Family and Friends of Toni Stille Fund

* Fifth Third Bank Fund

* First Financial Foundation Community Fund

* Franklin and Margaret Corya Family Fund

* GCHS Class of 1969 Fund

* Glenn & Laura Jo Tebbe Family Fund

* Jerry and Eva Westhafer Family Fund

* Jim & Jere' Sturges Community Fund

* Jim & Linda Volk Family Fund

* Joe & Kathryn Tebbe Memorial Fund

* Joe Dinn and Raymond Fisse Family Memorial Fund

* Joseph and Madeleine Knueven Family Fund

* Joseph F. Rust and Susan A. Rust Fund

* Kristi Jarvis Family Fund

* Letts United Methodist Church Memorial Fund

* Lowe's Pellets and Grain Family Fund

* Nolan Jr. (Pete) and Martha Vanderbur Memorial Fund

* Paul and Terry Williamson Community Fund

* Rick & Mary Johnson Trust Fund

* Rob and Joan Eversole Family Fund

* Sefton Family Community Fund

* Steve and Mary Stradley Community Fund

* Thomas G. Sibbitt Discretionary Endowment

* Travis Wenning Harvesting Gifts From Heaven Fund

* William O. and Lynda Smith Fund

Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) is an initiative that Lilly Endowment launched in 1990. The purpose was to establish and develop community foundations in every Indiana county.

Your gift to any of the funds above will be matched two-to-one, so that your $10 gift becomes $30, thanks to the Lilly Endowment. That gift will in turn support community grant making.

In 2023, more than $300,000 in community grants were made for such projects as Youth to Yellowstone tents; Kids Discovery Factory mobile outreach vehicle; St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department's new fire house; Tiger Sharks swimming equipment; cyber safety training in school and more. For more information on how you can have your donation to a community grant making fund matched, or to learn how you can start your own community grant making fund, contact the Foundation at 812-662-6364, email info@dccfound.org, or visit dccfound.org.

-Information provided

Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com.