J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., who founded Lilly Endowment in 1937, understood that for individuals and families to flourish, the communities that they call home must be vibrant places where people care about and get to know each other—places that offer appealing amenities and an overall quality of life that contribute to the abilities and opportunities of all residents to realize their potential. Such communities do not just happen. They must be persistently and intentionally nurtured. Civic engagement must be continually encouraged, and a dynamic of mutuality must be fostered and tended.
When I go to other cities and towns and see that they have a well-maintained public area in their downtown, it signals to me that people are valued in that town.
Emily Klabunde
Market Manager of Logansport Farmers Market
Community Development
Enhancing quality of life in Indianapolis and Indiana and funding selected compelling causes nationwide
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Finding Common Ground in Parks
With grants totaling $260 million spread across national, state and local park systems, Lilly Endowment affirmed the value of parks as places that contribute to quality of life for a broad range of audiences. The grants are supporting an array of projects, ranging from upgrading playgrounds and expanding recreational amenities to enhancing educational programs and conserving wildlife habitat.
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Collaborating to Enrich Quality of Life
December 2024, Lilly Endowment awarded 30 grants totaling more than $171 million to support community foundations and their partners throughout Indiana as they work to make their towns, cities, counties and regions better places in which to live and work. These large-scale competitive Community Leadership Grants were one component of the Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow, Phase VIII.
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A River Runs Through It
Plans for a 12-acre, multi-million dollar expansion project calls for White River State Park to have a riverside promenade, a 150-seat outdoor theater overlooking the river and a large shade pavilion. In 2024, Lilly Endowment approved a $30 million grant to the White River State Park Development Commission to help fund those features. Most of the grant is expected to support the re-purposing of the former General Motors Stamping Plant site into the Kahn Pavilion.
Religion
Enhancing congregational leadership and vitality and public understanding of religion
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Living Testaments
Beginning in 2021, Lilly Endowment grants totaling $60 million to the National Trust have supported the Preserving Black Churches Project of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust. By providing grants and educational support to congregations across the United States, the project is helping churches manage and maintain their physical structures, protect their legacies, and advance their missions into the future.
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Ministering in Rural Places
In 2024, recognizing the many important roles congregations play in nurturing the spiritual life and supporting the vitality of rural communities, Lilly Endowment launched the Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative. The Endowment made grants to 20 organizations throughout the country to encourage them to provide resources to help congregations in these settings enhance their ministries and strengthen the leadership of the pastors and lay leaders who guide them.
Education & Youth
Increasing educational attainment and helping young people reach their full potential
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Creating Vibrant Places
In 2023, Lilly Endowment introduced College and Community Collaboration, a new initiative to encourage Indiana colleges and universities to invite their local communities to create more vibrant places in which to live, learn, work and play. After two competitive rounds of grant funding, 19 Indiana colleges and universities have been awarded grants ranging from $5.8 million to $35 million, totaling more than $448 million.
2024 Grant Guidelines and Approvals
Lilly Endowment’s grant guidelines and 2024 grant approvals for community development, education & youth, and religion.
For a printed edition of Lilly Endowment’s 2024 Annual Report, please email communications@lei.org. You can view the Acknowledgements page here.