December 9, 2024
Contact: Judith Cebula
317.916.7327 | cebulaj@lei.org
Lilly Endowment is funding efforts to collect and share compelling stories about the vibrancy and hope of Christian faith and life
INDIANAPOLIS – Building on a successful invitational round of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life (Storytelling Initiative), Lilly Endowment is inviting additional faith-based agencies, denominations, educational institutions, congregations, publishers, and media groups to identify, produce and share stories that portray for diverse audiences the vitality and hope that many Christians experience through their faith.
Through a second, competitive round of the Storytelling Initiative, the Endowment seeks to support a fresh wave of storytelling from a wide array of Christian communities. The Endowment is making available up to 30 grants that range up to $5 million each to support storytelling projects. Efforts can focus on a variety of approaches, including narrative storytelling in digital and print formats, in-person storytelling events, documentaries, podcasts and radio broadcasts, video and video series, photography and other visual arts media, among others.
“For many years, leaders of Christian communities have shared with the Endowment powerful stories about how faith animates the lives of individuals with meaning and hope, giving them a deep sense of God’s love for themselves and others,” said Christopher Coble, the Endowment’s vice president for religion. “They also have given accounts of individuals and congregations that are expressing their faith by reaching out and tending to the human needs of their neighbors, nurturing the spiritual lives of children and youth, giving generously from their resources to help others, extending hospitality to both friends and strangers, working to promote justice and reconciliation, and building bridges to foster understanding across social and political differences.”
“These leaders have also shared their concerns that these powerful stories are often overshadowed by accounts of the closing of churches and the weakening of religious life,” Coble added. “We hope this initiative will help make known the vibrant ways that Christians practice their faith through acts of love and compassion in their everyday lives.”
Learn more about the new grant opportunities here.
Grants Approved in Invitational Round of Storytelling Initiative
In November, the Endowment approved grants to 12 organizations through an invitational round of the Storytelling Initiative. These organizations serve a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, possess experience in different storytelling genres and formats, and reach audiences in a wide variety of contexts. They include media organizations, denominational judicatories, church networks, publishers, educational institutions, congregations and other nonprofit charitable organizations. The organizations and the grants they were awarded are as follows:
America Media, New York, NY | $5 million
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, TX | $5 million
Catholic Charities USA, Alexandria, VA | $4,998,541
The Christian Century, Chicago, IL | $4,663,146
Christianity Today, Wheaton, IL | $5 million
Eastern University, St. Davids, PA | $4,172,305
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA | $5 million
National Association of Evangelicals, Washington, DC | $5 million
National Council of the Churches of Christ, Washington, DC | $5 million
Praxis Inc., New York, NY | $5 million
Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL | $5 million
Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY | $5 million
These organizations will use a variety of approaches to identify, produce and share stories about the vitality of Christian faith and life. For example, America Media, a Catholic publication in the Jesuit tradition, will produce a short film exploring how Latino Catholics in the United States live out their faith. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Texas will host a series of public storytelling festivals that will highlight first-person accounts of the joys and challenges of Christian faith and life. Trinity United Church of Christ, a congregation in Chicago, will produce a series of films and supporting podcasts, music and educational materials about how individuals’ lives have been shaped and enriched by Black spiritual traditions. Christianity Today will work with young adult storytellers to develop and publish accounts of the vibrancy and hope they witness and experience in Christian communities around them.
“For centuries, Christians have shared their faith with others by telling stories,” Coble said. “But storytelling practices have never been static. Christians have used new communication technologies and media formats, such as radio in the early 20th century and social media in the 21st century, to share with others compelling accounts about their faith. We hope that these 12 organizations, along with those that will participate in the next round of the Storytelling Initiative, will continue this tradition by fostering a fresh wave of Christian storytelling for today.”
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities play in the United State and around the globe.