July 27, 2026
Contact: Judith Cebula
317.916.7327 | communications@lei.org
New grants support efforts to strengthen the capacity of art museums in communities across Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded grants to help art museums throughout Indiana strengthen and enhance their ability to contribute to the cultural vibrancy of the local communities they serve.
The Endowment has made 12 invitational grants ranging from $500,000 to $5 million to museums located in Bloomington, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Muncie, Notre Dame, Richmond, South Bend, Terre Haute and West Lafayette.
The museums will use grants to fund a variety of projects that will help them operate more effectively and efficiently, including, among others:
- updating facilities to become more energy efficient, more welcoming to visitors and better caretakers of collections.
- developing strategic plans and improving fundraising, communications and marketing efforts.
- providing professional development and training for staff, volunteers and board members.
“Lilly Endowment has long recognized the important role arts and cultural organizations play in communities’ quality of life.,” said Ronni Kloth, the Endowment’s vice president for community development. “The Endowment is pleased to help enhance the institutional capacity of this impressive array of arts and cultural organizations throughout our state.”
The organizations and the grants are as follows:
Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Lafayette | $500,000
Ball State University Foundation, Muncie | $1,000,000
Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science, Evansville | $1,000,000
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne | $2,500,000
Indiana University Foundation, Bloomington | $5,000,000
Midwest Museum of American Art Foundation, Elkhart | $500,000
Minnetrista Cultural Foundation, Inc., Muncie | $500,000
Purdue University, West Lafayette | $500,000
Richmond Museum of Art, Inc., Richmond | $500,000
Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Inc, Terre Haute | $750,000
South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend | $1,000,000
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame | $5,000,000
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
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. While the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States on an invitational basis to support these causes, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.