May 22, 2025
Contact: Judith Cebula
317.916.7327 | cebulaj@lei.org
Grants will help Marion County K-12 schools strengthen academic achievement and post-secondary success
INDIANAPOLIS – Lilly Endowment Inc. is making grants totaling nearly $85.7 million to help K-12 public and private schools in Marion County, Ind. initiate, enhance or expand compelling programs and projects that show promise to improve their students’ academic achievement and their prospects for post-secondary success.
The Endowment has approved 79 implementation grants, which range from $73,500 to $10.53 million, under the second phase of two separate, complementary three-phase initiatives – the Marion County K-12 Public Schools Initiative and Marion County K-12 Private Schools Initiative. Eligible schools, school districts and school networks could apply for funding amounts under this phase of these initiatives based on the number of students they serve. Lists of approved Phase 2 implementation grants is available here.
The Endowment expects to make additional Phase 2 implementation grants in the coming weeks.
Schools, school districts and school networks receiving funding through this non-competitive phase of these initiatives will take a variety of approaches to help improve their students’ academic achievement and prospects for success after high school. Funded projects and programs include, among others, the following:
- Expanding professional development for educators, including supporting teachers to use evidence-based instructional methods aligned with the Science of Reading.
- Creating a family engagement center that provides parent education and family counseling to help families enhance their support of student academic success.
- Developing new virtual and in-person tutoring programs.
- Enhancing college and career counseling and offering more dual-credit course options.
- Expanding extracurricular enrichment programs.
- Developing a summer bridge program to provide incoming high school students early exposure to high school curriculum.
- Creating non-academic support programs designed to remove barriers to student success, such as transportation and improved food and nutrition programs.
“Education leaders from a wide array of public and private K-12 schools in Marion County responded to these initiatives by assessing the needs of their students and carefully researching evidence-based approaches that could help them address those needs,” said Ted Maple, the Endowment’s vice president for education. “They have developed thoughtful and strategic projects and programs to support students so that they can thrive academically and build successful futures beyond high school.”
The Endowment launched the Marion County K-12 Public Schools Initiative and Marion County K-12 Private Schools Initiative in August 2024. The Endowment is allocating up to $600 million total for these initiatives, including up to $450 million for the public schools initiative and up to $150 million for the private schools initiative, which will be awarded through three phases. More than 80 eligible public school districts, charter schools and charter networks and private schools and private school networks were eligible to participate in the initiatives. The eligible applicants represent or include more than 300 schools in Marion County.
In October 2024, the Endowment approved planning grants of up to $50,000 each to 79 schools, school districts and school networks during Phase 1 of the initiatives. The grants helped school leaders engage in relevant research and analysis and prepare proposals for compelling evidence-based programs or projects that show promise to improve their students’ academic achievement and prospects for post-secondary success.
To compete for larger grants, in April 2025 eligible applicants submitted concept papers outlining large-scale projects and programs as part of Phase 3 of these initiatives. After reviewing these concept papers, the Endowment will invite applicants with the most compelling concepts from each initiative to submit full competitive grant proposals. The Endowment expects to announce these grants in December 2025.
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic 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. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.