Community Foundation of White County Receives $750,000 Community Support Grant

The Community Foundation of White County has received a grant of $750,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Community Support Grant component of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative. This is one of 92 Community Support Grants being awarded through GIFT IX, a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative designed to support the efforts of community foundations to strengthen the quality of life in the communities they serve.

The Community Support Grant is designed to provide the community foundation with flexible funding to enhance its grantmaking capacity to address compelling, near-term needs in its county. The community foundation will have up to three years to use its grant to address community-driven priorities.

The foundation’s Executive Director, Lucy Dold, shares, “This grant is an incredible opportunity for our community. Because of Lilly Endowment’s investment, we can strengthen and expand the grants we already offer while also responding more boldly to the challenges and opportunities we know matter most. We’ve spent years listening, researching, and learning alongside our community, and this support allows us to turn that knowledge into meaningful, lasting impact.”

The grant marks the beginning of an important new phase for the Community Foundation. In the coming months, the foundation will work closely with nonprofit partners to shape opportunities that build on existing strengths and address community needs. By offering guidance and opportunities to connect, the Foundation aims to ensure this funding leads to meaningful, lasting impact across the community.

About the Community Foundation

Established in 1998, the Community Foundation of White County believes in the power of collective generosity to shape a stronger future. As a trusted partner to donors, nonprofits, and community leaders, the Foundation helps turn shared commitment into meaningful progress for White County. With more than $19 million in assets, the Foundation advances impactful grantmaking, strategic initiatives, and long-term solutions that meet today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow.

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. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.