News

The Fayette Community Foundation has awarded $725,000 in grants to nine Fayette County first responder organizations through a $750,000 Community Support Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Community Support Grant was awarded through the ninth phase of Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow initiative, known as GIFT IX. The initiative is designed to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the quality of life in the communities they serve by addressing locally identified priorities.

These grants will support communications upgrades, rescue equipment, responder protective gear, emergency notification and mapping technology, and the development of a shared training facility for local first responders.

The awards include:

• Bentonville Volunteer Fire Department — $76,000 for battery-powered extrication tools and multiband 800 MHz mobile and portable radios.

• Everton Volunteer Fire Department — $76,000 for dual-band VHF/800 MHz radios and additional responder safety equipment.

• Fayette County EMS — $73,500 for a rescue UTV and trailer, emergency equipment, and ballistic protective gear for EMS personnel.

• Fayette County 911 — $23,500 for updated dispatch headsets and equipment, portable backup 911 telephone capabilities, and additional dispatch monitors.

• Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department — $76,000 for multiband radios to improve communication with Fayette County dispatch and mutual-aid partners.

• Connersville Fire Department — $325,000 toward the development of a shared fire and law enforcement training facility serving the Connersville Fire Department, Connersville Police Department, and Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

• Fayette County Emergency Management — $75,000 for search-and-rescue drones, emergency notification and tactical mapping technology, and specialized protective equipment for EMA volunteers.

“These awards represent an extraordinary investment in the people and organizations that keep Fayette County safe,” said Abigail Roszell, Executive Director of the Fayette Community Foundation. “Our first responders give so much of themselves to serve our community, often while working with limited resources and aging equipment. We are honored to use this rare funding opportunity to help provide the tools, technology, training, and protection they need to continue their lifesaving work.”

The funding decisions were informed by a comprehensive needs assessment that brought together representatives from Fayette County’s first responder organizations. Through interviews, group discussions, and collaborative planning, participating organizations identified shared challenges, priority equipment needs, and opportunities to strengthen coordination across departments.

Following the assessment, eligible first responder organizations were invited to submit funding proposals. The Foundation received significantly more in requests than it had available to award, and no applicant received its full requested amount.

“We sincerely appreciate the time, thought, and collaboration each organization contributed throughout the needs assessment and application process,” Roszell said. “Their participation gave us a much clearer understanding of the challenges facing Fayette County’s emergency response system and the opportunities to strengthen it. These grants are investments not only in individual departments, but in the safety and resilience of our entire community.”

The Foundation will continue working with the grant recipients throughout the implementation period and will share updates about the individual projects and their community impact.

About Fayette Community Foundation

The Fayette Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Fayette County through impactful philanthropy, strategic grantmaking, and collaborative partnerships. Its mission is to inspire a spirit of philanthropy and leadership in Fayette County to enhance the quality of life in the community.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based 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. Although gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment 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 significant 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.