News

The Fayette Community Foundation 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.

“We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” said Abigail Roszell, Executive Director of the Fayette Community Foundation. “Our first responders—our volunteer and City fire departments, EMS teams, and  law enforcement officers—give so much of themselves to protect and serve Fayette County. I am thrilled that this grant will allow us to listen closely to their needs and invest in the tools and resources they identify as most critical. Supporting those who support us every day is a privilege, and we look forward to partnering with them throughout this process.”

The Foundation will soon begin the process of engaging a consultant to conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment for Fayette County’s first responders. This assessment will bring together representatives from all local first responder organizations to identify priority needs and explore opportunities where philanthropic support can make the greatest impact. Once the needs assessment is complete, the Foundation will open a targeted grant cycle for eligible organizations, using the findings to guide and inform funding decisions. The Foundation will share additional details and timelines with the community and participating organizations as the initiative progresses.

Lilly Endowment created the GIFT initiative in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges and work with other organizations and residents to help their communities thrive. Through GIFT IX, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $271.5 million to support Indiana’s community foundations in growing their financial resources and further strengthening their ability to address their community’s highest-priority challenges and opportunities.

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. Our mission is to inspire a spirit of philanthropy and leadership in Fayette County to enhance the quality of life in our community. 

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.