Community Foundation Announces $240,000 Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana announced that it has received a $240,000 grant as part of the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative.

The Community Foundation will use the grant funds to support the implementation and coordination of the United Community platform in Clark and Floyd counties. United Community is a single point of entry system whereby individuals are channeled to appropriate services based on their unique needs across the health, education and social service sectors, enabling seamless referrals between agencies to meet people’s unique needs.  

Linda Speed, president and CEO for the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana said, “We’re incredibly thankful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for helping bring United Community to Clark and Floyd counties. Too often people in our community must bounce from one place to the next to meet their needs for food, housing, health and more. United Community will help area service providers better meet the needs of individuals and families in Southern Indiana by simplifying the referral process and removing barriers to access those services.”

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana is one of 84 foundations in Indiana receiving grants through this round of GIFT VII grantmaking. Lilly Endowment created GIFT in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges. It launched GIFT VII in 2018 and made available a total of $125 million to help foundations strengthen their leadership capacities in the towns, cities and counties they serve. Lilly Endowment expects to make additional GIFT VII grants in the coming months.

United Community is available to Clark and Floyd county nonprofits thanks to a partnership between Metro United Way and the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. The digital platform has been enabled in Jefferson County, Kentucky and Clark and Floyd Counties in Indiana, and enables seamless referrals between agencies to meet a variety of essential needs.

To learn more about the Community Foundation please call 812-948-4662 or visit www.cfsouthernindiana.com.

# # #

About CFSI

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana was founded in 1991 as the region’s partner, resource and steward in philanthropy. The Foundation manages $134 million in charitable assets and nearly 260 individual funds – each of which supports the unique charitable intent of the donor who established the fund. Annually, the Foundation awards millions in grants and scholarships to support our community and is a National Standards certified community foundation. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact 812-948-4662 or visit www.cfsouthernindiana.com.

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