Lilly Endowment recently announced the eighth round of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT)
initiative, allocating up to $210M to support Indiana’s community foundations as they work to
strengthen and enhance their local communities.
The GIFT initiative is based upon Lilly Endowment’s longstanding belief that community foundations are
uniquely positioned to play central roles in supporting and strengthening communities throughout
Indiana. Decatur County Community Foundation is humbled to be offered this opportunity.
Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $210M to community foundations, broken down into three grant
components. These include:
- Community Leadership Grants-Lilly Endowment has dedicated $65.5M for Community
Leadership Grants across the state. Foundations are encouraged to continue engaging
community stakeholders and, if desired, apply for Community Leadership funding to develop
and implement large-scale action plans that address high priority community challenges and
opportunities. - Board Engagement Grants-Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $9.2M for Board Engagement
grants across the state. Community foundations are eligible for a $100,000 unrestricted grant
with 100% board-member participation. - Matching Fund Grants-Lilly Endowment has set aside up to $135.3 million statewide for
matching grants, of which Decatur County Community Foundation is eligible for up to $750,000.
These funds are to be used for developing unrestricted assets; implementing projects and
programs that address community needs; and building internal capacity.
Thanks to the Matching Fund Grant, Lilly Endowment will match a generous $2 for every $1 raised
locally for community grant making funds (also known as unrestricted funds). Community grant making
funds support large grants, small grants, fire department grants, teacher grants and more. These
include:
Colleen Cherry Family and Friends Memorial Fund
Crites Family Community Fund
David J. & Linda M. Fry Family Memorial Fund
Decatur County Community Foundation Community Fund
Decatur County Tourism Community Fund
Dennis A. Wilson And Susan V. Wilson Family Fund
Descendants of Paul C. and Dorotha A. Wenning Family Fund
Donald & Alice Clapp Family fund
Donald D. Austin General Endowment Fund
Dr. Irwin and Dorothy Lanning and Family Memorial Fund
Elks Memorial Fund
Family and Friends of Toni Stille Fund
Fifth Third Bank Fund
First Financial Foundation Community Fund
Franklin and Margaret Corya Family Fund
GCHS Class of 1969 Fund
Glenn & Laura Jo Tebbe Family Fund
Jerry and Eva Westhafer Family Fund
Jim & Jere’ Sturges Community Fund
Jim & Linda Volk Family Fund
Joe & Kathryn Tebbe Memorial Fund
Joe Dinn and Raymond Fisse Family Memorial Fund
Joseph and Madeleine Knueven Family Fund
Joseph F. Rust and Susan A. Rust Fund
Kristi Jarvis Family Fund
Letts United Methodist Church Memorial Fund
Lowe’s Pellets and Grain Family Fund
Nolan Jr. (Pete) and Martha Vanderbur Memorial Fund
Paul and Terry Williamson Community Fund
Rick & Mary Johnson Trust Fund
Rob and Joan Eversole Family Fund
Sefton Family Community Fund
Steve and Mary Stradley Community Fund
Thomas G. Sibbitt Discretionary Endowment
Travis Wenning Harvesting Gifts From Heaven Fund
William O. and Lynda Smith Fund
Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) is an initiative that Lilly Endowment launched in 1990. The
purpose was to establish and develop community foundations in every Indiana county.
Your gift to any of the funds above will be matched two-to-one, so that your $10 gift becomes $30,
thanks to the Lilly Endowment. That gift will in turn support community grant making. In 2023, more
than $300,000 in community grants were made for such projects as Youth to Yellowstone tents; Kids
Discovery Factory mobile outreach vehicle; St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department’s new fire house; Tiger
Sharks swimming equipment; cyber safety training in school and more. For more information on how
you can have your donation to a community grant making fund matched, or to learn how you can start
your own community grant making fund, contact the Foundation at 812-662-6364, email
info@dccfound.org, or visit dccfound.org.