Thanks to the Lilly Endowment Inc., the Hamilton County Community Foundation stands on the brink of achieving its most significant impact yet on the Hamilton County community. With support through Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow initiative, the Foundation has already made substantial strides. The upcoming opportunities through the eighth phase of GIFT, including a vital matching grant, promise to further amplify the Foundation’s efforts, ensuring that every dollar raised locally can potentially be tripled. This generous support positions Hamilton County Community Foundation to profoundly enhance the quality of life for all residents, driving inclusive growth and community well-being to new heights.

Lilly Endowment’s GIFT initiative is a long-running philanthropic initiative aimed at bolstering community foundations across Indiana. Launched in 1990 by Lilly Endowment, GIFT seeks to strengthen the financial sustainability and impact of these foundations to better serve their local communities.

In the most recent GIFT initiative, GIFT VII, planning grant dollars supported the Foundation’s development of the Collaboration Hub, a gathering space designed to promote community action while developing and incubating new ideas for inclusive economic growth. This socially innovative ecosystem provides monthly educational programs for its members invested in continuous improvement in Central Indiana. The Collaboration Hub is open for private and personal meetings, training sessions and programming. Hamilton County Community Foundation has already welcomed over 2,200 community members in the first 5 months of 2024.

Through the newly launched GIFT VIII round, Hamilton County Community Foundation’s newly released Hamilton County Needs Assessment report was made possible thanks to GIFT VIII planning grant dollars.

In addition to the planning grant opportunity, a matching grant part of GIFT VIII will play a crucial role in helping Hamilton County Community Foundation raise funds to grow its grantmaking endowment, 100% of which is directed into the Hamilton County nonprofit community through competitive grants, partnerships, and convenings. With this matching grant opportunity, grant dollars available to Hamilton County will nearly double; Hamilton County Community Foundation has the potential to receive an additional $5,200,000 from the Lilly Endowment if it raises $2,600,000 from the community increasing the endowment $7.8M between now and 2027.

This matching grant is a significant feature of GIFT. Lilly Endowment matches contributions raised by community foundations, amplifying the impact of local donations. This cultivates a culture of philanthropy within Indiana communities by encouraging local giving and involvement.

Stay tuned for more information about how donors can have their dollars amplified through the power of this matching grant. Hamilton County Community Foundation is grateful to Lilly Endowment for its tremendous support of the community and is excited about the potential to further enhance our community for those that call Hamilton County home.