Lilly Endowment grants $34 million to support local service organizations

Service providers in central Indiana will receive added support with a new gift.

Lilly Endowment, Inc. will grant $34 million to organizations working on issues that range from re-entry to assisting LGBTQ youth. The money is intended to support the sustainability of groups that respond to people’s immediate needs.

The Damien Center will receive $5 million. President Alan Witchey says that need is rising as the pandemic continues.

“It’s tough, it’s tough for everybody right now, but when you can’t meet your basic needs for housing and food on top of that, it’s that much more difficult,” Witchey said.

The Damien Center offers services to Hoosiers living with HIV/AIDS, including housing and mental health care. 

Lilly Endowment said long-term sustainability plans for organizations can include building reserves, updating technology, and strengthening staff.

“We get stuck doing the day-to-day that we just can’t spend time thinking strategically and long term because we have so many crises coming in the door,” Wichey said.

Public Advocates in Community re-Entry or PACE also received a sustainability grant of $3 million.

Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development, said the money is not for operational support.

“We hope the grant helps PACE attract additional support for this important work,” Kloth said.

PACE will use the funds to implement several technological and communications efficiencies and recruit volunteers.

This is the sixth group of grants Lilly Endowment has made since 2015 to support the long-term sustainability plans of charitable organizations.

The following eight organizations are receiving the latest financial gifts:

• CICOA Aging & In-home Solutions, Inc., $5 million
• Damien Center, Inc., $5 million
• Dove Recovery House for Women Inc., $2.5 million
• Foster Success, Inc., $5 million
• Indiana Youth Group, Inc., $1 million
• Public Advocates in Community Re-entry (PACE), $3 million
• Volunteers of America Indiana, Inc., $7.5 million
• Workforce Inc. (dba RecycleForce), $5 million

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @JillASheridan.