Lilly Endowment GIFT VIII

About Lilly GIFT VIII

Lilly Endowment Inc. launched the eighth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, allocating up to $210 million to help Indiana community foundations strengthen the quality of life in the towns, cities and counties they serve. The GIFT initiative is based upon the Endowment’s longstanding belief that community foundations are uniquely positioned to play central roles in building the prosperity of communities throughout Indiana. Visit the Lilly Endowment GIFT VIII website for more information. 

We are thrilled to announce the resounding success of the Wayne County Foundation’s Unrestricted Fund Campaign in connection with the Lilly Endowment Inc. GIFT VIII Matching Grant. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors and the unwavering commitment of people who believe in impactful, lasting change, we not only reached our goal—we more than doubled it. This outstanding achievement speaks volumes about the shared passion and dedication of stakeholders who love and invest in the future of Wayne County. And it unlocks the additional $1.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. We are grateful.

Community Leadership Initiative

• Community Leadership Grants were available in a two-phase process: a non-competitive planning phase and a competitive implementation phase.
• During the planning phase, the Wayne County Foundation sought input from a diverse range of community stakeholders and requested funding to develop and implement projects that address opportunities in our community.
• The Foundation was invited to submit a large-scale proposal and was awarded $5,000,000 to implement quality of life projects in the Whitewater Gorge (Richmond) and Creitz Park (Cambridge City).

Why Unrestricted Giving?

Unrestricted funds provide flexibility in grantmaking and enables the Wayne County Foundation to provide grant support where funding is most needed. From organizations working to address complex issues to quality of place initiatives that make Wayne County a great place to live, work and raise a family, unrestricted gifts enable maximum community impact. Through our unrestricted funds, nearly $550,000 will be granted to local nonprofit organizations for the many projects and activities that serve the community this year.