OVERVIEW: The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation supports global health, pre-K to 12 education, and cultural and community development in Indianapolis and beyond.
IP TAKE: The Lilly Foundation’s grantmaking can be reduced to two core interests: healthcare and Indianapolis. All other priority areas receive support through their association with these two. Nevertheless, numerous opportunities exist here for Indianapolis-based nonprofits. However, this corporate funder does not make itself particularly accessible to new or unaffiliated grantseekers; it does not accept unsolicited applications for funding. The foundation is a bit of a black box—it only lists recipients of its largest grants on its website and doesn’t provide a clear method of contact for those with questions about the foundation. The company can be contacted here and a phone number is provided below.
PROFILE: Established in 1968, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation is a corporate foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1876, Colonel Eli Lilly founded Eli Lilly and Company, which was the first company to mass manufacture the polio vaccine. Today its products include medications for cancer, diabetes, pain relief and neurodegeneration. The foundation is part of the company’s commitment to give back to the communities where its employees live and work. Its grantmaking supports improving global health and educational opportunities, combatting racial injustice and inequity, and cultural and community development in Indianapolis.
Grants for Global Health
The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation supports access to quality healthcare for low- and middle-income populations to address the issues of diabetes, cancer, and tuberculosis. This program stretches, locally, nationally, and globally.
The foundation gives millions in this area annually. Recent grants have gone to Indiana University on behalf of Indiana University Center for Global Health Equity to support health initiatives in Kenya, Nepal, and Ghana.
The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation provides disaster relief throughout the world by donating life-saving medicines that have been requested by Americares, Direct Relief, and Project HOPE, with whom Lilly has longstanding partnerships.
Outside of the Lilly Foundation, the company provides grants to medical professionals through its Lilly Grant Office platform. These support projects focused on improving patient care and education programs for healthcare professionals.
Grants for K-12, STEM, and Higher Education
The foundation awards education grants, mostly in Indiana, for education in the areas of STEM education, early childhood education and K-12 outcomes. Much of Lilly’s support for higher education takes the form of health education and medical research funding.
In 2022, the company pledged $92.5 million over 10 years to Purdue University for student aid and medical research. Other recent significant support has gone to Howard University for health literacy and accessibility, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University health education and student support, and Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy to research non-profit board diversity in Indianapolis.
Lilly also made a $2.8 million grant to Indianapolis Public Schools for STEM education.
Grants for Community Development
The foundation supports efforts that promote cultural and community efforts in Indianapolis. Past local grantees include the Indianapolis Foundation to address homelessness, Mv3 Foundation for a health equity initiative, and Be Nimble Foundation to promote entrepreneurship in the city. Other local grant recipients include Indiana Opera Society, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Broadcasting, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Important Grant Details
Grants typically range between about $5,000 and $500,000, but they have gone into the millions. The foundation gave away over $21 million in grants in a recent year.
Grantmaking largely focuses on Indianapolis and elsewhere in the state of Indiana; however, health grants often have a global focus.
This foundation has not accepted unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits since 2011, funding only pre-selected organizations.
Direct general questions to the staff at 317-276-2000.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
