LILLY ENDOWMENT INC
Annual Giving
$2.3B+48% YoY
Grants
1,808
Median Grant
$49K
Organizations Funded
1,164
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Foundation Overview
Mission
Founded in 1937 for the promotion and support of religious, educational or charitable purposes. Seeks to help improve the character of the American people through three program areas: religion, education and youth, community development.
Focus Areas
Grant Types
Funded Initiatives
Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative ($70M+ for pastor support), Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program ($15K grants), Smithsonian ($40M), National Urban League ($100M for Indianapolis African American Quality of Life), Wake Forest University Educating Character Initiative ($30M+)
How to Apply
Letter of Inquiry for specific initiatives like Pathways for Tomorrow. Initiative-specific applications with varying deadlines. Contact form for general inquiries.
Does Not Fund
No loans or grants to individuals, no pre-existing debts, no healthcare projects, no mass media projects, no endowments except special cases, no libraries outside Marion County IN, limited international grants, geographic restrictions for building campaigns and operating funds outside Indianapolis
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$2.3B
Grants
1,808
Median
$49K
States
46
$1.5B
Grants
1,983
Median
$80K
States
46
$1.3B
Grants
1,474
Median
$25K
States
41
Grant Size Distribution
$90K
Typical Grant (Median)
$1K
Smallest
$15K
25th Pctile
$1.2M
75th Pctile
$138.0M
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $15K and $1.2M.
Largest Recent Grants
$138.0M
2024
INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
IN · IU LAUNCH ACCELERATOR FOR BIOSCIENCE
$100.0M
2024
INDIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP
IN · STRATEGIC ENHANCEMENTS TO READI 2.0
$100.0M
2024
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
DC · SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL PARKS CAMPAIGN
$50.0M
2024
UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND INC
DC · SUPPORT FOR UNCF CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
$40.0M
2024
INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RES
IN · SUPPORT FOR INDIANA STATE PARKS
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.