Local support Captures Lilly Endowment GIFT VII Match and Increases Impact by $1.5 million

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By: Kallie Sulanke—

Muncie, Ind. – The generous support of the community allowed The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. to capture a $1 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant. The $2 to $1 match is part of the Lilly Endowment Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) VII initiative.

Lilly Endowment invited The Community Foundation to apply for $1 million in matching funds. The funds were to be raised between October 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. As of August 14, 100 percent of the available matching dollars have been donated or pledged to be fulfilled before the end of 2020.

More than 250 donors made contributions to unrestricted funds at The Community Foundation to support this matching opportunity. Nine new named unrestricted funds were established.

The impact of the endowment growth is immediate. The Foundation’s grants committee will have an additional $60,000 in new money to distribute in the first year alone. The Community Foundation is once again amazed by the community’s willingness to take on this challenge and create permanent legacies for the Muncie and Delaware County community.

 

About The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc.

The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. is a publicly supported philanthropic institution governed by a volunteer board of local citizens. The Foundations’ purpose is to improve the quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County for this generation and generations to come. The Foundation manages contributions donated by individuals, businesses, and corporations as a permanent community endowment.  Distributions from these funds are given back to the community in the form of grants to non-profit organizations and agencies. To date, more than $52 million has been awarded to enrich the lives of the residents of Muncie and Delaware County.