INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 30 groups will share more that $93 million in grants from the Lilly Endowment aimed at boosting the financial security of poor Indianapolis residents.
The grants, which range from $180,000 to more than $8 million each, are going to 28 organizations to fund new programs aimed at financial security or to expand existing programs that address poverty-related challenges.
Lilly said the grants will support numerous efforts such as expanding access to early childhood education and mentoring programs and helping residents find jobs that could pay at least $18 per hour.
The grants will also aim to help strengthen neighborhoods, especially those with high concentrations of poverty, and remove economic barriers for Black and Latino residents, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
The endowment acknowledged that the grants will not end poverty in Indianapolis, but it said there’s hope that they can help put thousands of people on the path to self-sufficiency.
“We are heartened by the significant number of organizations that care deeply about these issues and are working tirelessly to address them,” said Rob Smith, senior vice president for collaborative strategies for the endowment.
