Indiana Wesleyan University Receives $24.3 Million from Lilly Endowment Inc.
August 7, (Marion, IN) – Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) has received a $24.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, College and Community Collaboration (CCC). The largest grant awarded in school history, it will partially fund The 29 Project, which is designed to expand early learning services and enhance community wellness throughout the Grant County region.
IWU is one of 13 Indiana higher education institutions receiving implementation grants through the latest and final round of the CCC, a competitive Lilly Endowment initiative. The aim of the initiative is to encourage Indiana colleges and universities to collaborate with community stakeholders to work on mutually beneficial efforts that enhance the quality of life and place in local communities.
“We greatly appreciate Lilly Endowment’s generosity with this grant and deeply appreciate its confidence in IWU and community partners here in Grant County to create spaces that benefit all of our residents,” IWU President Jon S. Kulaga said. “We also are grateful for our community partners who have worked together to develop several initiatives that will continue to positively impact our region well beyond the five years of this award.”
Eight local community partners will contribute 70 percent of the total costs associated with funding three strategic initiatives during the next five years. The total projected budget for all initiatives is more than $81 million, 30 percent of which will be funded through the Lilly Endowment grant. The three initiatives and their components are:
Early Learning
● “I Have a Dream” Preschool Academy @ REAL Community Covenant Church classroom and library expansion.
● Thriving Grant County Grow Program for parents and caregivers of preschoolers.
● Greater Grant County employee-sponsored childcare research project.
● College Wesleyan Church employee-sponsored childcare pilot program.
● IWU Early Learning Center for infants and toddlers located near campus.
Community Wellness
● City of Marion Next Level Trails to encourage physical activity in our community.
● Gas City YMCA and early childcare facility.
● Carey Services Pleasant Run Apartments for individuals with special needs.
● IWU “I Am Third” Arena for campus and community sporting events.
Collaboration and Sustainability
● Creation of the Community Foundation of Grant County’s Collaborative Hub to support community development initiatives that address local needs and opportunities.
“The Community Foundation was delighted to hear that Indiana Wesleyan University was a recipient of the CCC grant from Lilly Endowment,” said Dawn Brown, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Grant County, which is a key community partner. “This financial investment, along with the collaborative projects planned between the college and the community, will have positive ripple effects for generations! This is a huge win for all of Grant County!”
The 29 Project pays homage to the words of the prophet, Jeremiah, who wrote in chapter 29 of his letter to the people of God living in exile: “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile: ‘seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper’ (Jeremiah 29:4,7).”
For more information about The 29 Project, contact:
● Keenan Davis, Director of Community Collaboration & Engagement (keenan.davis@indwes.edu)
● Jim Vermilya, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (jim.vermilya@indwes.edu)
About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion, and it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
