Wayne County Foundation has received a $1.5 million grant to address community needs.
The grant, announced Tuesday, Dec. 16, comes from Lilly Endowment Inc. It provides Wayne County Foundation with flexible funding to enhance its grantmaking capacity for compelling, near-term needs.
Through its Forward Wayne County organization, WCF officials say they plan to use the grant to create positive change in communities throughout Wayne County.
According to a news release, that positive change includes investing in recreational amenities, improving downtown areas’ appearance, developing placemaking strategies and strengthening nonprofit Main Street organizations.
The foundation will have up to three years to use its grant to address community-driven priorities.
“Through recent countywide strategic planning and strong community feedback, we were able to quickly identify areas of focus to utilize our grant dollars,” said Acacia St. John, Forward Wayne County’s program director, in the release. “The next three years will continue to transform our communities around Wayne County.”
These Community Support Grants are in the ninth phase of Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow, or GIFT IX, initiative.
Ninety-two Community Support Grants are being awarded through GIFT IX, which is the endowment’s initiative designed to support the efforts of community foundations to strengthen the quality of life in the areas they serve.
Rebecca Gilliam, WCF’s executive director, said staff are “deeply grateful” for the endowment’s continued support.
“GIFT IX will allow us to build upon the incredible work underway across the county and provide transformative opportunities for our communities to thrive,” Gilliam said.
Lilly Endowment created the GIFT initiative in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges and work with other organizations and residents to help their communities thrive.
Through GIFT IX, Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $271.5 million to support Indiana’s community foundations in growing their financial resources and further strengthening their ability to address their community’s highest-priority challenges and opportunities.
Fayette County
Fayette Community Foundation received a $750,000 Community Support Grant through Lilly Endowment’s GIFT IX.
Fayette’s foundation will soon engage a consultant to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for Fayette County’s first responders.
Representatives from all local first responder organizations will come together to identify priority needs and determine where philanthropic support can make the greatest impact. Once the assessment is complete, FCF will open a targeted grant cycle for eligible organizations, guided by the findings.
Henry County
Henry County Community Foundation pursued a $750,000 matching fund grant.
Lilly Endowment has offered a 2-for-1 match for all gifts to the Choose Henry Flex Fund through GIFT IX’s Unrestricted Endowment Building.
The flex fund allows the community foundation to respond swiftly in time of need.
HCCF President Jennifer Fox said in a newsletter that the matching opportunity “will significantly boost our ability to support nonprofits and address community needs as they arise.”
Randolph County
Randolph County is receiving more than $600,000 through GIFT IX.
Community Foundation of Randolph County has begun discussing how these funds could be allocated. Ideas include enhanced funding for its regular grant cycles, enhanced funding for Forum of Funders grantmaking, a capital projects grant cycle and a new projects grant cycle.
The community foundation and Randolph County United have planned an information session from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, related to the GIFT IX grants.
Randolph County United also will share information about grant opportunities through Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Nonprofits serving Randolph County and stakeholders are invited to attend. RSVPs are requested through randolphcountyfoundation.org.
A version of this article appeared in the December 24 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.