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Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Annual Giving
$26.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.5M
Decision Time
4mo

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $25,980,906 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: 3-6 months (for discretionary grants)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,500,000
  • Average Grant: $10,000
  • Geographic Focus: Indianapolis/Central Indiana (primary), with additional global health initiatives
  • Total Grants Awarded: 96 (2024)

Contact Details

Website: www.lilly.com/about/lilly-foundation

Address: Indianapolis, IN

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and does not provide direct contact for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation was established in 1968 as the corporate foundation of Eli Lilly and Company, the pharmaceutical corporation. With annual giving of approximately $26 million, the foundation focuses on improving lives through strategic investments in STEM education, global health equity, economic mobility, and community development. The foundation is particularly committed to Indianapolis and Central Indiana, where more than half of its grants are directed. The foundation operates through three primary programs: the Discretionary Grants Program (which funds most major initiatives), the Employee Matching Gifts Program, and the Employee Volunteer Recognition Program. In 2024, the foundation matched over $5.1 million in eligible Lilly employee and retiree contributions, and Lilly employees, retirees, and the foundation contributed more than $12.5 million to over 500 United Way chapters.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Discretionary Grants Program: This is the foundation's primary grant-making mechanism, funding strategic initiatives aligned with the foundation's mission. Grants range from $5,000 to multi-million dollar commitments, with an average grant of approximately $10,000. Applications received January 1 - June 30 are generally reviewed in Q3 with funding in Q4; applications received July 1 - December 31 are reviewed in Q1 of the following year with funding in Q2.

Employee Matching Gifts Program: The foundation matches employee and retiree contributions to eligible tax-exempt organizations. Minimum contribution for matching is $25, with an annual limit of $2,500 per employee per category (education, cultural, health). Contributions must be submitted online within 180 days.

Employee Volunteer Recognition Program: The foundation awards $250 grants to nonprofit organizations where Lilly employees volunteer, recognizing and supporting employee community engagement.

Priority Areas

STEM Education: The foundation supports efforts to enhance STEM education outcomes for underserved K-12 students, particularly in Central Indiana. This includes investments in middle and high school programs to increase interest in and access to STEM careers for underrepresented students.

Global Health: The foundation provides charitable support to improve healthcare for people living in resource-limited settings. This work is aligned with Lilly's 30×30 initiative, which aims to improve healthcare for 30 million people each year through 2030. Focus areas include increasing equity in healthcare, providing screening programs, and supporting migrant health.

Economic Mobility: The foundation supports efforts to improve economic mobility for underserved community members in Indianapolis, including initiatives addressing homelessness and workforce development.

Community Development: More than half of the foundation's grantmaking supports community development, early childhood education, STEM education, and racial justice in Indianapolis. This includes responsive disaster relief and targeted initiatives addressing urgent local needs.

What They Don't Fund

  • The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals from organizations with which it has not previously collaborated
  • For healthcare grants specifically: individual participant expenses (outside the USA, structured scholarship programs may be considered), salaries/operating expenses for non-accredited programs in the USA, and independent medical education programs
  • Outside their strategic focus areas and geographic priorities

Governance and Leadership

The foundation posts profiles of its executive committee and board of directors on its website. Leadership information is not extensively publicized, as the foundation operates primarily through invitation and established partnerships.

Known Contact: Crickett Carmichael, Association Communications and Community Outreach (crickett.carmichael@lilly.com)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Lilly Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals from groups with which it has not collaborated in the past. Instead, the foundation initiates and develops partnerships with grantees that have proven expertise in the foundation's areas of grantmaking interest.

For organizations already working with the foundation, grant applications follow a structured timeline based on submission date.

Decision Timeline

For qualifying grant applications from existing partners:

  • Applications received January 1 - June 30: Reviewed in Q3 of the calendar year, with funding in Q4
  • Applications received July 1 - December 31: Reviewed in Q1 of the following year, with funding in Q2 of the following year

The overall grant review process generally takes 3-6 months, and all applicants receive written notification of decisions.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly publish acceptance rates or total application numbers. In 2024, the foundation made 96 grants totaling approximately $26 million.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed due to invitation-only process.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis for new partners, success factors are primarily relevant for organizations already in partnership with the foundation:

Proven Expertise: The foundation seeks grantees with demonstrated expertise in their areas of grantmaking interest, particularly STEM education, global health, economic mobility, and community development.

Alignment with Strategic Priorities: More than half of the foundation's grantmaking supports community development, early childhood and STEM education, and racial justice in Indianapolis. Global health initiatives focus on resource-limited settings and the Lilly 30×30 goal to improve healthcare for 30 million people annually through 2030.

Local Impact in Central Indiana: More than half of all grants stay in Indiana, with particular emphasis on Indianapolis and Central Indiana. Organizations demonstrating strong local impact in the foundation's priority areas are well-positioned.

Focus on Underserved Populations: The foundation emphasizes supporting underserved K-12 students (STEM education), underserved community members (economic mobility), and people living in resource-limited settings (global health).

Evidence-Based Approaches: For healthcare-related initiatives evaluated through the Lilly Grant Office, evaluation criteria include clarity of evidence-based clinical care gaps, quality of methodology, and potential to achieve desired outcomes.

Recent Grant Examples:

  • $5,500,000 to Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation Inc. to support STEM education expansion through the "Destination STEM 2032" initiative
  • $2,000,000 to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for the Middle School STEM Opportunity Fund
  • $2,000,000 to The Indianapolis Foundation to support efforts to address homelessness through the Housing to Recovery (HTR) initiative

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited proposals accepted: The foundation initiates partnerships rather than responding to cold applications. Organizations must have an existing relationship or be invited to apply.
  • Indianapolis-focused: More than half of all grants benefit Indianapolis and Central Indiana, making local presence and impact critical for most opportunities.
  • Large strategic investments: While the average grant is $10,000, the foundation makes significant multi-million dollar investments in strategic initiatives, particularly in STEM education and community development.
  • Strong STEM education emphasis: The foundation prioritizes K-12 STEM education for underserved students in Central Indiana, with particular focus on middle and high school programs increasing access to STEM careers.
  • Global health aligned with corporate mission: International grants focus on improving healthcare in resource-limited settings, aligned with parent company Lilly's 30×30 initiative.
  • Employee engagement matters: The foundation's volunteer recognition and matching gifts programs demonstrate that employee connections to organizations can be valuable.
  • Multi-quarter timeline: Organizations in partnership with the foundation should plan for 3-6 month decision timelines and align submissions with the foundation's quarterly review schedule.

References

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