Lilly Endowment

What Lilly Endowment does

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation founded in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the foundation operates three primary programmatic divisions — Community Development, Education and Youth, and Religion — through which it deploys grants to religious institutions, educational organizations, youth-serving charities, community foundations, and increasingly to veterans-services and disaster-relief nonprofits across the United States. Over its 87-year history the foundation has distributed nearly $15.21 billion in grants to 11,087 charitable organizations, and at the end of 2024 held assets of nearly $80 billion, with significant direct holdings of 91,881,150 shares of Eli Lilly and Company common stock as of May 2026. Federal law requires private foundations to distribute approximately 5% of investment asset value annually, making the endowment a structurally perpetual grantmaking entity.

The foundation's grantmaking is administered through a structured process: organizations submit preliminary letters by mail, full proposals are requested for promising candidates, and grants are reviewed by program directors, division officers, and approved by the Board of Directors at meetings held in March, June, September, November, and December. Core flagship initiatives include the GIFT (Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow) initiative, the Pathways for Tomorrow theological education program, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana), the National Clergy Renewal Program (administered by Christian Theological Seminary), and the Character at Camp Initiative. Recent notable capital deployments include $250 million to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation for the READI program (2021), $138 million to Indiana University for the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (2025), and $100 million each to the National Urban League (2020) and the National Park Foundation (2024). The foundation maintains a special geographic commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana alongside national-scale religion and community development programming, and operates with a lean staff of 51-100 employees organized into specialized program divisions.

Name

Lilly Endowment

Legal name

Lilly Endowment Inc.

Website

https://lillyendowment.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Private foundation grants
• Community development funding
• Religious education grants
• Charitable endowments

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: Lilly Endowment generates revenue primarily through investment returns on its substantial endowment portfolio. The foundation was created with gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company and has grown to nearly $80 billion in assets as of end of 2024. The endowment is required by federal law to distribute approximately five percent of its investment asset value annually in charitable expenditures.
2. Eli Lilly and Company Stock Holdings: The endowment holds significant direct holdings in Eli Lilly & Co. common stock, with reported holdings of 91,881,150 shares as of May 2026. The endowment was founded through gifts of Eli Lilly and Company stock and this remains the financial bedrock of the organization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to charitable organizations in three primary focus areas: community development, education and youth, and religion. It identifies and supports experienced organizations and emerging efforts through a structured grant proposal and review process, and also pursues initiatives that benefit young people and promote philanthropy and volunteerism. The foundation administers named programs and initiatives spanning theological education, pastoral renewal, youth development, community scholarship, and disaster response.

Product overview

Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic foundation, not a product company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or developer tools. The organization focuses on grantmaking in three primary areas: community development, education and youth, and religion. The Endowment supports various initiatives and programs through charitable grants, including community foundation development (GIFT), scholarship programs, youth development programs, theological education initiatives, and disaster relief efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) An ongoing matching-challenge initiative that builds the capacity of Indiana community foundations through matching grants, growing community philanthropic assets across the state.
• Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $15.21 billion in grants to 11,087 charitable organizations over 87 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers35 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Forest Products LabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026U.S. Endowment partnered with Forest Products Lab to create a video series showcasing innovation in the forest products industry. This promotional initiative highlights advancements in the sector through collaborative content creation.
• Christian Theological SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdminister the National Clergy Renewal Program and Indiana Clergy Renewal Programs for pastoral renewal and reflection. The seminary coordinates programs helping pastors step away from daily parish obligations for renewal.
• Independent Colleges of IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, selecting students from each of Indiana's 92 counties for full-tuition scholarships to Indiana colleges and universities.
• Indy Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Program offering artists and arts administrators opportunities for creative rejuvenation through biennial fellowships.
• United Way of Central IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Human Services Professional Renewal Program for employees of UWCI member agencies, providing grants for renewal experiences.
• AYS, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Journey Fellowship Program for experienced youth workers, new youth workers, and students considering youth work careers in Indiana.
• Council on FoundationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations providing opportunity, leadership, and tools for philanthropic organizations.
• CandidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings together Foundation Center and GuideStar expertise to advance knowledge of philanthropy worldwide.
• Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's first school dedicated solely to the study and teaching of philanthropy, established in 2013 and named in honor of the Lilly family's generosity.
• Independent SectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvances common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic sector. Lilly Endowment was a founding member when formed in 1980.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $40 million grant in 2022 to bolster disaster response capacity alongside The Salvation Army.
• The Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $40 million grant in 2022 to strengthen disaster relief and recovery efforts alongside American Red Cross.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lillyendowment
• Facebookfacebook.com/Lilly-Endowment-Inc-273749845231
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lilly-endowment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles36 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments106 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lilly Endowment