Fulton County Community Foundation receives Community Support Grant

Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 2:50 PM

By Staff report

The Fulton County Community Foundation (FCCF) has received a grant of $750,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Community Support Grant component of the ninth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT IX) initiative.

This is one of 92 Community Support Grants being awarded through GIFT IX, a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative designed to support the efforts of community foundations to strengthen the quality of life in the communities they serve.

The Community Support Grant is designed to provide the community foundation with flexible funding to enhance its grantmaking capacity to address compelling, near-term needs in its county. The community foundation will have up to three years to use its grant to address community-driven priorities.

Over the coming months, FCCF will move forward with a community-driven implementation process guided by prior resident input and ongoing local engagement. Foundation staff and volunteers will refine priorities, coordinate with local partners, and deploy funding through a transparent and accountable grantmaking process. This work will include supporting critical services, strengthening organizational capacity, and encouraging collaboration to address pressing needs. Progress will be monitored through regular evaluation and reporting to ensure lasting community impact.

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.