Preparing Southern Indiana for GIFT IX

For more than three decades, Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative has shaped how Indiana communities understand and respond to local needs. With the arrival of the next GIFT initiative, called GIFT IX, up to $271.5 million will be made available statewide to strengthen community foundations and enhance quality of life across the state.

For Southern Indiana, this new phase aligns directly with what our region has been working toward. Over the past several years, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana has convened community leaders, nonprofit partners, educators, business professionals, and local residents to better understand the most pressing challenges facing Clark and Floyd counties. Through needs assessments, collaborative planning sessions, housing and workforce studies, and ongoing stakeholder conversations, our region has built a clear picture of where strategic investment can make the greatest impact.

GIFT IX supports this work through two primary opportunities: Community Support Grants for near-term local needs, and Matching Grants designed to strengthen long-term philanthropic capacity. For CFSI and our partners, the Matching Grant represents a meaningful way the broader community can help sustain regional progress. By growing unrestricted resources that support future projects, our region ensures it has the flexibility to address evolving needs as they arise.

As Southern Indiana prepares for this next chapter, our focus remains guided by years of research, community input, and shared vision. GIFT IX is not the beginning of this work – it is an extension of the collaborative momentum our region has already built. With continued community support for the matching opportunity, we can strengthen the foundation for long-term progress and ensure that Southern Indiana continues to thrive for generations to come.