CFSI to Continue $2-for-$1 Matching Grant

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.

Beginning January 1, 2026, Lilly Endowment will provide a $2 match for every $1 gift made to any unrestricted endowed funds, including the Community Impact Fund, through June 30, 2028.

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.

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.

Why is this important to our community?

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana has grown steadily since 1991. However, our unrestricted resources, which are used to address our region’s greatest needs, continue to have greater demand. 

GIFT IX has the potential to significantly impact our community for many years to come. Building our unrestricted endowment will allow us more flexibility and a greater capacity to address critical needs as they arise in our community.

Areas where unrestricted grants are used:

• Arts and Culture
• Community Development
• Education
• Environment
• Health and Human Services
• Recreational
• Religion
• Scholarships
• Youth Development

Unrestricted Endowment-Building