Community Foundation of Huntington County Receives $4.8 Million Leadership Implementation Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. 

The Community Foundation of Huntington County is honored to have received a grant of $4,806,133 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Community Leadership Implementation Grants component of the eighth phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII) initiative. This is one of 30 implementation grants being awarded through GIFT VIII, a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative designed to support the efforts of community foundations and their partners to strengthen quality of life for the people in the towns, cities, counties and regions they serve. 

Through this grant, the Community Foundation will collaborate with the City of Huntington, Huntington Main Street and key partners to enhance quality-of-place investments in downtown Huntington. These efforts will align with local input gathered through the City’s Downtown Master Plan process – a critical aspect of achieving a successful grant outcome. Additionally, the grant will leverage further funding opportunities to support downtown revitalization projects in communities throughout Huntington County. 

With funding now secured, the Community Foundation and its partners will focus on bringing the vision of the Downtown Master Plan to life. The community can look forward to visible progress, including finalized project designs, enhanced public spaces, new recreational and entertainment opportunities and strengthened support for local businesses. Throughout the process, regular updates will ensure residents stay informed and engaged as these exciting changes take shape.  

“This is a team win for Huntington County,” says Matt Ditzler, Community Foundation Executive Director. “The City’s thoughtful planning and the community’s strong engagement were essential to our success. This grant gives us a unique opportunity to reinvest in our downtowns and create vibrant places that strengthen the social fabric of our communities for generations to come.” 

In 1990, Lilly Endowment launched the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative to help establish and further develop community foundations throughout Indiana. Lilly Endowment hoped that Indiana’s community foundations could enhance the quality of life in their communities by convening conversations among people of diverse ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, occupations, races and cultural traditions about their communities’ most compelling needs and opportunities as well as the best ways to address them. 

Interested in learning more? Stay connected with the Community Foundation for the latest updates on grant progress.   

About Lilly Endowment: 

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.