About Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation primarily funds employee-directed philanthropy, using large matching-gift commitments to amplify donations made by Lilly employees and retirees. A substantial portion of assets are routed through the United Way of Central Indiana and through pooled matching grants that are then distributed to many employee-designated nonprofits, showing the foundation’s focus on leveraging corporate payroll philanthropy to support local community needs. Its giving is operationally driven (matching) rather than targeted program grants to specific issue areas.
Focus Areas
Employee matching gifts / workplace giving programsSupport for United Way of Central Indiana (community impact through United Way)Broad, employee-directed support to diverse local nonprofit causes
Who They Fund
K–12 and postsecondary students (including STEM learners)girls and young women (STEM focus)BIPOC communities and racial equity beneficiariesunderserved / low-income populations in Indianapolis and Central Indianawomen in low- and middle-income countries (Kenya, Nepal) targeted for cancer screening
About Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
The most distinctive feature of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation is how heavily it channels employee philanthropy. The largest recent grants are matching gifts tied to Lilly employee donations, including six-figure and multi-million-dollar commitments that flow through pooled payroll giving. That pattern sits alongside a smaller set of direct program grants in global health, Indianapolis education, and community stability. In recent years, the foundation has backed United Way of Central Indiana with repeated multi-million-dollar matches and has also made sizable support available to Indianapolis institutions working on homelessness, STEM access, and neighborhood opportunity. The foundation’s portfolio shows a dual structure: matching-gift support at scale and targeted grants in selected program areas. Its grant list includes recurring support for organizations in Indianapolis, plus international health investments such as an AMPATH cancer-screening grant for women in Kenya and Nepal and a UNICEF-related health grant routed through a United Nations trust fund. Taken together, the foundation funds employee-directed giving, community development, education, and health initiatives, with most of its activity concentrated in Indiana.
What Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Funds
In community strengthening, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation gave $1,000,000 to Indianapolis Foundation Inc for charitable efforts to address homelessness in Indianapolis. It also supported local infrastructure for civic and neighborhood work through a $550,000 grant to Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Foundation for initiatives to enhance Indianapolis and Central Indiana. In education, the foundation has funded STEM access for Indianapolis students. One example is a $709,500 grant to Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation Inc for accelerating equitable access to STEM education and experiences. Another is $600,000 to Childrens Museum of Indianapolis Incorporated for girls and young women in STEM in Mission Jurassic. Health funding includes both global and local equity work. The foundation gave $780,177 to Indiana University for AMPATH breast and cervical cancer screening to improve women’s cancer outcomes in Kenya and Nepal, and $500,000 to Trustees of Indiana University for applying global lessons to advance health equity in Indiana (APPLE-IN).
How Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$29.1M
Total Assets
$13.8M
Total Revenue
$36.8M
Total Expenses
$29.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $214K, with a median of $85K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$85K
75th Percentile
$214K
Geographic Reach
Regional21 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Eli Lilly and Company Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 265 | $76.4M | 99.3% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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