United Way awards more than $1.7 million to organizations in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Morgan counties to help meet needs affected by pandemic

INDIANAPOLIS – United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) has awarded the final round of unrestricted grants totaling more than $1.7 million to human services organizations serving individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Morgan counties.

These grants, combined with the first round of $1.8 million distributed to 50 organizations, were made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. to help meet the needs of Central Indiana communities outside Marion County. 

Five workgroups comprising UWCI staff, civic leaders, volunteers and county representatives, including staff of the counties’ community foundations, analyzed the emerging needs in each area and made funding recommendations. Based on these recommendations, UWCI invited 46 organizations to apply for the competitive grants and awarded 39 organizations with funding for basic needs services (food, housing, health, and transportation), mental health support for youth, families and seniors, and childcare and child/family safety programs. 

“We are honored to be a recipient of these grants and are grateful to Lilly Endowment and United Way for their support,” said David Maurer, executive director of Churches in Mission in Morgan County. “As we seek to broaden the impact in the community, these dollars will help address issues of food scarcity, expand our educational and mentoring programs, and serve more people in need who are affected by the pandemic.” 

County Recipients and Grants 

Lilly Endowment has provided a total of three grants to UWCI and Indiana United Ways totaling $48.5 million to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. In addition to this $3.5 million grant to help people in need in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Morgan Counties, the Endowment made a $15 million grant to UWCI to help launch on March 13 the Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF). The Endowment was joined by Central Indiana Community Foundation (through the Glick Fund and The Indianapolis Foundation), Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and United Way of Central Indiana in providing the initial C-CERF resources, the majority of which have been granted to Marion County-based organizations. To help serve needs in the remaining counties in Indiana, the Endowment made on April 1 a $30 million grant to Indiana United Ways. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jessica DiSanto | United Way of Central Indiana

Jennifer Hashem | United Way of Central Indiana