CICF and The Indianapolis Foundation Partner with Community to Award More Than $1 Million in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

President, Brian Payne, says “This is the work of equity.”

Today, The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), announced $1,173,799 in grants to Marion County not-for-profit organizations. Grants approved by The Indianapolis Foundation board of directors on Tuesday, May 12, are part of a four-pronged approach to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic that has shaped community need in 2020 and were funded through the Endowment for Indianapolis and the newly created Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County (NRF).

A Four-Pronged Approach and Equity in Action

In March, CICF and its affiliates, including The Indianapolis Foundation, adopted a four-pronged approach to the health and economic crisis ignited by COVID-19: Supporting funder collaboratives, including serving as a founding partner of the Central Indiana COVID-19 Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF); adapting regular responsive grant rounds; counseling donor-advised fundholders on how to best support the community during the pandemic; and creating COVID-19 response funds, including the Neighbor Relief Fund (NRF) of Marion County, an innovative resident-informed grantmaking model.

“The uncertainty and vulnerability we are all feeling right now is nothing new to thousands of our neighbors,” says Brian Payne, president and CEO of CICF and president of The Indianapolis Foundation. “Black and Brown residents, the immigrant and refugee communities, seniors, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and others are chronically ignored every day and are the first to fall through the cracks in a crisis. We knew it was critical to prioritize these communities in our response to COVID-19. This is the work of equity.”

Last April, CICF and its affiliates outlined a commitment to a new equity-centered mission. Payne says, “our response to community crisis had to show ‘equity in action.’ We’ve committed ourselves to better serve our communities equitably and with respect—starting first with listening. The relationships we’ve built with our Community Ambassadors have been invaluable, and this crisis has solidified that we will not return to ‘business as usual’ after COVID-19.”

“We knew it was critical to prioritize these communities in our response to COVID-19. This is the work of equity.”

The NRF uses a resident-informed grantmaking model that supports underappreciated communities and vulnerable populations in gaining access to the resources they say that they need. Grantmaking staff worked collaboratively with CICF Community Ambassadors and leveraged community relationships in a shared-power model that prioritized listening to residents and treating them with dignity. More than 83% of the $665,299 awarded NRF grant dollars have gone to direct resident support, including financial assistance for groceries, utilities and rent. Highlights include:

  • Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance (IUYA) ($35,000) – Funding provides support for more than 800 undocumented neighbors, ineligible for most governmental supports, to access basic needs and direct economic relief during the pandemic.
  • Mackida Loveal & Trip Mentoring Outreach Center Inc. (MLT) ($31,500) – Funding provides critical services to residents in neighborhoods that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19, including staffing a crisis hotline, case management, virtual tutoring & e-learning, transportation and delivery services, employment resources, and basic needs.

    ***View full list of grant recipients below***

The NRF was seeded with $250,000 from The Indianapolis Foundation and has since received nearly $1 million in contributions from individuals and corporate partners, including a major gift from Bank of America. “CICF has always been quick to adapt to the evolving needs of our Indianapolis neighborhoods,” says Andy Crask, Indianapolis market president at Bank of America. “So their thoughtful attention to developing resources necessary to meet the unique challenges presented by this pandemic came as no surprise to us. It’s heartening to see so many organizations like ours working together with them to ensure our residents have the means to remain healthy, in every way, and emerge with a whole new appreciation for the spirit of community we’ve seen here in Indianapolis.”

The Indianapolis Foundation and Adaptive Grantmaking

The Indianapolis Foundation knows that effective grantmaking must be nimble to serve a changing community. With board approval, The Indianapolis Foundation focused recent awards from the Endowment for Indianapolis on organizations responding to immediate needs related to COVID-19, granting $508,500 to not-for-profits.

  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) ($50,000) – Funding supports LISC’s COVID-19 small business grants initiative that will provide a lifeline to minority, immigrant, and women-owned small businesses impacted by the pandemic.
  • Indy Black Chamber ($50,000) – Funding supports the operations and capacity of the Indy Black Chamber and their ongoing stewardship and guidance of Black businesses in Indianapolis.

    ***View full list of grant recipients below***
Strength in Partnership

Donor-advised funds at CICF, The Indianapolis Foundation, and Hamilton County Community Foundation, collectively granted over $6.8 million during March and April, more than double what was awarded during the same time last year. CICF and its affiliates manage over 400 different donor-advised funds, providing philanthropic and legal expertise to help individuals and families invest in the causes that matter most to them.

Hamilton County Community Foundation, an affiliate of CICF, has also created a COVID-19 response fund, and raised nearly $300,000 to support Hamilton County communities, and through that fund, recently granted $212,395 to Hamilton County organizations. The Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and The Central Indiana Senior Fund, both funds of CICF, have both adapted their grantmaking in response to COVID-19 and have collectively invested over $500,000 to communities in Central Indiana.

CICF, through the generosity of The Indianapolis Foundation and the Glick Fund, is a founding partner of the Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF), a community fund established to support human services organizations and the individuals and families they serve who are affected directly and indirectly by the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. Other founding partners include Lilly Endowment Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and United Way of Central Indiana. CICF continues to serve as an active participant in grant decisions for C-CERF.

Learn more about the Neighbor Relief Fund, including supporting or applying for funding

GRANTS AWARDED FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS FOUNDATION AND THE NEIGHBOR RELIEF FUND OF MARION COUNTY
ORGANIZATION
PROJECT
FUNDED BY
AMOUNT AWARDED
ACLU of Indiana Foundation Yes! You Can Vote! The Endowment for Indianapolis $30,000
Another Vegan Journey, LLC deliveries to African American families and seniors in need The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $10,000
Asante Children’s Theatre Asante Entrepreneurial Incubation (AEI) The Endowment for Indianapolis $40,000
Brothers United BU Wellness Network The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $20,000
Camptown food support for seniors The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $4,200
Center of Wellness for Urban Women Connection 4 Wellness program The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $5,500
Center of Wellness for Urban Women, Inc. capacity building The Endowment for Indianapolis $25,000
CICF Community Ambassadors additional support during COVID-19 Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $26,000
Constructing Our Future COVID-19 emergency support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Damien Center COVID-19 HIV housing response initiative The Endowment for Indianapolis $25,000
Domestic Violence Network outreach & COVID-19 Intervention The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $25,000
Englewood CDC tenant supports The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $16,500
Englewood Christian Church housing for first responders and direct assistance to neighbors The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $32,750
Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center operating support The Endowment for Indianapolis $40,000
Felege Hiywot Center youth farm program The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $25,000
Fervent Prayer Clean4Green support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $15,600
Fight for Life Foundation, Inc. Build Dreams program support The Endowment for Indianapolis $30,000
Freetown Village, Inc. Freetown Village The Endowment for Indianapolis $35,000
Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) Indianapolis e-Learning Fund Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $40,000
Haitian Association of Indiana Haitian community services The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $15,500
He Cares Inc. Youth Helping Seniors program The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $8,000
Iibada Dancers, Inc. Dare to Dance The Endowment for Indianapolis $15,000
Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance (IUYA) undocumented resident support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Indiana Women in Need Foundation Pink Portions program The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $15,120
Indy Black Chamber support in building inclusive economic growth Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $50,000
Indy10 – Black Lives Matter operating support during COVID-19 The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Irvington Presbyterian Church support of meal delivery to seniors and people with disabilities The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $5,000
Keeping Families Connected operating support during COVID-19 The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $12,000
Kids’ Voice of Indiana, Inc. community mobile law program The Endowment for Indianapolis $20,000
Lawrence Community Garden youth workers in gardens to increase food supply The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $10,000
LISC emergency minority small business grant program The Endowment for Indianapolis $25,000
LISC emergency minority small business grant program Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $25,000
LYN House resident support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $5,000
Martin Center, Inc. COVID-19 client relief fund The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $23,079
Mackida LoVeal & Trip Mentoring Outreach Center
Support of Crisis Response Team that is providing a crisis hotline, direct service support with case managers, virtual tutoring, transportation and delivery services, employment resources and emotional support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $31,500
NAMI Indianapolis, INC. The “TALCS” Media The Endowment for Indianapolis $20,000
No Questions Asked Food Pantry purchasing food for pantry distribution The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Patachou Foundation, Inc. COVID-19 emergency food operations The Endowment for Indianapolis $25,000
Project 2322 dba Brandywine Creek Farms Healthy Harvest Market support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Southside Youth Council REACH pilot initiative in partnership with Metropolitan School District of Warren Township Schools Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $25,000
St. Florian Center food & household support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $15,000
Stop The Violence operating support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Summit Performance presenting sponsor of Detroit ’67 Investment Plan and Opportunity Fund $12,500
The Ross Foundation tenant rights union organizing The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $25,000
United Northeast Community Development Corporation COVID-19 related needs on the northeast side of Indianapolis The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $18,250
VOICES basic needs assistance The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
We Bloom Recovery Café virtual café connections The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $17,500
Westminster Neighborhood Services basic needs support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $35,000
Westside CDC tenant support The Neighbor Relief Fund for Marion County $29,800
  TOTAL   $1,173,799

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