Grants will support employment, mentoring, and youth nonviolence initiatives, and other justice-focused programs.
Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund (CIREF) has awarded $519,500 in grants to eleven not-for-profit organizations working to advance racial equity in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties.
“We’re proud to support the critical work of these organizations in our inaugural round of funding,” said Darryl Lockett, co-chair of the CIREF steering committee. “As part of our commitment to equitable grantmaking, we are especially pleased with the diverse breadth of this cohort of grantees – from traditional, neighborhood-based organizations like Flanner House, to upstart, emerging and creative efforts like those of the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop.”
CIREF supports organizations seeking to improve interactions between the Black community and local police in Indianapolis; address the disproportionate number of Black youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system by providing positive alternatives for education and employment; and increase employment, health and wealth opportunities for communities of color.
GRANTS awarded from Central Indiana Racial Equity fund
Organization |
Grant Purpose |
Amount Awarded |
| Believers United in Local Development (BUILD) | workforce development programming for young adults (ages 16-24) | $40,000 |
| Community Action of Greater Indianapolis | trauma-informed community-building efforts | $30,000 |
| Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church | spiritual boot camp programming for boys and men | $75,000 |
| Fathers and Families Resource/Research Center, Inc. | employment and community-building programs | $75,000 |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis, Inc. | employment and food justice initiatives | $50,000 |
| Indiana Prison Writers Workshop | writing workshops for formerly incarcerated people | $12,000 |
| Indy Public Safety Foundation | youth mentoring programming in partnership with the Indianapolis Police Athletic & Activities League | $22,500 |
| Martin University | culturally responsive community engagement and involvement programming | $75,000 |
| MLK Center | youth nonviolence initiatives | $50,000 |
| Public Advocates for Community Re-entry (PACE) | community service programming for justice-involved youth | $40,000 |
| ProAct Indy | programming to support incarcerated parents and their children | $50,000 |
| TOTAL: | $519,500 | |
ABOUT CENTRAL INDIANA Racial equity FUND
Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund (CIREF) was created in June 2020 with an initial investment of more than $2.2 million to advance effective solutions to racial inequality in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. The fund was established by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Lumina Foundation and Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), with contributions from the Anthem Foundation, Buckingham Foundation, Dorsey Foundation, Rick Fuson and Karen Ferguson Fuson, Marianne Glick and Mike Woods, Glick Philanthropies, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, High Alpha, The Indianapolis Foundation, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, and Lilly Endowment Inc., and Pacers Foundation. CICF serves as the fund’s fiscal agent and project manager. Learn more about Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund
Leave A Comment