Girl Scouts Receives $15M Grant from Lilly Endowment
Girl Scouts of the USA has received a $15 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support diverse membership growth within six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana girls. The funding will further the vision that every girl in Indiana will have the opportunity to live her best life physically, academically, emotionally, and socially through engagement in Girl Scouts.
The six Girl Scout councils, including Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana Michiana, Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana, and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, will work together in a newly formed coalition over a three-year period. The coalition will serve as an incubator to find creative solutions to reach and better support Hoosier girls and families in all 92 counties, with a particular focus on girls and families who have historically not engaged with Girl Scouts.
“We are so grateful to Lilly Endowment for this incredible grant in support of Girl Scouts,” said Girl Scouts of the USA’s CEO, Sofia Chang. “As we continue to evolve our organization to reach more girls, we are excited for the opportunities that this grant will provide to youth in Indiana. Its impact will be felt nationally and even globally through what these girls will accomplish as tomorrow’s leaders.”
The grant is one of nine grants totaling $91.5 million that Lilly Endowment has made to national youth-serving organizations to help them enhance and expand the impact of their Indiana affiliates and chapters. The grants reflect Lilly Endowment’s longstanding commitment to the healthy development of youth in Indiana and to the youth workers and organizations that serve them.
“At Lilly Endowment we believe that this support will help Girl Scouts and the other organizations funded serve more effectively in Indiana and reach even more youth,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “We also are pleased by the interest many of these organizations have in replicating strategies that succeed in Indiana with their affiliates and chapters around the country.”
The Indiana Girl Scout coalition will begin its work by learning about the unique needs of girls and families by holding community listening sessions and partnering with community leaders and influencers to highlight local girls’ needs and solutions for supporting every Hoosier girl’s ability to live her best life through Girl Scouts. The coalition will assess those learnings and work to remove identified barriers that prevent girls from thriving.
“The reality that our proven impact is not reaching girls who need Girl Scouts is fueling our passionate approach to this funding opportunity,” said Danielle Shockey, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. “We know that when girls feel the support and safety that mentors, resources, and investments in their futures provide, they thrive and empower others to thrive as well. It is time to harness the collective knowledge and resources of all six councils and innovate for the benefit of Hoosier girls.”
By the end of the grant term, the Girl Scout councils expect to better serve the needs of girls ultimately increasing the number of Girl Scouts in Indiana by nearly 50 percent. These thousands of girls will benefit from proven outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which research shows can contribute to their academic, physical, emotional, and social development.
About Girl Scouts:
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges. Supported by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.
To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscoutsindiana.org.
About Lilly Endowment Inc:
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic 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. Although the Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.