CFMJC Receives $100,000 Grant

CFMJC is one of 84 foundations in Indiana receiving grants through this round of GIFT VII grantmaking.

(Madison, Ind.) - The Community Foundation of Madison & Jefferson County (CFMJC) has received a Community Leadership Grant of $100,000 as part of the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative. With the grant, CFMJC will partner with the Healthy Communities Initiative of Jefferson County to study Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and address some of the issues that many of Jefferson County’s youngest citizens face, allowing progress toward better health outcomes.

This focus resulted from CFMJC being awarded a $50,000 GIFT VII planning grant in 2019 to convene local stakeholders to identify, prioritize and assess opportunities and challenges in Jefferson County. In March 2020, CFMJC was invited to apply for a GIFT VII Community Leadership Grant to implement strategies and activities identified during the planning period. CFMJC is one of 84 foundations in Indiana receiving grants through this round of GIFT VII grantmaking.

“Both the KDH Foundation and Community Foundation believe that we need to focus on root causes of the poor health outcomes we’re all witnessing,” said CFMJC President & CEO Bill Barnes. “So much of the funding at local, state, and national levels address the symptoms downstream, rather than seeking the causes and investing in prevention upstream. We believe the best path is to identify evidence-based approaches that will improve the health of the residents of Jefferson County.”

The grant for Jefferson County includes a three-year timeline for implementation of the six major goals outlined in the strategic plan including

1. Collect and analyze actionable data on ACEs, health-related risk behaviors and outcomes.

2. Formalize commitments to strategic plan implementation among key stakeholders.

3. Provide ACEs/trauma training opportunities for Jefferson County professionals working with children and families.

4. Address the mental health shortage by increasing mental health staff and services available to Jefferson County residents.

5. Increase utilization of new or existing strategies to prevent ACEs and increase resilience among priority populations.

6. Develop and implement a county-wide communications plan to advance strategic plan goals one through five, and to educate the community about ACEs.

“Initiatives such as GIFT VII from Lilly Endowment are such an important part of our Community Foundation’s 29-year story,” said Barnes. “This latest grant is another wonderful chapter in that story.” Lilly Endowment created GIFT in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges. It launched GIFT VII in 2018 and made available a total of $125 million to help foundations strengthen their leadership capacities in the towns, cities, and counties they serve. Lilly Endowment expects to make additional GIFT VII grants in the coming months.

Established in 1991, the Community Foundation of Madison & Jefferson County, Inc. fulfills the mission of building a strong, vibrant community by helping donors provide perpetual funding for the people, projects, and passions of Jefferson County. Since the Foundation’s creation, nearly 250 permanent funds have been established. For information about the Community Foundation, contact Bill Barnes at (812) 265-3327, email bill@cfmjc.org, or visit www.cfmjc.org.

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. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.