Celebrating 110 years of civic leadership and community philanthropy, the Indianapolis Foundation (IF) marked the milestone by distributing a $1 million investment to five local nonprofits dedicated to youth development and mentorship.
Before a gathering of more than 500 community members, leaders and supporters, IF announced the grants during the foundation’s anniversary event. Five prominent Central Indiana organizations — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Dream Alive, Evolve International, Indy Arts Council and Junior Achievement — each received $200,000 grants designed to strengthen their ongoing mentorship, experiential learning, and creative expression initiatives for local youth.
“Every young person in Indianapolis deserves someone who believes in them and opportunities to discover what they’re capable of,” President and CEO of the Indianapolis Foundation Ahmed Young said in a press release. “These five organizations help make that possible through mentorship, experiential learning, and creative expression. As we celebrate 110 years of serving our community, investing in young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can shape what’s happening now and what comes next for our city.”
In addition to the major institutional grants, the celebration featured an interactive community philanthropy exercise dubbed the “110 for 110” Challenge, inspired by the foundation’s anniversary milestone. Organizers selected 110 event attendees at random and provided each with $110 to donate to a local nonprofit of their choice. Participants were encouraged to rally friends, family, and colleagues to match the funds, turning individual contributions into collaborative community support. Donations from the challenge will be tracked in the coming weeks to tally the total funds raised and highlight the grassroots organizations selected by participants.
“You don’t have to make a million-dollar gift to make a difference,” Young said in a press release. “We want people to see themselves as philanthropists and recognize the power they have to support causes they care about. When we invite friends, neighbors, and colleagues to give alongside us, one act of generosity can grow into something much bigger.”
For more than a century, the Indianapolis Foundation has worked alongside local donors, nonprofits, and civic leaders to identify community challenges and mobilize philanthropic resources across Marion County and surrounding areas. Through strategic grantmaking and civic engagement, the organization continues to foster long-term equity, support local organizations, and improve the quality of life for all residents.
Find additional details regarding the foundation’s history, grant recipients and community initiatives at indianapolisfoundation.org.
Contact Staff Writer Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multimedia and senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Before joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate at the MLK Center in Indianapolis and as a senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also a business owner.
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