Reflections on equity, civic responsibility, and the evolving role of the Indianapolis Foundation
By AHMED YOUNG
My oldest daughter, Zara, an eighth grader, is participating in a competition called We the People. As the name suggests, the exercise invites students to wrestle with the questions ofconstitutional democracy — the ideas that shaped the earliest debates of our nation and still influence our civic life today.
Recently, our home has turned into a place of reflection and deep discussions. Zara and I
have had multiple conversations about the philosopher John Locke, federalism, and natural
rights. We talked about how the same foundational questions hotly debated at our nation’s founding remain deeply relevant today — and, in many ways, even more essential to sustaining our constitutional federal republic. I’ve watched her consider these concepts not as abstract theories, but as ideas with real impact on the world she is inheriting.
As she took a position on what federalism looks like in our modern-day United States, I found myself doing my own wrestling. Her questions mirrored the ones I carry daily in my work with the Indianapolis Foundation and its role in creating a thriving Indianapolis. What does justice look like in our city? What does responsible government require of all of us? How do we advance equity in ways that honor the past while building a better future?
And perhaps the most central question: What is a community foundation’s role in a thriving democracy? Are we simply investors in organizations doing meaningful work? Are we a mcatalyst for change and conveners who help shape the path forward? Are we challengers of unjust systems?
These questions and so many others have liquidated my mental energy! Yet, what recharges my battery are those same questions and musings Zara is posing along with so many others in our community. I hear it from colleagues who push us to think differently, from journalists who are determined to illuminate the truth, from neighbors who speak from their lived experiences, and from young people like Zara who are forming their own understanding of the world.
In 2024, the Indianapolis Foundation introduced the Equity Imperative 2030 — our strategicplan and long-term commitment to ensuring Indianapolis becomes a thriving communitywhere everyone can succeed, no matter race, place, or identity. This plan continues thestance our organization took years ago by acknowledging the deep roots of inequity in ourcity and acting with purpose to change the systems that perpetuate them.At the core of the Equity Imperative are four priorities that guide our approach: Housing,
Economic Opportunity, Health, and the Environment. These areas reflect both our values and the realities faced by residents in every Indianapolis neighborhood. We believe that with smart investments, bold creative ideas, and the collective leadership of partners across these priorities, Indianapolis can build pathways that sustain long-term success.
Woven throughout these four priorities is a focus on youth development and the arts. Young people — their imagination, resilience, and potential — are core to our community’s future. And the arts remind us of who we are and who we can become. Without consistent investment in these two areas, we cannot hope to create the inclusive, progressive city we all desire. In the coming months and years, the Indianapolis Foundation will continue to confront inequitable systems that keep too many residents from thriving, while uplifting the voices and talents of young people and creatives in our city. But we can’t do this work alone. We need our neighbors to stand with us, challenge us, question us, and learn with us as we evolve as an organization and as this city becomes a community determined to build a bright future for all residents — no matter race, place, or identity.
As Indianapolis evolves, I’ll be reminded of these conversations with Zara. My hope is that as she grows, our discussions will deepen into exchanges that ignite her curiosity, strengthen her character, and shape her into a leader who transforms both hearts and minds.
If we are fortunate, her generation, and the ones after, will inherit a city that reflects the
values we are fighting to uphold today: dignity, fairness, opportunity, and a sharedcommitment to care for one another.
And perhaps one day, Zara will look back on these conversations not just as preparation for a school competition, but as the early seeds of a life lived in service to community — just asIndianapolis continues to strive toward its promise of becoming a place where all can thrive.
Ahmed Young is the president and CEO of the Indianapolis Foundation. For more news from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
