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Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation in Indianapolis that funds community development, education and youth, and religion. For a research office the practical point is narrow: its unsolicited route is a short letter from a charitable organization, and most research-adjacent funding is invitational. This guide summarizes the Endowment’s grantmaking guidelines from a research administrator’s point of view, as described on the official page on 2026-10-29.
What it is and who runs it
Lilly Endowment Inc. says on its history page that it “was formally established in 1937 with gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company” by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli Lilly and J.K. Lilly Jr., and describes itself as the philanthropic foundation that bears their name. Decisions are made inside the Endowment: a program director, the relevant division, the officers and finally the Board of Directors review proposals.
It is a private foundation, so it is not a federal agency and the federal cost principles and notice-of-funding workflow familiar from agency awards do not apply by default. For the general category, see foundation grant and research funder.
Eligibility (summary, with the official source)
The guidelines page lists three program areas:
- Community Development: enhancing the quality of life in Indianapolis and Indiana.
- Education and Youth: enhancing and increasing the educational attainment and meaningful economic opportunities of residents in Indiana.
- Religion: deepening and enriching the religious lives of Christians in the United States.
The preliminary-letter route is addressed to charitable organizations whose request fits these guidelines. Source: Lilly Endowment, Grantmaking Guidelines, lillyendowment.org/for-grantseekers/guidelines/ (as described on the official page on 2026-10-29).
What it funds or requires
What the Endowment says it does not fund
- Loans or cash grants to private individuals.
- Payment of existing debts.
- Healthcare projects.
- Mass media projects, which the Endowment does not typically fund; consideration is limited to invited projects within its program areas.
- Endowments or endowed chairs, except in special initiatives or in unusual cases involving longstanding grantees.
- Public libraries outside Marion County.
Outside Indianapolis, the guidelines say requests for building campaigns, elementary and secondary education, arts and culture, human services, general operations and neighborhood development are usually declined unless they are part of a special initiative.
Where research and universities fit
The page describes interests in higher education at Indiana colleges and universities and in nationwide programs for low-income students. Grants to higher-education institutions outside Indiana are limited to programs the Endowment itself invites, and its national support relating to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector is provided on an invitational basis. Its “selective research projects and educational programs” are listed among invitational causes and are focused on promoting the effectiveness of charitable organizations and increasing charitable giving. In practice a research office should treat this as a funder of institutional programs in Indiana rather than an open source of investigator-initiated research grants.
Application or compliance steps
- Confirm the request fits one of the three program areas and is not on the not-funded list above.
- Prepare a preliminary letter of no more than two pages covering the organization, the project, the issue or need, and the amount of support requested.
- Send it by regular or overnight mail only. The Endowment states that it does not accept unsolicited requests through its website’s Contact Us form.
- Wait for the written reply. The Endowment responds in writing to all preliminary inquiries and, where a request warrants further consideration, may ask for a full proposal.
Typical timeline phases
The Endowment states that the review process generally takes three to six months and that every grantseeker receives written notification of the decision. Plan around these phases rather than fixed dates:
- Preliminary letter and written response.
- Full proposal, if invited.
- Internal review: program director, division, officers.
- Board of Directors consideration, which the guidelines say happens at several meetings across the year (spring, summer and the autumn and winter months).
- Written notification of the decision.
The Endowment notes it can fund only a small percentage of the proposals it receives each year.
Common mistakes
- Sending the request by email or the website form. The guidelines say preliminary letters go by regular or overnight mail only.
- Submitting a healthcare project. Healthcare projects are on the not-funded list.
- Treating it as a national research funder. Higher-education grants outside Indiana are restricted to programs the Endowment offers on an invitational basis.
- Asking for an endowed chair. Endowments and endowed chairs are excluded except for special initiatives or unusual cases.
- Applying as an individual. Loans and cash grants to private individuals are not funded.
- Writing more than two pages. The preliminary letter has a two-page limit.
Related programs
The table separates the routes the guidelines describe. Every row comes from the official guidelines page.
| Route | What the guidelines say |
|---|---|
| Unsolicited preliminary letter | Charitable organizations with a request within the guidelines send a letter of up to two pages by mail; the Endowment replies in writing and may request a full proposal. |
| Mass media projects | Not typically funded; consideration limited to invited projects within the program areas. |
| Higher-education grants outside Indiana | Limited to programs the Endowment invites. |
| Philanthropy and nonprofit sector support | Provided on an invitational basis; selective research projects on charitable effectiveness and giving are listed among invitational causes. |
| Requests outside Indianapolis in listed areas (building campaigns, arts and culture, human services, general operations and others) | Usually declined unless part of a special initiative. |
For other private funders compared on how a research office approaches them, see private foundation research funding, private foundation funders for institutional research, and the individual guides to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Spencer Foundation and the Gates Foundation.
FAQ
What is Lilly Endowment?
A private philanthropic foundation formally established in 1937 with gifts of Eli Lilly and Company stock, according to its own history page. It funds community development, education and youth, and religion.
How do I apply to Lilly Endowment?
Send a preliminary letter of no more than two pages by regular or overnight mail. The Endowment does not accept unsolicited requests through its website’s Contact Us form.
Does Lilly Endowment fund research?
Only in limited ways. Its guidelines list selective research projects, focused on the effectiveness of charitable organizations and charitable giving, among causes supported on an invitational basis, and grants to higher-education institutions outside Indiana are limited to programs the Endowment invites.
How long does a decision take?
The Endowment says the review process generally takes three to six months, and all grantseekers receive written notification.
Can an individual get a grant?
No. The guidelines exclude loans or cash grants to private individuals.
Sources
- Lilly Endowment Inc., Grantmaking Guidelines: lillyendowment.org/for-grantseekers/guidelines/, as described on the official page on 2026-10-29.
- Lilly Endowment Inc., History and Founders: lillyendowment.org/about/history-and-founders/, as described on the official page on 2026-10-29.
Programs and guidelines change; the statements above reflect the official pages as described on 2026-10-29.
