Foundations & Grantmakers in Indiana
3,002 grantmakers in Indiana reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,066 that made at least 5 grants gave $5.3B. The largest by giving are Lilly Endowment Inc, Dean & Barbara White and Church World Service Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Indiana grants
Foundation giving in Indiana at a glance
Active grantmakers
3,002
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$5.3B
from the 1,066 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$69K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Indiana by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lilly Endowment Inc | Indianapolis | $3.9B | 2,285 |
| 2 | Dean & Barbara White | Merrillville | $71.8M | 22 |
| 3 | Church World Service Inc | Elkhart | $60.6M | 127 |
| 4 | Strada Collaborative Inc | Indianapolis | $49.2M | 8 |
| 5 | Community Foundation of Elkhart County Inc | Elkhart | $35.3M | 301 |
| 6 | Lesea Global Feed the Hungry Inc | South Bend | $33.8M | 66 |
| 7 | Elevance Health Foundation Inc | Indianapolis | $33.4M | 160 |
| 8 | Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc | Indianapolis | $31.1M | 525 |
| 9 | Lumina Foundation for Education Inc | Indianapolis | $30.0M | 357 |
| 10 | United Way of Central Indiana Inc | Indianapolis | $29.9M | 370 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 9 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 163 · 27%
- Human Services 69 · 12%
- Health 68 · 11%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 59 · 10%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 38 · 6%
- Religion Related 31 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (40% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Indiana
- Community Foundation of Elkhart County Inc $35.3M · 301 grants
- Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc $31.1M · 525 grants
- Community Foundation of St Joseph County Inc $26.0M · 192 grants
- Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne Inc $12.9M · 299 grants
- Community Foundation Alliance Inc $8.2M · 206 grants
- Hamilton County Community Foundation Inc $7.3M · 169 grants
- Rush County Community Foundation Inc $7.1M · 32 grants
- Kosciusko County Community Foundation Inc $5.4M · 112 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 62 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Indiana
Foundations based in Indiana whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wanda M Hart & Willis Edward Hart | 100% (34) | 34 in 2025 | $1K |
| 2 | Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation Inc | 79% (31) | 39 in 2025 | $12K |
| 3 | Reid Hospital & Health Care Services Inc | 74% (17) | 23 in 2024 | $9K |
| 4 | Staley Charitable Foundation | 74% (17) | 23 in 2024 | $1K |
| 5 | Robert & Toni Bader Charitable | 73% (30) | 41 in 2024 | $7K |
| 6 | Bill Simpson Foundation Inc | 71% (22) | 31 in 2025 | $12K |
| 7 | Kakatu Foundation Inc | 69% (20) | 29 in 2025 | $5K |
| 8 | Indiana Association of United Ways Inc | 68% (15) | 22 in 2024 | $386K |
| 9 | Indianapolis Center for Congregations Inc | 68% (218) | 322 in 2024 | $23K |
| 10 | H C Gemmer Family Christian Foundation Inc | 67% (16) | 24 in 2025 | $2K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 1,066 grantmakers in Indiana with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Lilly Endowment Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$105.9B
Grants
2,285
Total Given
$3.9B
Dean & Barbara White
Merrillville, IN
Assets
$766.3M
Grants
22
Total Given
$71.8M
Church World Service Inc
Elkhart, IN
Assets
$76.4M
Grants
127
Total Given
$60.6M
Strada Collaborative Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$49.2M
Community Foundation of Elkhart County Inc
Elkhart, IN
Assets
$501.7M
Grants
301
Total Given
$35.3M
Lesea Global Feed the Hungry Inc
South Bend, IN
Assets
$18.5M
Grants
66
Total Given
$33.8M
Elevance Health Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$139.9M
Grants
160
Total Given
$33.4M
Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$583.5M
Grants
525
Total Given
$31.1M
Lumina Foundation for Education Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
357
Total Given
$30.0M
United Way of Central Indiana Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$255.2M
Grants
370
Total Given
$29.9M
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$13.8M
Grants
95
Total Given
$29.1M
Early Learning Indiana Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$55.6M
Grants
82
Total Given
$28.3M
Strada Education Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
182
Total Given
$27.3M
Community Foundation of St Joseph County Inc
South Bend, IN
Assets
$327.4M
Grants
192
Total Given
$26.0M
Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$441.1M
Grants
328
Total Given
$22.7M
Eugene & Marilyn Glick Foundation
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$298.1M
Grants
210
Total Given
$21.3M
Edward D & Ione Auer Foundation Monarch Capital David Meyer Trustee
Fort Wayne, IN
Assets
—
Grants
44
Total Given
$20.8M
Jean and Bernas Downing
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
—
Grants
5
Total Given
$16.9M
Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$172.6M
Grants
160
Total Given
$16.5M
Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation
Carmel, IN
Assets
$86.4M
Grants
9
Total Given
$16.4M
Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$25.7M
Grants
30
Total Given
$15.8M
North Central Health Services Inc
West Lafayette, IN
Assets
$539.6M
Grants
6
Total Given
$15.5M
Ninetwelve Institute Inc
Zionsville, IN
Assets
$26.1M
Grants
139
Total Given
$15.2M
Richard M Fairbanks Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$387.3M
Grants
155
Total Given
$14.3M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Indiana
What are the largest foundations in Indiana?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Lilly Endowment Inc ($3.9B across 2,285 grants), Dean & Barbara White ($71.8M) and Church World Service Inc ($60.6M). Together the top 10 account for 79% of the $5.3B given by the 1,066 grantmakers in Indiana that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Indiana?
The typical grant is about $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $69K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Indiana?
Yes. We found 62 community foundations in Indiana with grant activity. The largest by giving are Community Foundation of Elkhart County Inc, Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc and Community Foundation of St Joseph County Inc. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Indiana foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Indiana from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.