Grace College has received a grant of $27 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, College and Community Collaboration (CCC).
“This is the largest donation in school history,” said Dr. Drew Flamm, president of Grace College. “The $27 million grant will provide partial support for a larger collaborative project in our region that we hope will attract more than $100 million of private and public support.”
The Catalyst Corridor Project is a series of initiatives in Warsaw and Winona Lake that fall into four themes: innovation initiatives, wellbeing amenities, connection ways and enhanced placemaking. Grace worked closely with the town of Winona Lake and the city of Warsaw, along with many community partners, to develop the Catalyst Corridor Project and proposal.
“Our highly engaged community partners challenged us to think bigger throughout the planning process and proposal development,” said Kelsi Griffith, assistant vice president of strategy and operations at Grace. “They provided letters of support, made funding commitments and helped us ask important questions along the way. We could not have submitted a proposal of this size and scope without the collaboration of our amazing community.”
The project will include partnerships with various community organizations, including Warsaw Community Schools, Kosciusko YMCA, LaunchPad and local healthcare industry leaders.
Catalyst Corridor will include initiatives along Winona Avenue in Warsaw, through the campus of Grace on Kings Highway and out to the east side of Winona Lake on Pierceton Road.
“Initiatives include everything from sidewalk and trail extensions to a new Business Innovation Center and Orthopedic Innovation & Research Center,” said Doug Baumgardner, CFO and vice president of financial affairs at Grace. “Grace has had a great connection with the community for decades, and we believe this grant will help strengthen and deepen that connection.”
The grant will provide partial funding to renovate the facility that will house the new Orthopedic Innovation & Research Center, to construct the Business Innovation Center on campus, to renovate the Gordon Health & Wellness Center on campus, to construct a community fieldhouse and outdoor fitness park, to help Kosciusko County Velo Cycling develop a new bike park across from the fitness park and to support other aspects of the project.
“Community collaboration will continue to be vital as we implement this grant effectively going forward,” said Griffith. “The opportunity to make this place we call home even better is really exciting.”
Grace College is one of 13 Indiana higher education institutions receiving implementation grants through the latest and final round of the CCC, a competitive Lilly Endowment initiative. Lilly Endowment launched the initiative in early 2023. The initiative is designed to encourage Indiana’s colleges and universities to work closely with community stakeholders to envision and jointly undertake significant community development efforts to create more vibrant places in which to live, learn, work and play.
“While varied in scope and reach, the proposed initiatives and projects reflect a commitment by all stakeholders, inclusive of faculty, staff and students from these institutions, business leaders, government officials, and community leaders, to creating vibrant communities for all residents to enjoy and in which to thrive,” said Jennett M. Hill, president of Lilly Endowment. “The Endowment looks forward to seeing all the projects in the CCC initiative evolve. We are enthusiastic about the prospects for both the institutions and communities and are eager to see these institutions and their community stakeholders collaborate to breathe life into their promising projects.”
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
To learn more about Lilly Endowment, visit lillyendowment.org/.
