$193.5 million latest commitment announced by N. Clay Robbins will support veterans service organizations, residential youth camps

Lilly Endowment Inc. has approved grants totaling more than $193.5 million to support military and veterans service organizations across the United States and to strengthen residential youth camps throughout Indiana, marking one of the foundation’s most consequential funding actions of the year and reinforcing its long-standing reputation for disciplined, large-scale philanthropy rooted in institutional strength rather than short-term visibility.

The grants were approved by the Lilly Endowment Board of Directors, the foundation’s ultimate decision-making authority, acting under the leadership of President and CEO N. Clay Robbins, who has guided the Endowment since 2003.

While individual program areas are overseen by senior vice presidents, funding decisions of this magnitude reflect board-level authorization and alignment with Robbins’ stewardship philosophy—one that emphasizes patient capital, durable institutions, and long-term social return.

Of the total amount, more than $116.5 million was awarded through 18 grants to organizations providing direct assistance to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. Individual awards range from $1 million to $15 million and are designed not only to expand programs, but to build organizational capacity in areas where demand continues to outpace available support.

Funded efforts include emergency financial assistance, services for veterans with disabilities, support for surviving spouses and partners, mental health and wellness initiatives, job training and education pathways, mentorship programs, and resources to help individuals and families transition from military to civilian life.

Among the recipients are Army Emergency Relief, Fisher House Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project, organizations with national reach and established infrastructure capable of absorbing significant capital and deploying it at scale.

The emphasis on capacity-building reflects a hallmark of Lilly Endowment’s philanthropic approach: strengthening institutions that already demonstrate effectiveness, rather than creating parallel systems or short-lived pilot programs.

Ronni Kloth, vice president for community development, noted that the funding recognizes both the resilience of military families and the complexity of the challenges they face.

The grants, she said, are intended to help organizations deepen and extend the critical support they provide to service members and veterans across multiple dimensions of life, from financial stability to long-term well-being.

In addition to its national investment in veterans’ services, the Endowment approved 68 grants totaling more than $77 million through Phase Two of its Capital Project Initiative for Residential Youth Camps, a multi-year effort focused exclusively on Indiana.

The grants will support camps operating in 44 counties and will fund improvements to cabins, dining halls, chapels, outdoor recreation spaces, and essential technology and utility infrastructure. Individual awards range from $750,000 to $1.5 million.

The initiative reflects Lilly Endowment’s enduring commitment to youth development and to Indiana as its primary place of investment. Under Robbins’ leadership, the foundation has consistently emphasized that facilities matter—not as amenities, but as enabling infrastructure for education, character formation, and community life.

Ted Maple, vice president for education, said the funded organizations proposed thoughtful and strategic capital plans and that the Endowment is pleased to support upgrades that will allow camps to serve young people more effectively for decades to come.

The Endowment has also announced that it will invite proposals for Phase Three of the initiative, which will support new construction, major facility expansions, and land acquisition—signaling an unusually comprehensive capital strategy at a time when many funders are narrowing their focus to short-term programmatic outcomes.

Taken together, the nearly $200 million commitment illustrates how Lilly Endowment operates at scale: through board-governed decisions, executed by professional staff, and guided by a leadership philosophy that prioritizes permanence, institutional excellence, and long-range public benefit.

While the grants span veterans’ services nationwide and youth development within Indiana, they share a common logic—investing deeply in organizations that anchor communities and accompany people through critical stages of life.

In an increasingly crowded philanthropic landscape, Lilly Endowment’s latest action stands as a reminder that some of the most consequential giving still happens quietly, through boardroom decisions designed not for immediate recognition, but for enduring impact.