The Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment has announced more than $85 million in grants through its Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI) initiative.

The SYPI initiative, which was launched in January, announced  grants ranging from $16,870 to $1 million to 187 youth-serving organizations working to improve their abilities to promote the academic, physical, and social well-being of young people ages 5 through 18. Many of the recipients work with young people who are a special focus of the initiative: those who are in low-income households, are members of communities of color, are from immigrant families, lack adult supervision, or have been exposed to trauma or other adverse childhood experiences. Recipients include East Central Indiana CASA Intersect, Youth Encouragement Services, and Kids Discovery Factory.

“Indiana’s youth-serving organizations are crucial to the healthy development of children and youth across the state,” said Lilly Endowment vice president for education Ted Maple. “The challenges these organizations have faced in meeting the needs of young people in recent years have made their work increasingly difficult. The endowment is pleased to support their efforts to strengthen programs and serve more youth more effectively.”

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