Youth Development Nonprofit Receives $11.6M Grant

The Center for Leadership Development (CLD) announced Tuesday it has received an $11.6 million grant from Lilly Endowment.

CLD promotes personal and educational development for minority youth in 4th through 12th grade.

President Dennis Bland say the grant will allow the organization to reach many more minority youths in the city.

“We cannot overstate the impact of Lilly Endowment’s generosity,” Bland says in a press release.

Expanding CLD’s reach will move the organization from transforming individual lives to transforming entire communities, breaking cycles of poverty and serving as a model for other cities facing challenges in education, public safety and building a diverse workforce.”

The nonprofit serves more than 4,000 students a year. It plans to use the funds to expand outreach efforts across Marion County and establish mentoring services for program alumni in college.

“We will actually expand this site,” Bland says. “So that hundreds, and ultimately thousands, more young people will have the opportunity to be exposed to deep, immersive, continuous, empowering experiences that are at the hallmark of the Center of Leadership Development.”

Mayor Joe Hogsett says the grant is transformational.

“By focusing on African American youth in our community, the Center for Leadership Development helps to reduce racial disparity,” Hogsett says. “And with today’s generous gift, the Lilly Endowment is acknowledging the critical work being done at the Center for Leadership Development.”

The organization will receive $8.6 million of the grant right now. The remainder of the grant has matching conditions to encourage additional contributions to support CLD programs.