Last November, the Lilly Endowment of Indianapolis sent us a letter announcing we had received an 18-month grant of $395,000. The grant period began on January 1, 2009 and will end on June 30, 2010; which means that on April 1, 2010, we will submit a proposal for a follow-up grant.
Which means, of course, that we pay attention to the annual report of the Lilly Endowment. Which they issued last week.
In 2008, the Endowment awarded grants totaling $316,611,359, down slightly from the previous year. What was down much more is their total endowment, from $7.7 billion at the end of 2007 to $5.7 billion at the end of 2008.
What this means for their granting process for next year I do not yet know. But I do know about last year. The Religion Division gave away more than $99 million, the Education Division more than $75 million and the Community Division more than $120 million.
Several institutions received large multi-year Religion grants: Association of Theological Schools, Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Fund for Theological Education, Louisville Institute, Indianapolis Center for Congregations, Wabash College, and clergy renewal programs, all received more than $6 million each. Pastoral Excellence Programs and Indiana Denominational Programs both received more than $10.
The Academy of Preachers is one of 23 other funded entities, seven of these received less than the Academy and 15 more than the Academy. Grants ranged from $15,000 to the Indianapolis Leadership Prayer Breakfast to more than $4.5 million to Emery University. Others included Catholic University of America, Council of Independent Colleges, Alban Institute, George Fox University, Macalester College, St. John’s Abbey, and the University of Virginia.
In the next few days I will be preparing my first unofficial report to the Lilly Endowment about the progress of the Academy of Preachers. I am hopeful that our early successes will inspire them. I am certain that our three programs (the Preaching Camp, the Program of Certification, and our Festival of Young Preachers) will satisfy their expectations.
DON’T FORGET TO WATCH THE PROFILES OF YOUNG PREACHERS REGISTERED FOR THE FESTIVAL. CLICK ON ‘BE A PREACHER’ AND GO TO ‘FESTIVAL INFORMATION.’