INDIANAPOLIS (July 23, 2026) – With support from a $400 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Indiana Lifelong Learning Projects (ILLP) announced today that eligible schools may now apply for grants through the Opportunity to Learn Project, a four-year project to help K-12 schools address non-academic barriers that impede their students’ academic success.

Academic success helps students thrive now and in the future. Yet many students face barriers beyond the classroom that limit their ability to reach their full learning potential including inadequate transportation, limited access to out-of-school-time care and programs, hunger, and other barriers.

With today’s announcement, more than 300 Indiana public school corporations, charter schools, and charter networks outside of Marion County may apply for funding through the Opportunity to Learn Project to help them address, either independently or through strategic collaborations, the varied and complex non-academic barriers their students may face.  This project complements Lilly Endowment’s recent initiative through which Marion County public schools could receive support to address non-academic barriers to academic success.

ILLP will administer the Opportunity to Learn Project providing approximately $22 million in planning grants to eligible applicants with individual grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 based on school enrollment.  ILLP also expects to competitively award up to $373 million in grants to eligible applicants, with individual grants ranging from $600,000 to $17.6 million.

“Schools work closely with students and families and they often have the best line of sight to the specific barriers that can limit or compromise student learning,” said Latoya Botteron, president of CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership and ILLP Board Chair. “By providing eligible schools with grants to initiate, enhance, or expand programs that may reduce non-academic barriers, ILLP seeks to help Hoosier students reach their full learning potential.”

Lilly Endowment helped establish ILLP to advance its mission of enhancing learning opportunities for Hoosiers of all ages by engaging in select projects that complement education programs and support provided in Indiana by government entities and other organizations. “The Endowment is pleased to support ILLP’s mission by funding its Opportunity to Learn Project,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman and CEO. “The academic success of far too many Indiana K-12 students is impeded by various non-academic barriers.   The Opportunity to Learn Project will encourage schools to enhance or develop promising strategies to address these barriers themselves or through collaborations with community and other organizations dedicated to complementary aims.”

More details about the Opportunity to Learn Project, including applicant eligibility, grant guidelines, and timelines can be found on the ILLP website at www.indianalifelonglearningprojects.org.

About Indiana Lifelong Learning Projects

Indiana Lifelong Learning Projects (ILLP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that initiates from time to time discrete projects to enhance the learning opportunities of Hoosiers of all ages.  These occasional projects will vary in scope, size and duration and be designed to support and complement the endeavors of a range of educational organizations throughout Indiana. For more information about ILLP and the Opportunity to Learn Project, visit [email protected].

About Lilly Endowment

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. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion.