Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded the In Trust Center for Theological Schools a $7.5 million continued support grant to provide funding for the operations of the center for a three-year period. The money will provide support for the In Trust Center’s operations through 2027.

“We’re grateful for Lilly Endowment’s generous support and strong commitment to the In Trust Center mission,” said Amy Kardash, president of the In Trust Center. “Lilly Endowment has long been a champion of theological education in North America, and we’re proud to partner with them in our work.”

The In Trust Center for Theological Schools is a nonprofit organization that serves theological schools across North America, connecting leaders to essential resources for their mission vitality. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, the In Trust Center provides resources, learning opportunities, and grants to provide member schools and their leaders the opportunities to connect, learn, and grow. Membership includes more than 240 schools and organizations from a wide range of Christian traditions, including Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox.

The start of what would become the center came in 1988 with an occasional magazine focused on theological schools. In the past 10 years, the organization has become a multi-faceted center that provides wise practices and resources to theological schools. It offers a quarterly magazine, In Trust, which this past year won a best-in-class award from the Associated Church Press. It also provides Resource Consulting, a service for members that provides tailored help and resources as theological schools confront issues affecting their mission.

“Lilly Endowment’s support has meant that we’re able to help hundreds of schools each year through our programs and communications,” Kardash said. “Its continued support will enable us to continue to serve the field and expand the ways we connect with our members.”

Lilly Endowment is the largest of the In Trust Center’s funders, which include other foundations and institutional and individual donors.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. 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. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of American Christians, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

Learn more about the In Trust Center here.

Learn more about Lilly Endowment Inc. here.