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United Way of Central Indiana
United Way of Central Indiana was founded in 1918 and operates as a philanthropic endowment focused on a seven-county region including Marion, Hamilton, and...
United Way of Central Indiana
United Way of Central Indiana was founded in 1918 and operates as a philanthropic endowment focused on a seven-county region including Marion, Hamilton, and Hendricks. Fred Payne leads the organization as President and CEO, while Jeff Harrison, CEO of Citizens Energy Group, chairs the board. The institution draws deep corporate support from legacy Indianapolis names, most notably Eli Lilly and Company and Lilly Endowment Inc., alongside a landmark $25 million gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2021. Its deployment model blends traditional grantmaking with a growing direct-investment posture that encompasses early-stage seeding, co-investments, and fund-of-funds commitments. The endowment participates in venture-stage community initiatives and has formalized alternative giving channels — including a cryptocurrency donation program that accepts digital assets. Board Treasurer Brian R. Garrison, a partner at Faegre Drinker, anchors the fiduciary oversight. The geographic footprint concentrates on Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, and Putnam counties, with real estate holdings that include its Meridian Street headquarters and a land parcel in Columbus, Indiana. Alongside its endowment, the organization operates Leadership United, a board-development and community-leadership pipeline, and collaborates with the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership on regional economic development. It is an accredited member of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and part of the global United Way Worldwide network. The institution does not publicly disclose team headcount or aggregate deployment figures. Structurally, United Way of Central Indiana diverges from a conventional endowment by acting as a direct co-investor and early-stage backer of community-rooted ventures, while maintaining a corporate-partner fundraising engine that ties it to the balance sheets of legacy Indiana industrials. That dual identity — grantmaker and venture participant — is governed by a board that mixes operating CEOs with professional fiduciaries, creating an unusual blend of philanthropic mission and investment-committee discipline.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1918
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Indianapolis
Corporate office
2955 North Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208
Principals
Fred Payne
President and CEO
Jeff Harrison
Chair of the Board of Directors
Brian R. Garrison
Board Treasurer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at United Way of Central Indiana?
President and CEO Fred Payne leads the organization, with fiduciary oversight from a board chaired by Jeff Harrison of Citizens Energy Group and including Treasurer Brian R. Garrison of Faegre Drinker. The investment committee and staff manage allocations across direct grants, co-investments, and fund commitments, though individual decision-making roles are not publicly detailed by the organization.
Does United Way of Central Indiana function only as a grantmaker, or does it make direct investments?
It operates a blended model. Alongside traditional community grants, the organization engages in early-stage seeding, co-investments, and venture-stage capital directed at community startups. It also maintains an endowment fund and a cryptocurrency donation acceptance program that converts digital assets into deployable capital for its mission.
How is United Way of Central Indiana connected to Lilly Endowment and Eli Lilly and Company?
Both Lilly Endowment Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company are major corporate partners and donors. Their support includes funding for capital campaigns, sector-sustaining strategies, and board-level representation that links the organization to one of Indiana's most significant philanthropic fortunes, though the endowment's governance remains independent of the Lilly entities.
What was the significance of the MacKenzie Scott gift in 2021?
In December 2021, MacKenzie Scott donated $25 million to United Way of Central Indiana as an unrestricted gift. It was one of the largest single donations in the organization's history and meaningfully expanded its balance-sheet capacity for community investments across education, income stability, and health without programmatic restrictions.
Does United Way of Central Indiana participate in fund-of-funds commitments or external fund investments?
Yes, its stated strategies include fund-of-funds commitments, special situations, and venture allocation, in addition to direct co-investments. The endowment allocates capital to external managers as part of a diversified deployment approach that complements its direct community-investment activity.
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