The Mind Trust awarded a total of $6.785 million in grants from Glick Philanthropies, Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation

The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit, today announced it has received a total of $6,785,000 in grant funding from Glick Philanthropies, Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. The grants will support teacher recruitment and training, parent engagement, and work to raise Indianapolis student proficiency in math and reading. 

“The Mind Trust is incredibly grateful for the continued support of Glick Philanthropies, Lilly Endowment, and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. All three organizations are deeply committed to advancing opportunities for Indianapolis youth and families,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “This grant funding will directly support our mission to ensure that every student in Indianapolis has access to a great school. The Mind Trust’s team and partners are proud to work together to advance educational excellence in our city.”

Glick Philanthropies | $75,000 for strategic plan activation

Glick Philanthropies has awarded The Mind Trust $75,000 to support the advancement of the organization’s strategic plan priorities. The Mind Trust’s strategic plan, Advancing Educational Equity, has a headline goal of tripling student math and reading proficiency by 2027. 

“Glick Philanthropies and The Mind Trust share a commitment to closing access and achievement gaps in the K-12 education system, an essential step toward creating an environment where race and income are no longer predictors of life outcomes,” said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation. “The evidence-based strategies of The Mind Trust’s Advancing Educational Equity plan have great potential to drive learning gains for students of color and low-income students in Indianapolis.”

Lilly Endowment | $3,075,000 for teacher recruitment and training

Lilly Endowment has awarded The Mind Trust a $3,075,000 grant to continue supporting Teach For America Indianapolis and TNTP’s Indianapolis Teaching Fellows (ITF) during the next two years. The two organizations were recruited to Indianapolis by The Mind Trust to help support a growing need for high-quality teachers in Indianapolis. Since 2007, the organizations have placed more than 1,750 teachers in local schools. TFA and TNTP continue to represent two of our city’s most diverse pipelines for new teachers. For the 2022-23 school year, 65% of incoming TFA corps members and 73% of incoming ITF Fellows identified as people of color.

Lilly Endowment | $635,000 for parent engagement programs

Lilly Endowment has awarded The Mind Trust a $635,000 grant to support parent advocacy and engagement programs led locally by Stand for Children Indiana, EmpowerED Families, and RISE Indy. The funding will help bolster the collaborative efforts among all three parent-focused organizations to strengthen parent engagement and advocacy for high-quality schools. 

Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation | $3 million to support general operating expenses

The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation has awarded The Mind Trust $3 million over three years to support general operating expenses for the nonprofit organization. The funding will support the work of The Mind Trust’s diverse, growing team. The grant funding builds on a long-term funding relationship between The Mind Trust and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. 

“The Foundation’s $3 million, three-year grant to The Mind Trust builds on our years-long support of their efforts to drive innovation in Indianapolis K-12 education. The work being done by The Mind Trust to increase the supply of high-performing schools in Marion County is critical to reducing academic achievement gaps in schools and strengthening the vitality of our city,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, President and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.