Student Impact of Westfield receives $107,693 to sustain youth programs & build organizational capacity

Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) has awarded Student Impact of Westfield a grant totaling $107,693. The funding will help Student Impact strengthen programs serving young people in Westfield and surrounding communities and build the organizational capacity needed to deepen its impact over the next several years.

IYI made the grants in connection with Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI), an initiative Lilly Endowment Inc. launched in 2023. The initiative seeks to help youth-serving organizations working throughout the state improve their abilities to promote the academic, physical, and social well-being of young people, ages five through 18.

With this support, Student Impact will invest in its first staff position dedicated exclusively to community development and fundraising. The Community Development Manager will cultivate individual and corporate donors, strengthen community partnerships, expand grant funding opportunities, and grow recurring donations to help ensure the long-term sustainability of Student Impact’s programs. The work is expected to help Student Impact continue meeting the growing needs of Westfield youth and families while building the organizational capacity to sustain and expand its impact in the years ahead.

“We are grateful for this investment in Student Impact and in the youth people we serve,” Student Impact Executive Director Brittany Delph said. “This grant will help us strengthen the foundation of our organization so we can continue providing a safe, consistent place where students feel they belong, build meaningful connections, and grow in confidence. By investing in our capacity today, we are working to ensure that the support and opportunities our students depend on will be here for years to come.”

Student Impact will also work to strengthen its fundraising systems, double its monthly donor base, and cultivate 25 new corporate sponsors and donors over the grant period. These efforts will help diversify revenue, support existing programs, and position the organization for sustainable growth.

Student Impact is one of 168 youth-serving organizations awarded SYPI grants totaling more than $40 million. A full list of grant recipients is available here.

About Student Impact of Westfield
Founded in 1999, Student Impact serves students in grades 6 through 12 through after-school programming, summer camp, basketball leagues, student leadership, and other opportunities that foster friendship, connection, and personal growth. Student Impact’s mission is to empower students through meaningful connections in a safe and consistent space where they grow in confidence and are equipped to lead. Nearly all programming is free for families. Learn more at TheRockWestfield.org.

About Indiana Youth Institute
Indiana Youth Institute’s mission is to improve the lives of all Indiana children by strengthening and connecting the people, organizations, and communities that are focused on kids and youth. IYI is Indiana’s premier source for high-quality data on child well-being and data-informed action to address challenges Hoosier children face. It leads the FIVE by 50 vision as a connector and convener to ensure that every child will have a network of five caring, supportive adults in their life by the year 2050. Visit iyi.org to learn more.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and 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. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion.