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The Elevation Grants program, which was formerly known as the anti-violence grant program, has provided 238 grants totaling about $40 million to 127 not-for-profit recipients since 2021.
The program, a partnership between the city of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Foundation, gives funds directly to Indianapolis organizations with the aim of decreasing violence. Mayor Joe Hogsett gives partial credit to the grants for a 32% decline in criminal homicides in the city over 2022 and 2023, following a record high in murders in 2021.
In announcing the sixth and final round of grants Friday morning, Hogsett emphasized that the program has been about more than crime statistics.
In a press conference at Deborah’s Place, a resource center for women at 2525 Shadeland Ave., Hogsett said the program was about empowering organizations to make the changes they need to serve their neighborhoods.
Deborah’s Place, which was chosen to receive a $100,000 grant, was one of 51 recipients in the final round who will split a total of $9 million.
“Deborah’s Place is so much more than just somewhere to turn in times of need for the women of our city,” Hogsett said. “Deborah’s Place is a beacon of hope. It is a refuge for those who are recovering from the serious trauma of domestic violence and sexual assault. It is a second chance for those who are reentering society after incarceration, and ultimately it is a safe place for the women of our community to heal.”
Also on hand Friday were representatives from the Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana, an advocacy group that targets the school-to-prison pipeline through legislative work and youth leadership opportunities. The organization received $225,000.
Executive Director Meisha Wide said the funds would pay for the youth justice leadership program, in which teens develop solutions to problems they see within their own community and pitch these ideas to lawmakers.
The Elevation Grants were funded with $45 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The current version of the program is ending because that funding must be allocated by the end of 2024, but city spokeswoman Aliya Wishner said about $3 million remains in the 2025 budget for similar grants. The City-County Council will vote on that budget Monday evening.
The city’s newly-appointed deputy mayor of public health and safety, Lena Hill, said the program has been impactful.
“[Not-for-profit leaders] love the aspect of being able to build, not only their capacity, organizationally, but to be able to actually use the money to dive deeper into their programs, to expand their staff,” she said.
Elevation Grant Round 6 recipients:
91 Place Inc.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
Brightwood Community Center Inc.
Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana Inc.
Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana
Community Action of Greater Indianapolis Inc.
Community Alliance of the Far Eastside Inc. (M.O.V.E. Barbershop Talk and Back to the Table)
Community Alliance of the Far Eastside Inc. (Lifting Up the Far Eastside)
Crown Community Development Corporation Inc.
Deborah’s Place Inc.
Dream Alive Inc.
Eclectic Soul Voices Corp.
Edna Martin Christian Center
Elevate Indianapolis Inc.
Englewood Community Development Corp.
Fathers and Families Resource-Research Center Inc.
Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek (The Power of TRU Generations
Leadership Cohort)
Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek (CRT – Engage: Collective Impact 1.0)
Flanner House of Indianapolis, Inc.
George Washington HUB Club Inc.
Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee
Groundwork Indy
Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County
Horizon House Inc.
Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation
Inner Beauty Program Inc.
Judah Ministries
Kheprw Institute
Kids’ Voice of Indiana Inc.
Laundry and More Inc.
Lutheran Child and Family Services
Martin Luther King Community Center
Martindale-Brightwood Community Development Corp.
McCoy
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic
New Breed of Youth Mentoring Program Inc
Nova X-Stream Inc.
Outreach Inc.
PACE Inc.
Partners In Housing
Pathway Resource Center Inc.
Peace Learning Center
Project Free University
Reach For Youth Inc
Step-Up, Inc.
The Comfort Home Place Incorporated
The Domestic Violence Network
Thomas Ridley’s 1 Like Me
Warren Arts and Education Foundation Inc
We Bloom Inc.
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