Central Indiana Community Foundation

To mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity. We have goals that will take years—if not decades—to achieve. We know this work is complicated and we will make mistakes. We need this community to learn with us, hold us accountable and become our partners. We are committed to doing the work, but we cannot do it alone. Our foundation has existed for more than 100 years. In that time, we’ve created lasting and truly meaningful change in Central Indiana. Yet still, people are being left behind. The teams at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, have studied the growing body of research that tells a dismaying story about the American Dream. Studies from The Brookings Institution, nationally, and locally in partnership with Indy Chamber and The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP); Stanford researcher Raj Chetty; and several others, confirm three things: There is a growing gap between the affluent and poor in Central Indiana. The chances of making it out of poverty or doing better than your parents are slim. A person’s race has a profound impact on whether he or she has access to opportunity. If we want Central Indiana to be a healthy and thriving community with inclusive economic growth, something has to change. We cannot get comfortable. It’s time to reach for more—more opportunities and a more equitable playing field. MARION COUNTY PLAN Learn more about the vision and five leadership initiatives for Marion County. HAMILTON COUNTY PLAN Learn more about the vision and three leadership initiatives for Hamilton County.