The 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Spencer County through the Spencer County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation Alliance. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and one scholarship in Spencer County. LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year. The special allocation may cover the costs for required books and required equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis, leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. The program, administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Spencer County through the Spencer County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation Alliance, is open to all Indiana residents who: graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2026 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2026; intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana; and meet the criteria specific to Spencer County Community Foundation. Visit spencercountycf.org/lilly-endowment-community-scholarship-program for complete information regarding the Spencer County application criteria. Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Spencer County and apply for this scholarship by visiting the Spencer County Community Foundation website. Applications must be completed and submitted by August 25, 2025, to be considered. Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: academic performance, activities and leadership roles, family and personal statement, essays, and interview. Three finalists will be nominated by the Spencer County Community Foundation, and their names will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients. Scholarship recipients will be notified in December. Lilly Endowment created LECSP for the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $505 million. More than 5,400 Indiana students have received Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception. The primary purposes of LECSP are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state. Spencer County Community Foundation is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 29th year in Spencer County. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to administer the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program in Spencer County. This opportunity is truly life-changing for students,” said Emily Alvey, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact.

The Women’s Fund of Spencer County, held by the Spencer County Community Foundation, is now accepting applications for its 2025 Grants Program. Nonprofit organizations serving Spencer County are invited to apply now through Monday, July 14, 2025. The Women's Fund of Spencer County holds an annual grant cycle to award funding to charitable partners addressing a wide range of local needs. Funding is available to support programs and projects that make a meaningful impact in Spencer County communities.  Organizations can find detailed grant guidelines and submit their application online at spencercountycf.org/womens-fund-grants-program . For questions or assistance, please contact Emily Alvey, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact, at 812.649.5724 or ealvey@communityfoundationalliance.org.