The Indiana FFA Foundation has received a $750,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help fund expansion and improvement projects at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center near Trafalgar in Johnson County.
“We’ve had that facility for over 50 years, so it has some great need for improvements, and we would also like to expand our campus,” says Lisa Chaudion, Executive Director of the Indiana FFA Foundation.
“Indiana FFA was fortunate enough to receive the Phase 1 Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. at $150,000. Now, we’re received the Phase 2 Grant at $750,000, which we will be receiving sometime this month,” according to Chaudion.
She tells Hoosier Ag Today that a plan has already put together to upgrade the Main Lodge and update its facilities.
“We host many of our conferences out of that Main Lodge facility. That is where all those students come in when they’re pouring in for different camps and conferences,” says Chaudion. “That building has been existence for a little over 40 years on that particular piece of the property, so we know that it has definitely stood the test of time. Now, it’s time to reinvest some dollars into that and get it more ADA accessible to make sure that we can serve all of the students at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center.”
Chaudion says that she and her team are now working to secure the Phase 3 Grant that Lilly Endowment Inc. plans to award in January.
“That is a match grant, and so our board will be making a decision on how much money that we feel like we can fundraise to continue some of these initiatives. We can match up to $2.5 million up to a five year process, so we’re very quickly pushing numbers and seeing where we can end up. If a contributor would like to get a match on their dollars, this would be a great way to do by it by helping us invest in our Capital Projects at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center,” says Chaudion.
She adds that this investment in the Indiana FFA Leadership Center is also an investment in the next generation of Indiana’s ag leaders.
“We are developing those future leaders because they’re going to lead our country someday. We think that that investment is extremely important. I would encourage anyone that sees our youth and sees the good that they bring to our country, that they would want to make that investment as well. You can always go to our website—INFFA.org—and click on the donate button at the bottom.”
Including the grant awarded to the Indiana FFA Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. has recently approved 68 grants totaling more than $77 million to help organizations that run residential youth camps in 44 counties across Indiana improve cabins, dining halls, outdoor recreation spaces, chapels, and technology and utility infrastructure, among other upgrades.
CLICK HERE for more information about the Indiana FFA Leadership Center.
CLICK BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s full conversation with Lisa Chaudion, Executive Director of the Indiana FFA Foundation, as she shares more about the grant the organization has received from Lilly Endowment Inc.:
