Hanover College Awarded $30M by Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Hanover College has received a grant of $30 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, College and Community Collaboration (CCC). The grant will support “Jefferson Together,” a holistic community development strategy that begins to address the economic, social, cultural, and connectivity needs of residents in Jefferson County by leveraging community partnerships and funds to pursue a vision of a thriving, connected region.

“Jefferson Together” lays the foundation for long-term economic resilience by enhancing the region’s attractiveness to potential residents, businesses, students and investment. The initiative creates meaningful community spaces, connects them with accessible pedestrian infrastructure, provides much-needed recreation spaces, childcare, and after-school programming, and lays the foundation for future growth and development. It integrates the priorities of Hanover College and its partners by addressing immediate community needs in mutually beneficial ways. Stronger ties between these communities will fuel economic growth and improve the quality of life of residents.

“To enact this bold vision for the future, we will collaborate with key partners, including the Town of Hanover, the City of Madison, and many other organizations. We will be assisted in this effort through an advisory board of community partners, the Jefferson Together Advisory Board,” said Lake Lambert, president of Hanover College. “We know all too well that a more robust Jefferson County only strengthens Hanover College, and makes recruiting and retaining top students, faculty and staff that much more effective. Hanover College is honored and thrilled to be entrusted to steward this amazing grant.”

What does 'Jefferson Together' do?

“Jefferson Together” comprises 10 approved projects that support three broader pillars: Connecting Places, Creating Spaces and Cultivating Growth.

• Connecting Places includes projects to support completion of the Hanover-Madison Connector Trail, streetscape and sidewalk improvements in Hanover, and an event trolley to run between Hanover and Madison.

• The Creating Spaces pillar will support revitalizing the Hanover historic corridor, enhancements to the Community Garden, park and recreation improvements, and a Community Performing Arts Center on the main floor of Parker Auditorium.

• Finally, Cultivating Growth includes projects to increase utility and housing capacity, construction of an EV charging center, the expansion of the Hanover College Child Development Center, and additional funding to support the College’s Good Neighbor internship program.

Hanover College is one of 13 Indiana higher education institutions receiving grants through the latest round of implementation grants through CCC, a competitive Lilly Endowment initiative launched in 2023. The initiative is designed to encourage Indiana’s colleges and universities to work closely with community stakeholders to envision and jointly undertake significant community development efforts to create more vibrant places in which to live, learn, work and play.

“While varied in scope and reach, the proposed initiatives and projects reflect a commitment by all stakeholders, inclusive of faculty, staff and students from these institutions, business leaders, government officials, and community leaders, to creating vibrant communities for all residents to enjoy and in which to thrive,” said Jennett M. Hill, president of Lilly Endowment. “The Endowment looks forward to seeing all the projects in the CCC initiative evolve. We are enthusiastic about the prospects for both the institutions and communities and are eager to see these institutions and their community stakeholders collaborate to breathe life into their promising projects.”