$30 Million Grant From Lilly Endowment to American Indian College Fund Supports New Classroom Construction at U.S. Tribal Colleges

American Indian College Fund
Tuesday, 28 September 1999

Creating "legacy for learning," College Fund begins $120 million campaign for critically-needed educational facilities at 30 tribal colleges & universities

Lilly Endowment gift is single largest donation ever made to a U.S. Indian organization

WASHINGTON, D.C (Sept. 28, 1999)--Lilly Endowment Inc., has made a grant of $30 million to the American Indian College Fund to support construction of educational facilities at 30 U.S. tribal colleges and universities. The award is the largest gift ever received by the 10-year-old College Fund.

The grant is also the single, largest private gift ever made to an Indian organization in the United States, according to Richard Williams, executive director of the College Fund. The grant will be formally announced at a benefit dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., at 7pm, September 28.

A press conference will be held on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. at the National Press Club, 14th and "F" Streets, N.W., Washington. Tribal college presidents will be in attendance.

The $30 million award will support construction of safe, up-to-date classrooms, laboratories and libraries at tribal colleges. The grant will help the College Fund launch the "Campaign of Hope"—a five-year capital campaign to raise at least $120 million to address the overwhelming physical needs on tribal college campuses. Typically, the colleges are housed in makeshift facilities such as trailers and converted buildings.

"A gift of this magnitude gives all American Indian people hope," said Williams. "Tribal colleges are reversing a century of failure by giving Indian students a holistic academic and cultural education. With this vote of confidence in Tribal America, Lilly Endowment will create a legacy for learning at tribal colleges."

The following examples illustrate the dire needs at these facilities:

- Dine College, Arizona–Crumbling buildings show cracks, tiles fall from ceilings, elevators often fail, library is more than half-empty.

- Little Big Horn College, Montana–Main classroom building converted from abandoned gym.

- United Tribes Technical College, N.D. –Housed in an old Army fort built in 1903.

- Dull Knife Memorial College, Montana–Primary heating provided by an old, unstable coal-burning furnace.

In spite of these conditions, tribal colleges have received growing, national acclaim for successfully providing education that combines accredited academics with Native culture. Serving 26,000 Indian students in 12 states, the colleges have enjoyed educational success despite operating in unsafe, substandard facilities, according to educators.

"My main classroom building is sinking because we can't afford to shore up its foundation," said Ron McNeil, J.D., president of Sitting Bull College in North Dakota. "We are doing everything possible to offer education to students who wouldn't be in college if it weren't for us. Scarce resources force maintenance and construction needs to the bottom of the list."

Lilly Endowment's $30 million grant will help form a fund from which the colleges will share as they embark on individual construction projects. The grant was paid in one installment, and progress reports are due over the next five years.

"From our discussions with the College Fund, it was clear to us that the physical conditions of the tribal colleges represented a crucial need," said N. Clay Robbins, president of the Endowment. "Its record of achievement over a fairly short period of time convinced us that the College Fund would use Endowment funds wisely and well. The Endowment has long held the belief that education is the absolute key to the future for all Americans, and we are delighted that the resources are available to help the College Fund in their most important work."

The Lilly Endowment gift follows two other recent capital donations to the College Fund. In June, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation made a $2 million grant for construction of math and science buildings. In July, the Tierney Family Foundation announced a gift of $1 million for childcare facilities at the tribal colleges.

Noted Sara B. Cobb, Endowment vice president for education: "We hope that this gift will have a transformative effect on the tribal colleges, raise the educational attainment of Native Americans and increase the public's awareness of the educational opportunities that tribal colleges give to their students."

Tribal colleges were created to fight Native Americans' educational failure, cultural loss and high rates of poverty. About 85 percent of tribal college students live at or below the poverty level. Unemployment in the areas served by tribal colleges can reach 80 percent.

Located mostly on rural Indian reservations, the colleges are both two- and four-year institutions that are accredited by the same agencies that govern mainstream colleges. Tribal colleges receive no state funds; and federal monies are limited. (In 1998, enrollments grew, but the colleges' federal budgets remained stagnant.)

Tribal colleges have been called "economic lifelines" for Indian communities. Before tribal colleges were established, 90 percent of Native Americans who pursued higher education dropped out. Now, tribal colleges provide students with personal attention and cultural support they need to continue, despite significant odds attributable largely to profound poverty. Ninety percent of tribal college graduates find jobs or pursue further education. Tribal colleges credit their mix of fully-accredited academics and Native culture.

With its credo is "educating the mind and spirit," the Denver-based American Indian College Fund distributed nearly $4 million in scholarships and support to the 30 tribal colleges in 1998. This aid directly supported more than 5,000 students. The College Fund also supports endowments and public awareness, as well as college programs in Native cultural preservation and teacher training.

On September 16, the College Fund was named a partner in the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will commit $50 million annually over the next 20 years to minority scholarships nationwide, and the College Fund will administer those funds to be designated to Indian students.

Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. In keeping with the wishes of its founders, Lilly Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development.

For more information, or to contact American Indian College Fund, see their website at: www.collegefund.org