WASHINGTON D.C., – The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) has received a $5,000,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish and support efforts that help young people recognize and embrace the relationship between Christian faith, service, and human flourishing.
The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s National Youth and Young Adult Initiative on Faith and Service (Faith and Service Initiative), which is designed to nurture and deepen the faith of Christian young people through intentional service and reflection about the meaning of service in their lives.
Through a five-year grant, NFCYM will implement a Faith and Service Initiative, positioning itself as a central hub for providing resources and support to Catholic parishes and partnering organizations. This initiative will aim to launch the largest mobilization of Catholic parishes in North America, engaging high school-aged teens in acts of service and theological reflection. This effort will strengthen the capacity of the parishes and organizations to involve young people in faith-based service and meaningful opportunities for reflection.
“I am deeply grateful to the Lilly Endowment Inc. for their incredible support! This groundbreaking initiative will empower communities, strengthen youth ministry, and shape the future of our Church. This grant reflects an unwavering belief in the potential of our youth and those who accompany them, and we are honored to journey together in this transformative work. Thank you, Lilly Endowment Inc., for bringing this vision to life!”
The initiative’s impact goal is to reach 1,000 parishes, over 1,500 ministry leaders, 10,000 young people, and over 20 youth-serving organizations. The initiative will also create over 12 new theological reflection tools and regrant over $3,600,000 to parishes and organizations implementing collaborative service initiatives with young people.
NFCYM is one of 12 organizations funding through this invitational Faith and Service Initiative. They represent a broad spectrum of Christian traditions that includes Catholic, mainline and evangelical Protestant, Orthodox and Pentecostal faith communities and communities rooted in Black Church and Hispanic traditions.
“The initiatives being funded through the Faith and Service Initiative hold the promise of helping young people grow spiritually by drawing on Christian traditions to reflect on the meaning of service, They also will strengthen their ties to faith communities and help those faith communities understand more fully the needs and perspectives of young people.”
For more information, visit www.nfcym.org. For media inquiries, please contact Natalie Ibarra, Communications Manager for NFCYM, at nataliei@nfcym.org.
About Lilly Endowment Inc
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
About the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), Inc. (nfcym.org), a nonprofit organization, is a broad, nationally recognized leadership alliance for Catholic youth ministry. Its mission is to “support and strengthen those who accompany young people as they encounter and follow Jesus Christ.”
