The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation was created in 1968 to carry out the philanthropic interests of Eli Lilly and Company, whose history of charitable commitment can be documented to 1906, when the company provided aid to victims of the San Francisco earthquake. Lilly is ranked consistently among the top 10 most generous companies in the United States, and nowhere is this generosity more evident than at Indiana University.
In May 2006, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation made a $7.5 million commitment to the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. This gift supports the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center's efforts to recruit and retain top-tier faculty. Because of the generosity of the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, the IU Simon Cancer Center has the resources, technology, and facilities to attract world-class cancer researchers.
In 2009, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation made a $1 million gift to help establish an accredited school of public health at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. This initial gift served as a catalyst to attract additional funding to create the school and to raise awareness of public health needs within Indiana.
Since that initial gift, Eli Lilly and Company has continued to support the school and has committed countless volunteer hours to ensure that the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is well supported. Executives from Eli Lilly and Company have assisted with curriculum development and have served on the school's national advisory council and alumni board.
