The Educating Character Initiative (ECI), supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. and Wake Forest University, has announced the allocation of $15.6 million in Institutional Impact Grants to 28 projects across 33 colleges and universities. These grants aim to promote character education among undergraduate students.
The funding includes three-year grants of up to $1 million each, designed to help institutional leaders, faculty, and staff integrate character development into their curricula and programs. The initiative seeks to align these efforts with the institutions’ missions, contexts, and cultures.
Lilly Endowment Inc. has contributed an additional $10 million for this round of grants and plans to provide $20 million for another round in 2026.
“We were especially impressed by the exceptional quantity and quality of this year’s submissions,” said a spokesperson for ECI. “We are grateful for the expanded support from Lilly Endowment, which made it possible to provide awards to even more institutions.”
The recipients include a range of educational institutions such as community colleges, minority-serving institutions, public universities, private colleges—some religiously affiliated—and women-serving schools across various regions in the United States.
“Many of these projects are diverse in scope, approach, and context,” said Rothschild from ECI. “They demonstrate a wider vision for institutional and cultural change that addresses the conditions in which character emerges.”
Institutions receiving grants include Austin Community College District with its project “Transforming the Faculty & Student Experience: A Framework for Growing Character at Austin Community College” led by Arun John; Ball State University with “Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good (C4G)” led by David J. Roof; Baylor University with “Character in Deeds: A Community of Practice Approach” led by Karen Melton; among others.
Applicants who did not receive funding are encouraged to re-apply in Spring 2026. The ECI community also offers resources such as webinars and convenings to support character education initiatives.
