Lilly Endowment Inc. Awards Camp Fire National Headquarters $10 million to Expand Youth Character Development

Landmark investment will accelerate Camp Fire's bold strategic vision for character development innovation 

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative youth development organization Camp Fire National Headquarters has secured a five-year $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to amplify its 115-year legacy of character development, strengthening leadership and programming across 44 affiliates that serve youth in 24 states.

The grant is part of Lilly Endowment's Character Development Through Youth Programs initiative, which awarded $10 million each to six national youth-serving organizations recognized for their strategic approaches to fostering positive character traits in young people ages 5 to 18.

Camp Fire's Connected Leadership, Connected Character program will transform its network by providing targeted professional development that enables staff at all levels to intentionally integrate character virtues into daily practice—turning values into action and ensuring that every organizational decision strengthens character development for both adults and youth.

"Lilly Endowment's investment is both a profound validation of our 115-year legacy and a catalyst for our future," said Shawna Rosenzweig, CEO of Camp Fire. "Growing up is hard, and character virtues serve as a compass that guides young people through life's toughest moments. This partnership positions us to dramatically expand our reach while deepening the quality of the character development experiences we provide to youth at scale."

The Endowment's Character Development Through Youth Programs initiative is designed to help youth-serving organizations create, test, implement and sustain strategies that support character development. Further cultivating character and leadership in Camp Fire staff sets the foundation for transformational youth development in the young people they serve nationwide. Adults who are self-aware, resilient and grounded in purpose model these same traits for young people—demonstrating that character is not only taught but caught through example.

This landmark investment accelerates Camp Fire's bold strategic vision for character development innovation and will enable the organization to:

• Launch a comprehensive leadership development program that cultivates character-driven leaders across four organizational levels—from emerging professionals and middle managers to affiliate and organizational leadership.
  
  
• Strengthen network capacity by equipping leaders to model Camp Fire's four core character virtues while driving continuous improvement and organizational health. This systematic approach integrates virtue development into management practices, creating stable organizations that effectively deliver character programming and measurable outcomes for young people.
  
  
• Accelerate strategic growth by scaling proven programs to reach more youth in more communities while maintaining quality rooted in core character virtues. This balanced approach ensures that expansion creates meaningful impact, with each new program fostering character development in both staff and participants.

"From the earliest days of its grantmaking, the Lilly Endowment has supported projects to encourage character development, especially among young people," said Ted Maple, the Endowment's vice president for education and youth programs. "With Camp Fire's distinctive mission and programs, they are embarking on new creative and strategic approaches to support youth in developing character traits that will enhance their prospects in life and help them develop into responsible citizens who will have a positive impact on the lives of others."

For more information about Camp Fire's youth development programming across the nation, visit them online at campfire.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Emerald-Jane Hunter, myWHY Agency
312-291-1099
[email protected]

ABOUT CAMP FIRE
Growing up is hard. That's why Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others and to themselves. Founded in 1910, Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multiracial organization for girls, but today it is an inclusive national youth development nonprofit that serves all young people. By creating safe spaces where young people can have fun and be themselves, its 44 affiliates in 24 states provide affirming, year-round, youth-driven experiences—school day programs, afterschool programs, leadership programs, and camps and outdoor education—that enable youth to develop essential skills that have long-term benefits and make a positive social impact on the world. For more information, visit them online at campfire.org.

ABOUT LILLY ENDOWMENT INC.

Lilly Endowment Inc.  is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although gifts of stock remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. The Lilly Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion.

SOURCE Camp Fire