INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Center for Leadership Development (CLD) celebrated the expansion of the current CLD facility with a groundbreaking event featuring Indiana Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer, Karrah Herring, Indianapolis Mayor, Joe Hogsett, and City-County Council President Vop Osili.
The groundbreaking event highlighted the addition of 20,000 sq. ft. to the current CLD headquarters. Through this expansion, CLD will be able to accommodate more students and programming within the walls of their facility. The expansion, funded by the RISE campaign, will allow CLD to serve more youth than ever before.
“The Center for Leadership Development is very grateful to the many thoughtful and generous stakeholders whose significant investment in Indianapolis’s youth have made this milestone groundbreaking possible,” said CLD President Dennis Bland. “With the trust and support of many, CLD will continue to expand our critical mission and exceptional programs and services to cultivate the highest growth and achievement levels in character, education, leadership, service, and career. We look forward to elevating the potential and success of youth across Central Indiana and beyond for years to come.”
“For years, the Center for Leadership Development has nurtured countless young minds, setting them on promising paths to be the leaders of tomorrow,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “I’m looking forward to seeing the transformation of not only this facility, but the lives of future students who benefit from the expansion.”
CLD recently announced the public phase of its RISE campaign. Through the RISE campaign, CLD seeks to serve more youth than ever before by establishing satellite locations and in-school programs in high crime, low-income areas, adding 20,000 sq. ft. to its current headquarters and establishing an endowment for future sustainability. To date, CLD has raised $22.7 million, 68 percent of its $33 million campaign goal.
In 2019, CLD announced an $11.6 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in support of the RISE campaign. Lilly Endowment Inc.’s gift includes a 2-to-1 matching commitment, up to $2 million, for CLD’s endowment as well. CLD is currently fundraising to achieve that goal and encourages the public to continue contributing to the endowment campaign, which has a $1 million goal and ends Sept. 30, 2021.
