Funds mark first donation to RISE campaign from an educational institution
Indianapolis’ Center for Leadership Development (CLD) will receive a $50,000 gift from Ivy Tech Community College, marking the first donation from an educational partner to its ongoing RISE campaign. Funds will support the construction of a 20,000 sq. ft. addition to CLD’s headquarters as the organization plans a 60% increase in the number of students it serves by 2024.
CLD fosters the advancement of minority youth in Central Indiana as future professional, business, and community leaders by providing experiences that encourage personal development and educational attainment. Ivy Tech Community College’s donation will qualify for a naming opportunity in our newly expanded facility. The Rise Campaigns’ completion date is December 31, 2022.
“This generous gift from Ivy Tech Community College is a testament to the value our educational partners see in the Center for Leadership Development,” said Dennis Bland, president of CLD. “Thousands of students in our community remain without access to the academic, career and life resources they need to succeed as the next generation of leaders. Investments from our educational partners like this one help build the bridge for our city’s most vulnerable youth to achieve their dreams.”
CLD has been working since 1977 to amplify the value of education as a gateway to personal success, career opportunities, better health, and improved quality of life for minority youth in Central Indiana. The organization currently has partnerships with more than two dozen colleges and universities that offer a variety of scholarships for eligible students. Programming is centered on character development, educational excellence, leadership effectiveness, and community service.
“As Indiana’s community college, we know what our partnership with the Center for Leadership Development can do for Hoosiers in central Indiana,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College. “As the first educational partner supporting the Center’s RISE Campaign, we are committed to providing all students with pathways to career opportunities, higher incomes, and a better quality of life through accessible, world-class education.”
Ivy Tech Community College was founded in 1963 and has since grown to be the largest, singly accredited community college in the country, offering over 70 academic programs to students in over 75 communities in Indiana. Of its roughly 150,000 current student population, 25% identify as students of color with 40% representing first-generation college students.
