Nonprofit Excellence 2026

Aspire Indiana Health

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Antony Sheehan

Aspire Indiana Health provides behavioral and physical health services to Hoosiers facing barriers to care living in Marion, Hamilton, Boone, Madison, Hancock and Shelby counties in concert with the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction.

Aspire also operates several programs on behalf of the city of Indianapolis, including a mobile mental health unit serving the unhoused and the city’s winter emergency shelter. Aspire will be the primary operator for Housing Hub Indy, the city’s low-barrier homeless shelter that is currently under construction.

The organization is the 10th-largest nonprofit health care provider in the state, according to IBJ research, reaching more than 41,000 individuals across central Indiana and statewide in 2025.

Firefly Children and Family Alliance

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Tina Cloer

With a mission focused on building stronger families and communities, Firefly Children and Family Alliance offers more than 20 programs focused on helping children and adults thrive, ranging from emergency shelter and child abuse prevention to family preservation and foster care services. In 2025, the organization served more than 53,000 people.

The organization has roots in Indianapolis dating to the 1800s. The Indianapolis Benevolent Society, founded in 1835, and the Widows and Orphans Friends’ Society, founded in 1851, were the predecessors to Families First and Children’s Bureau, which in 2021 merged to create Firefly.

This fall, Firefly expects to launch a longterm affordable housing project for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.

Indiana Sports Corp.

PRESIDENT: Patrick Talty

The Indiana Sports Corp. was founded in 1979 as one of the country’s first sports commissions and has since supported events and programming that have generated more than $400 million in economic impact for central Indiana and impacted lives through related community-service projects.

Recent successful events include the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, — expected to return to the Circle City in 2028 — the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble, Big Ten Conference Football Championships and the 2026 Men’s Final Four.

While Indianapolis has built a reputation of being a preeminent host city for sports events, the Indiana Sports Corp.’s reach extends beyond central Indiana. Through the bid fund, the Sports Corp. has supported cities from Evansville to Fort Wayne in bidding for and hosting major sporting events in their communities.•

HVAF of Indiana Inc.

CEO: Emmy Hildebrand

HVAF of Indiana — Helping Veterans and Families — offers a wraparound model of care that offers veterans and their families access to housing, employment support, clinical therapy, legal service and basic needs assistance in one place. This work has contributed to a 26% reduction in veteran homelessness across Indianapolis in the past year, with 84.3% of veterans served achieving permanent housing.

In the wake of a 2024 fire at HVAF’s largest housing property, which displaced 48 veterans, the organization was able to ensure each resident was safe and rehoused, then rebuilt the apartment complex’s north tower in seven months. The south tower, expected to open in August, will expand the capacity to 65 veterans — 14 more than before the fire. Also during that time, the organization launched the Women Warrior Fund to address the needs of women veterans, expanded its clinical therapy services and developed a Rapid Response Fund to prevent homelessness before it occurs.

Indianapolis Urban League

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Tony Mason

Since 1965, the Indianapolis Urban League has worked to advocate for and improve the quality of life for those living in neighborhoods throughout Marion County that experience disproportionate economic, health and employment disparities. Those neighborhoods have higher concentrations of low- to moderate-income households and are impacted by disinvestment while being home to minorities and individuals facing systemic barriers to employment.

In 2025, the organization reached 69,900 youth, adults, seniors and families through direct or indirect services, which included distributing $233,000 in rental, emergency housing or utility assistance, 198,655 pounds of food and $100,000 in grants to minority entrepreneurs.

In addition to its work on the ground, the organization works to cultivate community leaders through the Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League, which serves members ages 21 to 45 through service, leadership development and community engagement opportunities.

The Arc of Indiana

CEO: Kim Dodson

Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, The Arc of Indiana is a public advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families from birth to adulthood. The organization provides direct support as well as public-policy leadership and administers workforce development programs and financial planning services.

In 2025, The Arc Advocacy Network received more than 6,000 requests for assistance involving Medicaid, education, housing, guardianship, employment and other life issues. Its Erskine Green Training Institute, which provides job training and certification opportunities, reported 75% employment at eight months after graduation and 79% and 18 months, compared to a 23% employment rate among this population statewide.

In addition to its direct services and advocacy work at the Statehouse, The Arc seeks to empower developmentally and intellectually disabled Hoosiers by providing leadership training and selfadvocacy opportunities.•

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Lindsay Gramlich

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis serves girls ages 5 to 24 in Marion, Hamilton, Boone and Hendricks counties with the goal of encouraging healthy living, academic success and personal growth. In 2025, the organization served 2,722 girls — a 121% increase over the previous year.

Girls Inc. offers a dozen programs across five center-based sites and at more than 24 partner schools across central Indiana, focusing on academic enrichment, life skills and healthy lifestyles.

Last year, with the support of a grant from the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative, Girls Inc. launched the Career Lab, a space dedicated to supporting girls ages 18 to 24 as they transition into the workforce and helping them build financial literacy skills as they enter adulthood. Also last year, the organization raised funds to add two weeks to its summer camp offerings while cutting costs and increasing scholarship opportunities for families.

Indiana Latino Institute

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Andrew Peñalva

The Indiana Latino Institute offers statewide education, workforce development, leadership and advocacy programs to support the more than 600,000 Latino Hoosiers. Education and college access is a core focus, with the organization offering free, individualized coaching available to students in nearly every Indiana county, as well as career fairs and internship and apprenticeship support.

Through its ILI Promise Scholarship program, students can receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships at 22 participating Indiana colleges and universities. Students who participate in ILI’s core programming have maintained a 99% high school graduation rate. In 2024-2025 the organization facilitated 182 internship placements and in 2025 helped 72 people obtain certification as medical interpreters.

The organization also works to provide data to state legislators and school districts via their Project Jumpstart and Project Journey surveys, which collect feedback on the workforce, health care and educational needs of Latinos, helping to shape policies and practices that can impact quality of life.

Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Lauren James

Named for the former governor, the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation engages with emerging leaders from across the state to educate them on Indiana’s distinct regional challenges and opportunities while helping them build community relationships and leadership skills. As of May 2026, the organization has hosted 190 fellows from 32 counties.

Its free, two-year fellowship program includes monthly lectures, discussions and case studies focused on Indiana’s economy, education, health and civic engagement. Fellows then complete capstone projects that have included supporting or launching initiatives, engaging in public service or developing a policy paper. To date, more than 50 capstone projects have been completed. They’ve yielded millions in investment toward initiatives focused on topics such as education and youth literacy, and policy papers have influenced recent legislation.

The foundation also facilitates a statewide network of subject-matter experts that allow fellows to continue amplifying their impact after their fellowships end. Its Smart Network has expanded to more than 330 individuals and has produced more than 250 strategic connections.•