Racial Justice Commitment: Confronting Racial Inequities Head On
April 12, 2022 Posted by: Eli Lilly and Company
We believe Lilly has a responsibility as a major employer to act on issues that affect our employees, business and communities. Bringing our purpose to life, driving change and addressing inequities has always been a part of our fabric. After the murder of George Floyd, we felt compelled to use our influence to do even more.
In 2020, Lilly and the Lilly Foundation launched the Racial Justice Commitment to help decrease the burden of racial injustice and its effects on communities of color. As part of this effort, Lilly pledged 25,000 volunteer hours and the Lilly Foundation committed $25 million over five years. The Racial Justice Commitment aims to drive change across five areas: internal people development, health equity, social impact, diversity partners and family sustaining jobs.
Since starting the RJC, we have made significant progress, including the following:
Lilly developed a Professional Apprenticeship Program, which provides individuals without college degrees access to roles at Lilly that they may not have had through traditional recruiting means. More than 20 people have participated thus far, with larger cohorts planned for 2022 and beyond.
In 2020, Lilly set a goal to double its national annualized spend with Black suppliers by 2022. Lilly has increased its national spend with Black businesses by more than 50% in the past year, and we are on track to meet our goal of doubling the 2020 annualized spend with Black business enterprises in 2022. To reach this goal, Lilly mentored seven Black suppliers through the Lilly Mentor Protégé program, participated in an “Elevate Black” matchmaking program with Black suppliers in conjunction with Diversity Alliance for Science, and will implement Supplier Diversity training for employees in early 2022.
Lilly has placed $8 million in long-term deposits with Black, Asian, and Native American-owned banks.
Lilly committed more than $90 million to Black-led venture capital firms supporting Black, Latinx, women and LGBTQ+ startups.
The Lilly Foundation awarded more than $10 million in grants in 2021 to combat racial injustice and inequity in Indianapolis.
In 2021, Lilly employees completed 10,015 hours of 25,000 volunteer hours pledged over five years by Lilly as part of our Racial Justice Commitment.
Lilly committed $5 million over five years to Direct Relief to establish the Health Equity Fund in the U.S. Through this fund, health centers and free and charitable clinics, in both urban and rural areas, will be offered the opportunity to apply for grants from Direct Relief of up to $250,000 annually. Direct Relief will make grants aimed at strengthening the capacity of these organizations to provide high-quality, culturally appropriate health care and focus on social determinants of health for the underserved populations cared for by these organizations.
In 2021, Lilly accelerated its efforts to improve diversity in its clinical trials, including for oncology and Alzheimer’s studies using a decentralized clinical trial approach.
In 2021, Lilly announced the expansion of our support of the Diabetes Impact Project in Indianapolis Neighborhoods (DIP-IN), committing an additional $5 million to the partnership that includes the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University and other community partners. Initially launched in 2018, the goal of this partnership is to drive long-term improvements in diabetes diagnosis and care in three Indianapolis neighborhoods where residents are predominantly people of color.
You can learn much more about the efforts Lilly and the Lilly Foundation have made in the Racial Justice Commitment in the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.
Below are articles and news releases related to our Lilly’s Racial Justice Commitment:
February 2, 2022
Direct Relief announces $9.3 Million in Health Equity awards to 49 organizations. Lilly seeded the fund with a $5 million donation as a part of its Racial Justice Commitment. Funding from Lilly will directly support four organizations.
January 12, 2022
Lilly’s venture capital investment with Jumpstart Nova is announced. Jumpstart Nova is the first venture fund dedicated to Black founded and led healthcare companies. CNBC covered the Jumpstart Nova VC investment news in a short feature story.
November 8, 2021
The Fall 2021 grants were awarded by the Lilly Foundation.
June 18, 2021
The Spring 2021 grants were awarded by the Lilly Foundation.
May 10, 2021
We announce our investment in Sixty8 Capital, an Indianapolis-based Black-owned, venture capital firm supporting Black, Latinx, women and LGBTQ+ startups, as we aim to open the door to these missed opportunities for diverse innovators and empower invaluable change within our communities.
May 3, 2021
Lilly announced its support of Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity with a $5 million commitment over the next five years. The $5 million commitment by Lilly is a component of Lilly’s Racial Justice Initiative, a robust endeavor to deliver resources like education, health care, economic stability and jobs within the communities where Lilly operates.
April 6, 2021
Lilly proudly partners with corporations and nonprofits across the city, as well as Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett and Marion County Public Health director Dr. Virginia Caine, in support of the launch of the #GotMyShot campaign – including a destination website for videos, social media content and real-life stories that drives awareness about why African Americans should consider getting COVID-19 vaccinations. Learn more at GotMyShotCampaign.com.
January 18, 2021
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an official company holiday, we encourage employees to pay tribute to Dr. King and his legacy through volunteer service and other efforts to bring positive change. Learn how employees like Joneé Drake and Thiwasha Harper make MLK Day “a day on – not a day off."
January 15, 2021
We announce a $30 million limited partner investment in Unseen Capital Health Fund LP, a newly formed venture capital fund created by racially diverse and historically underrepresented business leaders. The fund will provide support for minority-owned, early-stage health care companies. Read the press release.
December 15, 2020
Lilly's clinical trial diversity team unveils new goals to reflect our commitment to achieving greater diversity in clinical trials – to ensure that communities of color have fair access to and representation in our clinical research, and to help develop innovative medicines that make life better for people around the world. Learn more about clinical trial diversity.
December 10, 2020
Lilly chair and CEO Dave Ricks joins a coalition of top business leaders to launch OneTen, an organization that will combine the power of more than 30 American companies to create 1 million family sustaining jobs for Black Americans over the next 10 years. Read the press release.
November 18, 2020
Lilly announces its support of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s (PhRMA) first-ever, industrywide principles on clinical trial diversity. The principles focus on building trust and acknowledging the historic mistrust of clinical trials within Black and brown communities, reducing barriers to clinical trial access, using real-world data to enhance information on diverse populations beyond product approval, and enhancing information about diversity and inclusion in clinical trial participation. Read PhRMA's press release.
October 8, 2020
Lilly joins a local coalition to launch the Indy Racial Equity Pledge and call on more Central Indiana organizations to help accelerate progress toward racial equity for Black Americans in four areas: health, prosperity, education and criminal justice. Read the press release and the story by Dave Ricks.
July 22, 2020
The Lilly Foundation teams up with several partners, including the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, to support the launch of the Indiana eLearning Lab for educators and families statewide. Read the press release and visit the eLearning Lab.
July 20, 2020
The Lilly Foundation joins a coalition of contributors providing initial total donations of more than $2.2 million to the Central Indiana Community Foundation to support its establishment of the Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund. The fund will help advance solutions to racial inequality in Indianapolis and surrounding counties, including the disproportionate number of Black youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system. Read their article.
June 25, 2020
The Lilly Foundation joined a coalition of contributors to establish the Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund with an initial investment of more than $2.2 million. The fund will help advance solutions to racial inequality in Indianapolis and surrounding counties, including the disproportionate number of Black youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system. Read the press release.
June 13, 2020
Lilly comes together with the Indianapolis community to observe an Indy Day of Solidarity, acknowledge the trauma of racial injustice and create a call to action for lasting change. To underscore our commitment, the Lilly Foundation committed $25 million and our company pledged 25,000 employee volunteer hours to combat racial injustice and inequity. Read Dave Ricks’ LinkedIn post.
May 29, 2020
Lilly employees observe an internal Day of Solidarity following the killings of George Floyd and other senseless attacks on Black Americans. The day allowed employees to support one another and stand together against injustice, and in support of humanity. On this day, Lilly highlighted the significant impacts of these events on some of our colleagues.
April 8, 2020
The Lilly Foundation joins other business and philanthropic organizations providing initial total donations of more than $2.6 million to support establishing the Indianapolis eLearning Fund. The fund will support educators, students and families with the transition to e-learning in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Read the press release and additional fund updates.