Junior Achievement Receives Big Grant

September 20, 2012

News Release

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Junior Achievement of Central Indiana announced today that it has been awarded a grant from the Lilly Endowment in the amount of $317,000. The grant will support the expansion of JA’s K-12 classroom-based programs, as well as its well-known and respected JA BizTown program for 5th graders. The grant also supports the roll-out of a new program, JA Finance Park Virtual, for middle and high school students.

“Junior Achievement of Central Indiana is making a real difference in the lives and futures of our youth. Their commitment to educating young people in the critical areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness skills is helping to prepare the next generation to be successful, both personally and professionally,” said N. Clay Robbins, President of Lilly Endowment.

“The Lilly Endowment’s affirmation of Junior Achievement’s important role in preparing our future workforce drives us to work even harder to expand our programs. We are grateful for the Endowment’s support, which will allow us to reach more students in Kindergarten through high school, including many underserved students in IPS and charter schools,” said Jennifer Burk, Junior Achievement’s President and CEO.

Board of Trustees

Continuing its commitment to best practices in the areas of governance and accountability, Junior Achievement has formed a Board of Trustees to assist the JA Board of Directors and CEO in leading the organization. The Board of Trustees is comprised of community leaders who have a considerable passion for and commitment to JA’s mission. These individuals are Myra Borshoff Cook, Rollin Dick, Thomas A. King, Cathy Langham, Yvonne Shaheen and Stephen A. Stitle. The Board of Trustees will provide guidance and assistance in the areas of strategic planning and fundraising.

Fiscal Year End Financial Results

JA ended its fiscal year, as of June 30, 2012, with operational revenues totaling approximately $1,616,000 and expenses of approximately $1,175,000, for positive net income from operations of approximately $441,000. This comes after a period of financial recovery and rebuilding, including eliminating approximately $8 million of debt from its balance sheet over the last two years.

“We cannot over-emphasize the importance and impact of being debt-free for the first time in many years,” said Harry Danz, JA’s Board Chair. “As an organization providing the gold standard in financial literacy education for young people, it was imperative that we practice what we preach. With a now healthy balance sheet, JA is mission-driven and expanding.”

New Staff; Office Move

With the support of the Lilly Endowment, along with the impact of a particularly strong fundraising year, JA is primed to add staff to implement additional programs. New positions JA has recently filled include Education Director, Special Events Manager, Development Manager, Administrative Assistant and Grant Writer.

JA has recently moved its office space to a building at the Precedent Office Park. The new offices will provide space for the growing staff, and will still be close to its JA BizTown location at 74th and Keystone.

About Junior Achievement USA®

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional 6.5 million students served by operations in 117 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

Source: Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Inc.