Faith & Action Project awards $125K to seven Central Indiana groups

Christian Theological Seminary’s Faith & Action Project is distributing $125,000 to seven Indianapolis-area organizations focused on youth opportunity, housing stability, mental health and family support. The 10th-year grant program is backing evidence-based efforts it says can be scaled across Central Indiana.

Why it matters: - The $125,000 investment targets organizations working on poverty, stability and well-being across Central Indiana. - The grants back programs aimed at youth opportunity, housing stability, mental health and family support. - Faith & Action is trying to support approaches that can be shared and scaled, not just individual programs.

What happened: - Christian Theological Seminary’s Faith & Action Project awarded grants to seven Indianapolis-area organizations. - The announcement came as the Faith & Action Grant Program marked its 10th year. - The program funds evidence-based, collaborative and scalable initiatives already showing measurable results in the Indianapolis community. - Faith & Action says the 2026 recipients work across four areas: creating opportunities for youth, advancing housing stability, promoting healing and mental well-being, and strengthening families and communities.

The details: - DREAM Alive received $20,000 to expand its reach across every Indianapolis Public Schools middle school, support career exploration transportation and provide after-school meals and snacks for food-insecure students. - Elevate Indianapolis received $20,000 to create a welcoming “third space” for students supported by long-term Teacher-Mentors. - St. Luke’s United Methodist Church received $20,000 to expand the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program, which offers six weeks of literacy-rich, relationship-centered learning for elementary students. - Outreach, Inc. received $20,000 to strengthen housing navigation, diversion and triage services for young people experiencing homelessness. - We Bloom received $20,000 to support a trauma-informed recovery community at Recovery Café Indy, including a queer-affirming group. - Indiana Youth Group received $15,000 to expand mental health counseling and case management for LGBTQ+ youth. - Tu Refugio Seguro received $10,000 to expand trauma-informed leadership training across six congregations to help leaders respond to domestic violence. - Faith & Action said the selected organizations each serve different populations, but their work aligns around shared goals for long-term stability and opportunity.

Between the lines: - The grant strategy favors organizations already operating in the community rather than launching new programs from scratch. - Rabinowitch framed the funding as a way to surface practices that can be replicated and adapted across organizations. - The emphasis on relationship-based support suggests Faith & Action sees trust, belonging and continuity as central to poverty reduction. - The list of recipients shows a broad mix of faith-based and community groups, which reflects the program’s focus on partnerships across sectors.

What's next: - Faith & Action plans to keep using grants and public events to support a broader ecosystem of practice in Greater Indianapolis. - The project aims to help more organizations share effective approaches that can be sustained over time. - Funders behind the project include individual donors and several foundations, including the Mike and Sue Smith Family Fund, The Indianapolis Foundation, The Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation, Lumina Foundation and the Petticrew Foundation.

The bottom line: - Christian Theological Seminary is using its Faith & Action Project to push money toward proven local efforts that can improve outcomes for youth, families and vulnerable residents across Central Indiana.