Bordered by White River Parkway and just a long fly ball from Victory Field and Lucas Oil Stadium, West Indianapolis is a diverse, hardworking neighborhood with a strong homeownership base and excellent schools and parks. It has been a family-friendly, blue-collar neighborhood since it was incorporated in 1897. Developed to house workers from the nearby Belt Line Railroad and Union Stockyards, its working class tradition is alive and well today. Eli Lilly, National Starch, IPL, Rolls Royce, and Vertellus all call the neighborhood home.

West Indianapolis Development Corporation (WIDC) is the convening agency for the comprehensive community development work in West Indianapolis, working closely with Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, which includes a Center for Working Families. Many other partners continue to collaborate to improve West Indianapolis, including Lilly Technology Center, Indianapolis Power and Light Company, George Washington Community School, Southwest Health Center, Indianapolis Public Schools (#46 and #49), and the West Indianapolis Public Library.

The West Indianapolis Community Fund (WICF), created in collaboration with LISC during West Indy’s quality-of-life planning, provides the community with an innovative way to finance community development. The community fund operates like a “community chest” so West Indianapolis can pool resources and work together for the common vision. Local giving to the fund coupled with local control over fund allocation has made a significant difference. Since LISC seeded the fund with $50,000 in 2009, over $184,000 in grants has been distributed to fund neighborhood priorities.

Dollars invested/leveraged:
Total Quality-of-Life Investment: $40.1 million
Total LISC investment: $1.1 million
Total Leverage: $39 million
Total Center for Working Families Clients Served: 1,200
Total Square Feet Improved: 33,000
Community facilities/commercial space with direct LISC support.

To watch a video about the West Indianapolis Community Fund, click here.

To download the original West Indy Quality of Life Plan, click here.

Because Quality of Life Plans are updated regularly, visit here to view the most recent version.