LaKoya Gardner was promoted to director of the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

The institute fosters a greater understanding of the ways in which underrepresented people are both inspired and informed donors by providing knowledge, education and training. It seeks to understand the perceptions, practices, experiences and needs of the individuals and institutions that operationalize philanthropy in underrepresented communities and it develops programming and services to engage philanthropic practitioners, scholars and the public at large in conversations and activities to advance this field.

Gardner has served as director of programs and associate director of development for the institute for the past four years. During her tenure, the institute has advanced equity in philanthropy through its own initiatives and in partnership with other world-class organizations. For example, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy Speakers Series, organized by Gardner, has included such leaders and thinkers as Helene Gayle, Marc Morial, Susan Batten, Luis Miranda, and Noah Drezner.

“LaKoya has played a key role in positioning the Mays Institute as a preferred provider of information and fundraising training for diverse audiences and those who seek to engage them,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “Having collaborated effectively with Associate Dean Una Osili and the Mays Council to advance the institute, we anticipate a bright future for the institute and its leadership role in the field.”

The institute and Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc., partnered earlier this year to present the All-Star 2024 Athlete and Parent Forum during the NBA All-Star Game weekend in Indianapolis. Elite Indiana student players and parents joined esteemed NBA and WNBA players and their parents to discuss how the future NCAA D1 and pro players can make a difference in lives and communities through their unique platforms. Partnering with the UNCF, the Indiana Fever WNBA team, the NCAA, and the PepsiCo Foundation, the Mays Family Institute, in collaboration with The Fund Raising School, has helped changemakers, rising leaders and nonprofit organizations increase opportunities to make social change and address equity gaps in philanthropy.

“Helping the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy expand understanding of the philanthropic perspectives and practices of communities whose generosity often goes unnoticed and developing training and other initiatives in this field is rewarding,” Gardner said. “I’m honored to be named the institute’s director, and I look forward to leading it to exciting new accomplishments that will benefit individuals and our field.”

The Institute’s inspiration, William G. Mays, began his nearly 50-year career in Indianapolis and provided outstanding local, national and international leadership in the business, civic and philanthropic sectors. The institute honors the philanthropic values of Bill and his wife, Rose, to provide the community with a space for public inquiry, hands-on training and the study of generosity within historically underrepresented groups.

Before joining the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Gardner served in several leadership capacities at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. She was executive director of resource development at the Anderson, Muncie, Marion and Henry County campuses, raising more than $14.7 million dollars in four years for new facilities, endowments and programmatic needs, as well as student scholarships and resources. She raised funds to build three new Muncie Ivy Tech buildings, two of which are in downtown Muncie. A native of Anderson, IN, Gardner earned her Master of Arts in Business from Indiana Wesleyan University, with a focus in organizational leadership, and a bachelor’s degree at Indiana University Indianapolis.

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