Former Eli Lilly CFO Donates $1 Million to African American Youth Organization

The Center for Leadership Development (CLD; Indianapolis, IN) announced that it received a gift of $1 million from Indianapolis-based philanthropists Derica Rice and Robin Nelson-Rice.

CLD is dedicated to transforming the lives of African American youth in the Indianapolis community by preparing them for academic and career success. Specializing in developing the business and community leaders of the future, CLD’s impact reaches across industries, educational institutions, neighborhoods and generations.

While the Indiana Department of Education reports an average high school graduation rate of 76.9 percent for African American students statewide, 95 percent of CLD participants have successfully graduated from high school. Forty-four percent of CLD students come from single-parent households, 47 percent receive free or reduced lunches and 35 percent come from one of seven “hot spot” high-crime ZIP codes.

Derica Rice is a member of the CLD Board of Directors. He retired last year as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Eli Lilly and Company. Robin Nelson-Rice serves as a volunteer on a variety of community boards and institutions throughout Indianapolis, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art and The Women’s Fund.

Robin Nelson-Rice commented: “By connecting with schools, communities, businesses and higher education institutions, CLD inspires a level of academic and career achievement that is astonishing and unique. CLD had a profound impact on my life and I hope this gift can help impact the lives of others as well.”  

To learn more, visit www.cldinc.org