The Lilly Endowment is going to give $7M to Warsaw, Indiana.

Yeah, you heard me right.

Here were my original concerns…

1. What is the long-term strategy for Warsaw in order to put this $7M to good use and actually make a difference?
2. Is someone else going to give too? Because $7M ain’t enough.

Since then, I’ve read Tom Spalding’s article in the IndyStar. And I’ve learned that the Lilly Endowment Inc. is donating $7 million to support the establishment of OrthoWorx. OrthoWorx is meant to be an industry, community and education initiative to advance and support companies that make hip-replacement and other medical devices and orchestrated by a number of nonprofit organizations.

And my concerns are still the same…

1. What is the long-term strategy for Warsaw in order to put this $7M to good use and actually make a difference?
2. Is someone else going to give too? Because $7M ain’t enough.

I’m sure this initiative has good intentions, but how exactly is Warsaw and OrthoWorx going to use this $7M to “define and drive the best opportunities for regional vitality and growth”? I have yet to see the release of the OrthoWorx plan or the list of non-profits who are orchestrating this initiative.