The foundation associated with the founder’s pharmaceutical family is Lilly Endowment.
Eli Lilly founded Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis in 1876. In 1937, his son Josiah K. Lilly Sr. and grandsons Eli Lilly Jr. and Josiah K. Lilly Jr. established Lilly Endowment with an initial gift of company stock.
The wording can create a common mix-up: Eli Lilly himself did not establish the endowment during his lifetime. It was created by later generations of the Lilly family, using wealth connected to the pharmaceutical company. Nevertheless, Lilly Endowment is the canonical foundation answer to this trivia question.
The endowment is legally separate from Eli Lilly and Company, despite its historical connection and ownership of company stock. Its major interests have included education, religion, and community development, especially in Indiana.