Catawba College has received a $500,000 renewal grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. under its "Sustaining the Theological Exploration of Vocation" program. This sustainability grant will augment a five-year, $1,999,503 grant that Catawba received in 2003 from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for implementation of its on-campus program, "You Can Make a Difference…" A Lilly Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation. The new grant will allow Catawba, along with 30 other institutions receiving similar funding, to build upon and extend what they have already accomplished through their respective programs.

The original grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. allowed Catawba to establish its Lilly Center for Vocation and Values and to offer programs through that Center for students, faculty, staff, and the larger college community. The focus of these programs has been to help participants, especially students, discover and use their gifts in ways that serve others. A special focus has been to encourage students to consider seriously how they can make a real difference in today's world through the Christian ministry.