FHLBank Indianapolis announces 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Citizenship Award winner

last updated on Thursday, February 12, 2026 in Federal Home Loan Bank Indianapolis

Continuing a decades-old tradition, FHLBank Indianapolis has announced the Bank’s 2026 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citizenship Award: Dee Bolden (below, right), Senior Manager, MPP Quality Control.

Dee Bolden, 2026 MLK Citizenship Award winner Since 2000, the Bank has honored one outstanding employee who best represents King’s ideals and commitment to community service. Nominated by their peers, award winners receive a glass award, a $1,500 donation to a charity of their choice, and their name is added to a plaque of previous winners displayed at the Bank’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Throughout Bolden’s years at the Bank, she has helped with multiple Indianapolis-area organizations, including St. Mary’s Child Center, Angel Tree, Bicycle Build, and more. Her co-workers all describe her as a “truly intricate part of the FHLBank Indy CARE team’s success" – something Bank leaders are incredibly proud of.

Bank leadership reaction

“Dee is a true example of what it means to put others before yourself and embody a commitment to make a difference,” President and CEO Brendan McGrath said in a staff announcement. “Her dedication to serving our community exemplifies the values that the Bank strives to uphold. This award is a well-deserved and powerful reminder of the difference one person can make.”

Dee's volunteer history

An eight-year Bank employee and member of the FHLBank Indy Cares team since 2018, Bolden is the epitome of what it means to volunteer.? She actively changed the way the Bank distributed its United Way money in the state and made it more statewide instead of just Central Indiana. In 2025, she was instrumental in coordinating the completion of 1,800 kits filled with hygiene products, back-to-school supplies, and winter wear for adults and children. Bolden said she has never worked for a business that encourages volunteering like FHLBank Indianapolis does.

“I know that is the reason I have increased my volunteering,” she shared. “The Care team provides so much information regarding opportunities that you can't help but want to join an event.”?

Dee's charity of choice

Bolden chose Coburn Place as her charity of choice to receive the Bank’s $1,500 donation, which offers compassionate support and safe housing choices to survivors of domestic violence and their children in the greater Indianapolis area.?It was the first place she volunteered when she joined the Bank in 2018, and it pulled at her heart strings.?

“I wish there were more charities like them across the states,” Bolden said. “When I have been to Coburn, it feels warm, safe, and homey. I have seen domestic violence and wish I could have told them about a place like Coburn.”

So, what’s next for Bolden? Continuing to do what she loves and striving to make a difference.

“For me, volunteering makes me feel like I can provide a little assistance to those who are in need.”

Story by Amber Hankins, Senior Corporate Communications Associate. For more information, contact the Corporate Communications department at?corpcomm@fhlbi.com.