The CL Werner Foundation primarily makes a small number of large, capital-focused gifts to local Nebraska institutions—frequently funding facilities, renovations, and capital campaigns. Their funding concentrates on Omaha-area public amenities (notably the Omaha Zoo), children’s behavioral health infrastructure, faith-based outdoor ministry/camp facilities, and direct services for vulnerable youth and food security. Grants are regionally focused and purpose-driven (facility buildouts, renovations, mobile service units).
A repeated $500,000 commitment to the Omaha Zoo Foundation for Orangutan Forest renovations is one of the clearest markers of how Cl Werner Foundation gives: large, capital-oriented grants to local Nebraska institutions. The foundation has also backed the Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries project at Crystal Springs Lake with a $500,000 gift in 2025, showing a pattern of funding facility work rather than short-term programming alone. Another major theme is children’s behavioral health infrastructure. In 2024, the Mental Health Innovation Foundation received $500,000 to support building a behavioral health and wellness center at Children’s Hospital, followed by another $250,000 in 2025. Cl Werner Foundation also directs substantial support to youth-serving and basic-needs organizations, including campus capital for Youth Emergency Services and mobile pantry work at Food Bank for the Heartland. Its giving mix includes faith-based ministries, zoo capital projects, health facilities, and direct service organizations, all within a Nebraska-centered grantmaking pattern.
Faith-based outdoor ministry is one visible focus. In 2025, Cl Werner Foundation gave $500,000 to Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries for Crystal Springs Lake, aligning with its broader support for camp and outdoor ministry infrastructure. Children’s behavioral health is another recurring area: the foundation granted $500,000 in 2024 to Mental Health Innovation Foundation to support building a behavioral health and wellness center at Children’s Hospital, then followed with a $250,000 grant in 2025. Basic-needs services also appear in the grant list. In 2025, Food Bank for the Heartland received $200,000 for capital campaign work and its mobile pantry program. Youth services show up as well, with $250,000 going to Youth Emergency Services in 2025 for campus capital.
Typical grants cluster in the tens of thousands to low hundreds of thousands, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $20,000, and p75 of $41,250. The recent list also includes repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, such as Omaha Zoo Foundation, Mental Health Innovation Foundation, Skutt Catholic High School, Heartland Hope Mission, and Educate Uganda. That pattern suggests ongoing relationship-based giving rather than one-off transactions. The foundation operates a general grantmaking process and accepts brief grant inquiries. Its stated focus areas are Faith, Family, Health, and Education.
$2.6M
$12.8M
$882K
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $10K and $41K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$41K
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants with a capital/brick-and-mortar focus; repeat funding for select local grantees rather than many small awards; primarily regional (Omaha/Nebraska) investments in facility and program infrastructure.
Notable grantees: Omaha Zoo Foundation, Mental Health Innovation Foundation / Children’s Hospital behavioral health, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, Youth Emergency Services, Food Bank for the Heartland
Giving is overwhelmingly Nebraska-centered: 89% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Nebraska is the top state by grant count. Omaha is the main recipient city, with multiple awards landing there, alongside Ashland and Lincoln. Outside Nebraska, the recent list includes Seddalia, Missouri; Oxnard, California; Montrose, Colorado; and recipient locations remain U.S.-only across the dataset. The geographic footprint is local rather than national, with a small number of out-of-state grants relative to the Nebraska concentration.
The foundation’s active grant program says it accepts inquiries aligned with Faith, Family, Health, and Education. Recent grants also show capital support for zoo renovations, children’s behavioral health infrastructure, faith-based outdoor ministry, youth services, and food security projects.
Yes. Its general grantmaking program accepts brief grant inquiries from organizations whose work aligns with Faith, Family, Health, and Education, and the foundation reviews those inquiries before deciding whether to invite a formal application.
Typical grants are relatively modest compared with its largest awards: p25 is $10,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $41,250. The recent list also includes a few much larger capital grants, including several at $500,000.
It shows a recurring pattern. Several organizations appear more than once across the recent grant list, including Omaha Zoo Foundation, Mental Health Innovation Foundation, Skutt Catholic High School, Heartland Hope Mission, and Educate Uganda, often with grants in multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Cl Werner Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations may share brief information about their mission for consideration; the mission should align with the foundation's focus areas of faith, family, health, and education.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMAHA ZOO FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $500,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ORANGUTAN FOREST RENOVATIONS |
| NEBRASKA LUTHERAN OUTDOOR MINISTRIES | ASHLAND, NE | $500,000 | 2025 | CRYSTAL SPRINGS LAKE |
| YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES | OMAHA, NE | $250,000 | 2025 | CAMPUS CAPITAL 24 |
| MENTAL HEALTH INNOVATION FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $250,000 | 2025 | 2024 DONATION |
| FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND | OMAHA, NE | $200,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; MOBILE PANTRY PROGRAM |
| HEART MINISTRY CENTER | OMAHA, NE | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY INFORMATION TRUST | OMAHA, NE | $100,000 | 2025 | OMA LIBRARY 2024 |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | OMAHA, NE | $100,000 | 2025 | HOPE LODGE UPDATES |
| HEARTLAND HOPE MISSION | OMAHA, NE | $75,000 | 2025 | RURAL MOBILE PANTRY |
| FROM THE HEART PRODUCTIONS INC | OXNARD, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | AMERICAN DREAM-CLAY |
| COLORADO WEST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | MONTROSE, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | CWCS MULTI-PURPOSE |
| MAGIC CIRCLE PLAYERS | MONTROSE, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | INTERIOR RENOVATION |
| AT EASE USA | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2025 | TREATMENT PROGRAMS 2 |
| AVENUE SCHOLARS | OMAHA, NE | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RISE ACADEMY | OMAHA, NE | $37,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICES | OMAHA, NE | $30,000 | 2025 | HOUSING SANCTUARY |
| NEBRASKA CENTER FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION | OMAHA, NE | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PARTNERSHIP 4 KIDS | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | CCRP |
| AUTISM ACTION PARTNERSHIP | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | DAUGHERTY MATCH -2ND GRANT |
| ANGELS AMONG US | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | FAMILY ASSISTANCE |
| FOSTER LOVE | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KONA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | KEALAKEKUA, HI | $25,000 | 2025 | MOBILE C ARM |
| CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | ILS PROGRAM |
| PROJECT HARMONY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | MENTAL HEALTH GRANT |
| LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | DANA VILLAGE SUPPORT |
| FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION | OWASSA, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | 24-25 SCHOLARSHIPS |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | TEEN CENTER |
| TEAM JACK FOUNDATION | ATKINSON, NE | $25,000 | 2025 | POWER 5 INITIATIVE |
| VALLEY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE FOUNDATION INC | VALLEY, NE | $20,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| GRACE CANCER FOUNDATION | GRAND ISLAND, NE | $20,000 | 2025 | PATIENT FINANCIAL |
| OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS | OMAHA, NE | $20,000 | 2025 | ARTS EDUCATION GRANT |
| THE JET AWARD FOUNDATION AND TRUST | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | TECH ED SCHOLARSHIPS |
| BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | BELLEVUE, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | ALIGNMENT MACHINE |
| HEARTLAND EQUINE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY-HETRA | GRETNA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | RIDING/THERAPY SERV |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA-MID-AMERICA COUNCIL | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | EXPLORING PROGRAMS |
| ONEWORLD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | CHILDEN'S HEALTH PRO |
| COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| COMPLETELY KIDS | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2025 | WEEKEND FOOD PROG 24 |
| RADIUS | OMAHA, NE | $14,245 | 2025 | EDUCATION SERVICES |
| UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $12,500 | 2025 | JAG PROGRAM |
| BRAVEBE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER | LINCOLN, NE | $12,500 | 2025 | FAMILY ADVOCACY PROG |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY-OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $12,500 | 2025 | CAPIRANA PROJECT |
| MIDLAND UNIVERSITY | FREMONT, NE | $12,500 | 2025 | 2ND HALF OF PLEDGE |
| LATINO CENTER OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $10,000 | 2025 | PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS |
| TRUCKERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | ITO PROGRAM |
| MICAH HOUSE | COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY SHELTER |
| NEBRASKA JOURNALISM TRUST | OMAHA, NE | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE FURNITURE PROJECT-OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $10,000 | 2025 | FURNISHING HOPE 2024 |
| OLLIE WEBB CENTER INC VIA SHARE OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $10,000 | 2025 | ART OF IMAGINATION |
| COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY | OMAHA, NE | $10,000 | 2025 | OPERATION SMART 24 |
NEBRASKA LUTHERAN OUTDOOR MINISTRIES
$500,000CRYSTAL SPRINGS LAKE
GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$100,000HOPE LODGE UPDATES
COLORADO WEST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$50,000CWCS MULTI-PURPOSE
MAGIC CIRCLE PLAYERS
$50,000INTERIOR RENOVATION
AT EASE USA
$50,000TREATMENT PROGRAMS 2
RISE ACADEMY
$37,500GENERAL SUPPORT
HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICES
$30,000HOUSING SANCTUARY
NEBRASKA CENTER FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOSTER LOVE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KONA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$25,000MOBILE C ARM
PROJECT HARMONY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER
$25,000MENTAL HEALTH GRANT
FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION
$25,00024-25 SCHOLARSHIPS
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS
$25,000TEEN CENTER
TEAM JACK FOUNDATION
$25,000POWER 5 INITIATIVE
VALLEY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE FOUNDATION INC
$20,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
GRACE CANCER FOUNDATION
$20,000PATIENT FINANCIAL
OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS
$20,000ARTS EDUCATION GRANT
THE JET AWARD FOUNDATION AND TRUST
$15,000TECH ED SCHOLARSHIPS
BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
$15,000ALIGNMENT MACHINE
HEARTLAND EQUINE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY-HETRA
$15,000RIDING/THERAPY SERV
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA-MID-AMERICA COUNCIL
$15,000EXPLORING PROGRAMS
ONEWORLD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
$15,000CHILDEN'S HEALTH PRO
COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY
$15,0002024 GRANT
RADIUS
$14,245EDUCATION SERVICES
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY-OMAHA
$12,500CAPIRANA PROJECT
MIDLAND UNIVERSITY
$12,5002ND HALF OF PLEDGE
LATINO CENTER OF THE MIDLANDS
$10,000PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
THE FURNITURE PROJECT-OMAHA
$10,000FURNISHING HOPE 2024
OLLIE WEBB CENTER INC VIA SHARE OMAHA
$10,000ART OF IMAGINATION
