LEXINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’s mission is to inspire generosity to strengthen our community. Our vision is to have a community where all people thrive.
A $1,000,000 commitment to the Orthman Community YMCA capital campaign stands out in Lexington Community Foundation’s recent giving. That award points to a funder willing to make one large, place-based investment alongside a wide range of smaller community grants. The foundation supports programs and projects that improve quality of life in Lexington and the surrounding area, with giving that touches human services, neighborhoods and environment, education, arts and music, and emergency response. Its recent awards also show a practical role in local student support. Lexington Public Schools received $11,883 for Destination Graduation laptops, linking the foundation’s education work to direct technology provision for students. Another recent grant, $7,927 to Heartland Military Musem for reallocation of Trautman, reflects the foundation’s use of designated or restricted funds to redirect support to a named local beneficiary. The foundation’s broader structure reinforces that mix of community grantmaking and donor-advised stewardship. It administers scholarship funds for students in Lexington and Dawson County, and it also operates targeted programs such as the Community Relief Fund and special-purpose grants for music and disability-related needs.
Education is a major thread in the foundation’s work. Lexington Public Schools received $11,883 for Destination Graduation laptops, and the foundation also administers student scholarship funds for Lexington and Dawson County students pursuing post-secondary education. Those scholarship programs include multiple named funds, with awards made annually. Arts support appears in the Athea Roberts Music Grant, which gave $500 in 2025 for continuation of a ukulele program that enriches the musical experiences of elementary students. That is a direct example of project-specific arts education support rather than broad operating aid. Human services and community support also run through the grant portfolio. The Good Samaritan Fund provides direct assistance for students’ basic needs, such as shoes and socks, while the Sara Rickertsen Special Needs Grant supports charitable projects for people with disabilities.
Lexington Community Foundation’s typical grant size is small in the middle of the distribution and much larger at the upper end: p25 is $9,905, median is $11,883, and p75 is $505,942. That spread reflects a mix of routine community grants and occasional major commitments. The recent awards shown here include one seven-figure pledge and smaller project grants, suggesting both capital support and targeted program funding. The foundation appears to combine open grant programs with donor-established funds. Its grant programs note that unsolicited applications are accepted, and multiple scholarship and special-purpose funds are administered by the foundation. The recent grants list shows a local, place-based pattern rather than recurring multi-state giving.
$1M
$10.2M
$322K
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $506K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$506K
MIKE MALOLEY
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All of the grants in the provided data went to recipients in Nebraska, and 100% of grants were awarded in the HQ state. The foundation’s giving is concentrated in Lexington, with the recent grants list including Orthman Community YMCA, Lexington Public Schools, and Heartland Military Musem, all in Lexington, NE. Its scholarship programs also extend to Dawson County students, showing a county-level reach beyond the city itself while remaining local to Nebraska.
The foundation supports human services, neighborhoods and environment, education and scholarships, arts and music, and emergency and relief work. Its active programs also include unrestricted community grants, student scholarships, a Community Relief Fund, a music grant, and a special needs grant.
Yes. The general grantmaking program notes that it accepts unsolicited applications, and several named programs also list unsolicited access, including the Student Scholarship Program, the Athea Roberts Music Grant, the Good Samaritan Fund, and the Sara Rickertsen Special Needs Grant.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $9,905, a median of $11,883, and a p75 of $505,942. That indicates many grants are in the five-figure range, with some much larger commitments.
Its giving is local. All of the grants in the provided data went to Nebraska recipients, with 100% of grants awarded in the HQ state. The recipient list centers on Lexington, with some scholarship activity reaching Dawson County.
It administers donor-established scholarship funds for students in Lexington and Dawson County. The scholarship programs include multiple named funds, are awarded annually, and support both post-secondary scholarships and K–12 scholarship awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORTHMAN COMMUNITY YMCA | LEXINGTON, NE | $1,000,000 | 2025 | COMMITMENT TO THE YMCA CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LEXINGTON, NE | $11,883 | 2025 | DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS |
| HEARTLAND MILITARY MUSEM | LEXINGTON, NE | $7,927 | 2025 | REALLOCATION OF TRAUTMAN |
| CITY OF LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON, NE | $50,000 | 2024 | GRANT |
| LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LEXINGTON, NE | $17,081 | 2024 | DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS |
| CITY OF LEXINGTON | LEXINGTON, NE | $25,000 | 2023 | GRANT |
| LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LEXINGTON, NE | $17,776 | 2023 | DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS |
| DAWSON COUNTY FAMILY PARTNERS | LEXINGTON, NE | $5,000 | 2023 | DIAPER DRIVE |
ORTHMAN COMMUNITY YMCA
$1,000,000COMMITMENT TO THE YMCA CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$11,883DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS
HEARTLAND MILITARY MUSEM
$7,927REALLOCATION OF TRAUTMAN
CITY OF LEXINGTON
$50,000GRANT
LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$17,081DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS
CITY OF LEXINGTON
$25,000GRANT
LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$17,776DESTINATION GRADUATION LAPTOPS
DAWSON COUNTY FAMILY PARTNERS
$5,000DIAPER DRIVE
Current and upcoming funding from Lexington Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicant must be an organization directly involved in working with physically and mentally handicapped individuals. Organizations run by parents of children with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: Applications accepted any time throughout the year.
Who can apply: Grant requests are submitted by area human service organizations supporting ongoing individual and household relief.
Deadline: Currently accepting grant requests.
Who can apply: No formal eligibility criteria are stated on the page; the fund is used when there is a need for children in the local school community.
Deadline: Not specified; the fund receives gifts throughout the year.
Who can apply: Music-related projects or programs benefiting the Lexington community; administered as part of the Roberts family gift for the benefit of the Lexington community.
Deadline: Cycle closes for the current year and reopens on November 1, 2026.
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