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Nebraska Community Foundation’s recent giving shows a clear preference for place-based capital projects and local development work, with some of the largest awards supporting economic development in Ralston and Sidney. The foundation also backs community facilities and civic amenities, including a community center in Laurel, an aquatic center in Waverly, and a splash pad in Decatur. That pattern fits its broader role as a community foundation serving Greater Nebraska through local asset-building, affiliated funds, and donor advised giving. The grant record also shows support for institutions that anchor town life. Omaha Discovery Trust received general support in both 2023 and 2024, while Joslyn Art Museum received capital campaign funding in consecutive years. Other grants moved to local public entities and nonprofit partners for projects tied to community infrastructure, arts access, and economic activity. Across the record, the foundation funds municipalities, community nonprofits, and education-related initiatives, reflecting a model centered on hometown capacity rather than a single issue area.
Economic development is a consistent thread in the grant list. Nebraska Community Foundation gave $1,500,000 to Ralston Community Redevelopment Authority for economic development support and $300,000 to the City of Sidney for economic development support. It also funded Heritage Services for economic development planning support, indicating interest in both implementation and planning. The foundation also supports community gathering places and recreation. Grants went to the City of Laurel for a community center project, the City of Waverly for an aquatic center project, and the Village of Decatur for a splash pad project. In another line of giving, it backed the Museum of Nebraska Art for capital campaign and expansion work, showing support for cultural infrastructure as well as civic projects. Education appears through youth-facing programming and scholarships in the foundation’s active programs, including Nebraska-administered scholarship support and youth engagement initiatives.
Typical grants cluster around mid-five figures to low six figures, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $17,592, and p75 of $30,000. The recent grant list also includes a set of much larger awards, showing that the foundation makes both routine community grants and major project funding. Recipients recur across years: Ralston Economic Development Corporation, Omaha Discovery Trust, Greater Omaha Chamber Foundation, United Way of the Midlands, and Joslyn Art Museum all appear in multiple years. Nebraska Community Foundation is a mixed community foundation, and its active scholarship programs include both unsolicited and administered pathways.
$16.7M
$277.7M
$60.9M
$40.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $30K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$30K
JEFFREY G YOST
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Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Nebraska, with 88% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recipient-country data shows all recent grants stayed in the United States. Within Nebraska, awards reached cities and towns such as Omaha, Ralston, Sidney, Waverly, Laurel, Decatur, and Walthill. Outside the state, Colorado is listed as the top state by grant count, but the recipient-country distribution in the available data remains entirely U.S.-based.
The foundation funds local municipalities, community nonprofits, and governmental entities for charitable activities. Recent grants show support for economic development corporations, city governments, arts organizations, health system foundations, and community trusts, alongside scholarship administration and youth-focused programming in Nebraska.
The record points to economic development, community center and recreation projects, arts and cultural facilities, health equipment support, and youth-related programming. Active programs also include scholarships, youth engagement, hometown internships, and emergency recovery support.
Typical grants are modest relative to the largest awards: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $17,592, and the p75 is $30,000. The recent grants table also includes larger project grants ranging into the hundreds of thousands and up to $1,500,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Ralston Economic Development Corporation, Omaha Discovery Trust, United Way of the Midlands, Greater Omaha Chamber Foundation, Heritage Services, Joslyn Art Museum, City of Sidney, and Omaha Performing Arts.
Yes. Nebraska Community Foundation administers scholarship programs for Nebraska students through affiliated funds and scholarship committees. The active program list includes both unsolicited scholarship pathways and administered scholarship funds.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Nebraska Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Funding is intended for youth-led projects, service efforts, or learning experiences connected to a community youth engagement strategy. The grants are supplementary and are not intended to be the starting point for a youth engagement effort.
Deadline: No fixed deadline stated; inquiries may be initiated through the Youth Engagement Specialist.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PENDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INC | PENDER, NE | $956,500 | 2026 | PRINCIPAL PAYMENT PENDER COMM CENTER LOAN |
| CITY OF BASSETT | BASSETT, NE | $767,694 | 2026 | GRANT-COMMUNITY CENTER |
| OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY | OMAHA, NE | $575,000 | 2026 | GRANT |
| JOSLYN ART MUSEUM | OMAHA, NE | $560,000 | 2026 | GRANT FOR REOPENING SUPPORT |
| CHEYENNE COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER FOUNDATION | SIDNEY, NE | $505,000 | 2026 | GRANT-SENIOR MEAL PROGRAM |
| OMAHA DISCOVERY TRUST | OMAHA, NE | $500,000 | 2026 | KIEWIT DISCOVERY CENTER-LUMINARIUM YR 5 OF 5 |
| HERITAGE SERVICES | OMAHA, NE | $500,000 | 2026 | RIVERFRONT PROJECT YR 7 OF 10 |
| DISCOVERY CENTER OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA | MCCOOK, NE | $394,051 | 2026 | GRANT (CLOSE) |
| WILLA CATHER FOUNDATION | RED CLOUD, NE | $383,868 | 2026 | QUARTERLY GRANT PAYMENT |
| YMCA OF MCCOOK | MCCOOK, NE | $345,960 | 2026 | OUR TOWN, OUR Y, OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN |
| SHERIDAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | RUSHVILLE, NE | $338,636 | 2026 | GRANT FOR RUSHVILLE MUSEUM |
| GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $305,000 | 2026 | PROSPER 2.0 |
| MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART | KEARNEY, NE | $260,000 | 2026 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| PENDER PUBLIC SCHOOL | PENDER, NE | $257,481 | 2026 | TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK FRIDAY GRILL OUT |
| RALSTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | RALSTON, NE | $250,000 | 2026 | PURCHASE OF AAA BUILDING COMPONENTS PROPERTIES |
| VILLAGE OF COLERIDGE | COLERIDGE, NE | $216,073 | 2026 | GRANT-PARK IMPROVEMENTS (CREATIVE SITES LLC) |
| UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $212,260 | 2026 | 50% CORP MATCH + STEP UP |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $200,000 | 2026 | MULTI-YEAR CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP YR 3 OF 5 |
| GIBBON HERITAGE CENTER FOUNDATION | GIBBON, NE | $168,000 | 2026 | GRANT |
| FRIEND LEARNING CENTER | FRIEND, NE | $167,500 | 2026 | GRANT FOR CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT |
| CITY OF SIDNEY | SIDNEY, NE | $157,185 | 2026 | 308AG AND CRECERA |
| BOONE COUNTY TREASURER | ALBION, NE | $130,000 | 2026 | BOND PLEDGE PAYMENT |
| NORFOLK AREA CHILDCARE COLLABORATIVE | NORFOLK, NE | $126,357 | 2026 | GRANT (CLOSE) |
| SIDNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | SIDNEY, NE | $125,099 | 2026 | GRANT-PRE-K 3 & 4 YR OLDS EARLY LEARNING PROG 1/3 |
| SYRACUSE LIBRARY FOUNDATION | SYRACUSE, NE | $121,796 | 2026 | FY2024 PAYOUT GRANT |
| CITY OF SIDNEY | SIDNEY, NE | $121,047 | 2026 | GRANT SAFE AT HOME LB840 JOB CREATION 1 OF 3 |
| CITY OF HICKMAN | HICKMAN, NE | $108,528 | 2026 | PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR CITY PARK |
| NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE | NORFOLK, NE | $100,000 | 2026 | RAPID PROTOTYPE LAB |
| THOMAS COUNTY AG SOCIETY | THEDFORD, NE | $99,214 | 2026 | THOMAS CO PAVILLION AT FAIRGROUNDS ROOF |
| VILLAGE OF ELK CREEK | ELK CREEK, NE | $95,000 | 2026 | GRANT FOR COMMUNITY CENTER |
| OMAHA SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION | OMAHA, NE | $95,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT & ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION |
| SYNOVATION VALLEY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY | ORD, NE | $87,650 | 2026 | GRANT-OPERATING EXPENSES |
| CITY OF ALBION | ALBION, NE | $85,862 | 2026 | HOUSING GRANT |
| RIVERSIDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | CEDAR RAPIDS, NE | $78,000 | 2026 | GRANT-PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL |
| NO BARRIERS USA | FORT COLLINS, CO | $75,000 | 2026 | WHAT'S YOUR EVEREST? |
| CITY OF HEBRON | HEBRON, NE | $70,543 | 2026 | CITY'S YOUTH ACTION CMTE WILLARD PARK |
| YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES (YES) | OMAHA, NE | $70,000 | 2026 | YES RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS |
| NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION INC | NORFOLK, NE | $66,288 | 2026 | DIBS IN NPS ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS PART 2 OF 2 |
| LINCOLN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | LINCOLN, NE | $65,000 | 2026 | GRANT TO GIVING DAY CENTER FOR PEOPLE IN NEED |
| FAIRBURY HIGH SCHOOL | FAIRBURY, NE | $63,914 | 2026 | ANNUAL GRANT |
| CITY OF COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS, NE | $63,000 | 2026 | CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WORKFORCE DEV GRANT FUNDS |
| VILLAGE OF WALTHILL | WALTHILL, NE | $61,078 | 2026 | SKATEPARK PICNIC SHELTER WORK EXP REIM |
| NEBRASKA ENTERPRISE FUND | OAKLAND, NE | $60,000 | 2026 | 2024 IMPACT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION | LINCOLN, NE | $60,000 | 2026 | DENTAL STARTER KIT PROJECT FUND PYT #1 |
| SEWARD COUNTY BRIDGES INC | SEWARD, NE | $58,221 | 2026 | GRANT-CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL |
| VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS THEATER INC | ORD, NE | $58,000 | 2026 | GRANT-GOLDEN HUSK |
| AWAKENING SEED INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $57,875 | 2026 | GRANT |
| BOYD COUNTY SCHOOLS | SPENCER, NE | $57,300 | 2026 | GYMNASIUM HVAC (YEAR 4 OF 6) |
| AKSARBEN FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $55,000 | 2026 | GRANT |
| VALLEY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | RED CLOUD, NE | $54,174 | 2026 | GRANT (INTEREST PAYOUT) |
PENDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INC
$956,500PRINCIPAL PAYMENT PENDER COMM CENTER LOAN
CITY OF BASSETT
$767,694GRANT-COMMUNITY CENTER
JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
$560,000GRANT FOR REOPENING SUPPORT
CHEYENNE COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER FOUNDATION
$505,000GRANT-SENIOR MEAL PROGRAM
KIEWIT DISCOVERY CENTER-LUMINARIUM YR 5 OF 5
DISCOVERY CENTER OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA
$394,051GRANT (CLOSE)
YMCA OF MCCOOK
$345,960OUR TOWN, OUR Y, OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN
SHERIDAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$338,636GRANT FOR RUSHVILLE MUSEUM
PENDER PUBLIC SCHOOL
$257,481TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK FRIDAY GRILL OUT
RALSTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
$250,000PURCHASE OF AAA BUILDING COMPONENTS PROPERTIES
VILLAGE OF COLERIDGE
$216,073GRANT-PARK IMPROVEMENTS (CREATIVE SITES LLC)
GIBBON HERITAGE CENTER FOUNDATION
$168,000GRANT
FRIEND LEARNING CENTER
$167,500GRANT FOR CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT
CITY OF SIDNEY
$157,185308AG AND CRECERA
BOONE COUNTY TREASURER
$130,000BOND PLEDGE PAYMENT
NORFOLK AREA CHILDCARE COLLABORATIVE
$126,357GRANT (CLOSE)
SIDNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$125,099GRANT-PRE-K 3 & 4 YR OLDS EARLY LEARNING PROG 1/3
SYRACUSE LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$121,796FY2024 PAYOUT GRANT
CITY OF SIDNEY
$121,047GRANT SAFE AT HOME LB840 JOB CREATION 1 OF 3
CITY OF HICKMAN
$108,528PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR CITY PARK
NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$100,000RAPID PROTOTYPE LAB
THOMAS COUNTY AG SOCIETY
$99,214THOMAS CO PAVILLION AT FAIRGROUNDS ROOF
VILLAGE OF ELK CREEK
$95,000GRANT FOR COMMUNITY CENTER
SYNOVATION VALLEY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
$87,650GRANT-OPERATING EXPENSES
CITY OF ALBION
$85,862HOUSING GRANT
RIVERSIDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$78,000GRANT-PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL
NO BARRIERS USA
$75,000WHAT'S YOUR EVEREST?
CITY OF HEBRON
$70,543CITY'S YOUTH ACTION CMTE WILLARD PARK
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION INC
$66,288DIBS IN NPS ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS PART 2 OF 2
FAIRBURY HIGH SCHOOL
$63,914ANNUAL GRANT
CITY OF COLUMBUS
$63,000CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WORKFORCE DEV GRANT FUNDS
VILLAGE OF WALTHILL
$61,078SKATEPARK PICNIC SHELTER WORK EXP REIM
SEWARD COUNTY BRIDGES INC
$58,221GRANT-CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS THEATER INC
$58,000GRANT-GOLDEN HUSK
AWAKENING SEED INC
$57,875GRANT
BOYD COUNTY SCHOOLS
$57,300GYMNASIUM HVAC (YEAR 4 OF 6)
AKSARBEN FOUNDATION
$55,000GRANT
VALLEY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$54,174GRANT (INTEREST PAYOUT)