Nebraska Community Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Nebraska Community Foundation
We unleash abundant local assets, inspire charitable giving, and connect ambitious people to build stronger communities and a Greater Nebraska.
Focus Areas
Community building and place-based philanthropyEndowment development and managementGrantmaking to local nonprofits and governmental entitiesYouth engagement and leadership developmentDonor advised funds and planned givingEducation, training and peer learning for affiliated fundsPeople attraction and economic development for hometowns
Who They Fund
residents of small towns / rural communitieschildren and youthlocal municipalities and community non-profitslow-income households (housing program beneficiaries)
About Nebraska Community Foundation
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.
What Nebraska Community Foundation Funds
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.
How Nebraska Community Foundation Gives
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.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$16.7M
Total Assets
$277.7M
Total Revenue
$60.9M
Total Expenses
$40.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $30K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Local14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JEFFREY G YOST
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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