The Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation raises money in support of the cause of Nebraska history, including the support of the Nebraska State Historical Society. The Foundation solicits funds and support from individuals and organizations to ensure Nebraska’s history is preserved, shared, and accessible to future generations.
The Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by large support to various Nebraska recipients in Lincoln, including a $2,218,483 grant in 2024 and an $854,015 grant in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that operates on a sizable scale while staying tightly tied to Nebraska history and heritage work. The foundation supports the Nebraska State Historical Society itself, and its funding is organized around preserving collections, improving exhibits, and expanding education and access. Its grantmaking also reaches smaller history projects across the state through statewide programs. Recent awards show support for public history work that can be delivered through museums, libraries, historical societies, and community partners. The foundation’s scholarship activity adds another layer to its profile, linking historical remembrance with student support. Across these different channels, the core theme is consistent: helping Nebraska history remain preserved, interpreted, and available to the public.
A clear part of the foundation’s work is collections and preservation support. In 2023, it gave $276,085 to Nebraska State Historical Society in Lincoln, and in 2024 it followed with $108,697 to the same organization. Those grants align with a focus on collection preservation and conservation. Education and access are another thread. The foundation’s statewide grant programs are built for museums, historical societies, libraries, and community partners working on school field trips, public programming, traveling exhibits, and speakers. Its program description also includes historically focused youth and family programming. Scholarships are a separate lane in the portfolio. The foundation operates scholarship programs for Nebraska high school seniors tied to World War II and Pearl Harbor remembrance, showing that its support extends beyond institutions to students and commemoration.
Grant sizes are substantial: the typical award sits at a p25 of $192,391, a median of $524,300, and a p75 of $689,158. That distribution suggests a mix of very large institutional support and other sizable grants, with repeated awards to the same Nebraska-based recipient over multiple years. The recent grant list shows the Nebraska State Historical Society receiving grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while “Various” also appears in multiple years. The foundation is not a program-related investment funder and does not fund individuals. Its active programs include unsolicited scholarship and statewide grant opportunities.
$2.4M
$23.1M
$3.3M
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $192K and $689K, with a median of $524K.
25th Percentile
$192K
Median
$524K
75th Percentile
$689K
LESLIE FATTIG
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Giving is local and entirely in Nebraska, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Lincoln appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, including awards to Various and to the Nebraska State Historical Society. The grant geography also aligns with the foundation’s statewide programs, which are designed for museums, libraries, historical societies, and community partners across Nebraska. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the grant data.
The foundation supports museums, historical societies, libraries, and community partners through statewide grants, and it also backs the Nebraska State Historical Society itself. Its program descriptions point to collections preservation, exhibit production, educational programming, and public history access.
Yes. It operates scholarship programs for Nebraska high school seniors, including the Nebraskans of World War II Scholarship Fund and the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Award. Those programs connect student support with remembrance of Nebraskan servicemen tied to the U.S.S. Arizona and Pearl Harbor.
Its grant-size distribution is large: p25 is $192,391, the median is $524,300, and p75 is $689,158. The recent grants also include awards above $2 million, showing a portfolio that includes major institutional grants alongside smaller statewide program awards.
Yes. The RoamNebraska statewide grant programs and the scholarship programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications. RoamNebraska grants are described as competitive and focused on Nebraska museums, historical societies, libraries, and community partners.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to eligible Nebraska organizations and partners seeking support for education and access activities.
Deadline: Applications must be received by September 15, 2026; grantees will be notified in October 2026.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARIOUS | LINCOLN, NE | $1,311,587 | 2025 | — |
| VARIOUS | LINCOLN, NE | $854,015 | 2025 | — |
| NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | LINCOLN, NE | $156,138 | 2025 | — |
| NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | LINCOLN, NE | $32,662 | 2025 | — |
| VARIOUS | LINCOLN, NE | $2,218,483 | 2024 | — |
| VARIOUS | LINCOLN, NE | $524,300 | 2024 | — |
| NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | LINCOLN, NE | $108,697 | 2024 | — |
| VARIOUS | LINCOLN, NE | $524,300 | 2023 | — |
| NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | LINCOLN, NE | $276,085 | 2023 | — |
VARIOUS
$1,311,587VARIOUS
$854,015NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$156,138NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$32,662VARIOUS
$2,218,483VARIOUS
$524,300NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$108,697VARIOUS
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$276,085