About Peter Kiewit Foundation
The Peter Kiewit Foundation makes concentrated, large capital investments in Omaha-area civic infrastructure, cultural institutions, and educational facilities, prioritizing projects that shape the city’s public spaces and learning assets. Their giving is highly local and project-focused—funding major construction, renovation, and redevelopment campaigns (riverfront, science centers, performing arts venues, museums, and preservation/development funds).
Focus Areas
Downtown riverfront and public-space redevelopment (Omaha Tri‑Park Complex)STEM and discovery center capital projects (Kiewit Discovery Center / Luminarium)University campus science facility construction/renovation (UNO Durham Science Center)Performing arts venue development and live music infrastructure (Omaha Performing Arts)Museum expansion and cultural institution capital campaigns (Joslyn Art Museum)Community development and preservation financing (Development & Preservation Fund)
Who They Fund
Omaha and Nebraska local communities / residents
About Peter Kiewit Foundation
A defining thread in Peter Kiewit Foundation grantmaking is repeated capital support for Omaha civic projects, especially the Riverfront Revitalization Initiative at the Omaha Tri-Park Complex, which received two of the largest recent awards. The foundation’s giving shows a strong preference for place-based investments that alter public infrastructure and learning assets rather than short-term charitable projects. Alongside riverfront redevelopment, the recent record includes major support for the Kiewit Discovery Center, the UNO Durham Science Center renovation, and the Omaha Performing Arts live music venue. Those awards point to a funder that uses large grants to shape buildings, campuses, and public-facing institutions in Omaha and across Nebraska. The foundation also backs education pathways through the University of Nebraska system, including engineering education and scholarship support, showing that its capital-oriented approach extends into college access and specialized training. Recent awards to museums, libraries, and community facilities add another layer: the foundation funds cultural and civic spaces that are intended for broad public use, often through multi-year commitments or phased campaign support.
What Peter Kiewit Foundation Funds
In civic infrastructure, Peter Kiewit Foundation gave $15,000,000 and $10,000,000 to Downtown Riverfront Trust for the Riverfront Revitalization Initiative - Omaha Tri-Park Complex Project. In STEM education, it gave $6,250,000 to University of Nebraska Foundation for renovation and expansion of the College of Engineering, and $3,000,000 for the UNO Durham Science Center Renovation Project. Cultural capital projects are also prominent: the foundation awarded $2,000,000 to Joslyn Art Museum for the Evolve Joslyn capital campaign, and $500,000 to Omaha Performing Arts Society for the Holland Center 20th Anniversary Capital Improvement Project. Its giving also reaches public assets such as the new Omaha Central Public Library through Community Information Trust.
How Peter Kiewit Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $183,500 at the 75th percentile, though the recent file includes awards from the thousands to the multi-million-dollar range. The recent grants list shows repeated support for the same recipients across multiple years, including the University of Nebraska Foundation, Omaha Discovery Trust, and Community Information Trust, which points to multi-year commitments rather than one-time checks. Peter Kiewit Foundation is a regular funder and does not make program-related investments. The active grant programs also indicate invited or targeted support rather than unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$28.9M
Total Assets
$466.6M
Total Revenue
$105.1M
Total Expenses
$35.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $184K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$184K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
About 97% of grants go to recipients in NE.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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