The Terpstra Foundation concentrates funding in Lincoln and surrounding Nebraska communities, primarily supporting community arts organizations and youth-focused social services. It favors operating and program support for local nonprofits that run arts programming, child advocacy, mentoring, and community action initiatives. Grants are often repeat awards to the same local organizations, signaling sustained partnerships rather than one-off gifts.
Mid-sized, concentrated local giving with repeat grants to a small set of core grantees; funding is split between arts organizations and youth/community service providers rather than broadly distributed.
A $115,000 grant to York Public Schools stands out in the Terpstra Foundation’s recent record and shows how strongly the foundation leans into Nebraska-centered education and youth support. Across its latest grants, the foundation backs local organizations that work with children, students, and neighborhood residents through education, arts, mentoring, and community action. Its largest awards sit alongside smaller operating and program grants, suggesting a mix of major support and ongoing relationship-based funding. The Terpstra Foundation’s pattern points to sustained local partnerships rather than scattered one-time gifts. Lincoln Arts Council, Casa for York County, Blue Valley Community Action, Lux Center for the Arts, and Foundry Community all appear in the recent grants list, with some organizations receiving more than one award across different years. That repeat giving is consistent with a funder that supports established community institutions over time. The foundation’s grantmaking also connects arts and youth development. Community arts groups, child advocacy services, informal education, and youth enrichment all show up in the recent record, with grants to organizations such as the Lux Center for the Arts and Lincoln Children’s Museum reflecting that blend. The result is a portfolio rooted in Nebraska communities and centered on direct service, youth opportunity, and local civic life.
Community arts is one clear thread. In 2024, Terpstra Foundation gave $60,000 to Lincoln Arts Council for community support, and it also awarded $40,000 to Lux Center for the Arts for community art programs. Earlier support for the Lux Center continued in 2023 with a $10,000 grant for the same purpose. Youth-serving work is another focus. The foundation awarded $50,000 to Casa for York County in 2024 to promote youth, then followed with a $15,000 grant to the same organization in 2023 for the same purpose. It also supported Hopecam in Reston, Virginia, with $10,000 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023 for youth-related work. Education and informal learning appear in the recent record as well. York Public Schools received the largest grant, and Lincoln Children’s Museum was funded in both 2024 and 2023, showing attention to youth education outside traditional classroom settings.
Typical grants cluster around a $5,000 p25, $15,000 median, and $40,000 p75, with a much larger $115,000 award at the top end of the recent list. The pattern also shows repeat support: several recipients appear in more than one year, including Casa for York County, Lincoln Arts Council, Blue Valley Community Action, Lux Center for the Arts, Hopecam, and Lincoln Children’s Museum. That repetition suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is not structured to fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent record reflects grantmaking through direct support to organizations rather than open application-based philanthropy.
$417K
$0
$2K
$151K
Most grants fall between $5K and $40K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$40K
About 85% of grants go to recipients in NE.
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Notable grantees: Lincoln Arts Council, LUX Center for the Arts, Blue Valley Community Action, CASA for York County, HopeCam
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Nebraska-based: 85% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and every recent grant listed is in the United States. Lincoln and York account for much of the activity, with additional awards in Fairbury and one grant to Reston, Virginia. The recent record is especially concentrated in Lincoln, which appears across arts, youth, and community support awards. York also appears repeatedly through education and child-serving grants, reinforcing the foundation’s local focus within Nebraska.
Its recent grants center on community arts organizations, child advocacy and youth services, and local community action groups. Examples in the record include arts councils, a youth court-appointed advocacy program, a community action nonprofit, a children’s museum, and school-based support.
Recent grants cluster around a $5,000 p25, $15,000 median, and $40,000 p75. The distribution also includes a larger $115,000 grant, showing that the foundation sometimes makes substantially bigger awards alongside smaller recurring ones.
Yes. Its geographic scope is local, and 85% of grants go to recipients in Nebraska, the HQ state. The recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based and is concentrated in Nebraska cities such as Lincoln, York, and Fairbury.
Yes. Several organizations receive grants in multiple years, including Casa for York County, Lincoln Arts Council, Blue Valley Community Action, Lux Center for the Arts, Hopecam, and Lincoln Children’s Museum. That pattern points to repeat support for established partners.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS | YORK, NE | $115,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT EDUCATION |
| FOUNDRY COMMUNITY | LINCOLN, NE | $20,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE NEBRASKA COMMUNITY |
| LINCOLN ARTS COUNCIL | LINCOLN, NE | $60,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY |
| BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION | FAIRBURY, NE | $50,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY |
| CASA FOR YORK COUNTY | YORK, NE | $50,000 | 2024 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS | LINCOLN, NE | $40,000 | 2024 | COMMUNITY ART PROGRAMS |
| HOPECAM | RESTON, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| LINCOLN CHILDRENS MUSEUM | LINCOLN, NE | $5,000 | 2024 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| CASA FOR YORK COUNTY | YORK, NE | $15,000 | 2023 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| LINCOLN ARTS COUNCIL | LINCOLN, NE | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY |
| BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION | FAIRBURY, NE | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT COMMUNITY |
| LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS | LINCOLN, NE | $10,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY ART PROGRAMS |
| HOPECAM | RESTON, VA | $5,000 | 2023 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER | LINCOLN, NE | $5,000 | 2023 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
| LINCOLN CHILDRENS MUSEUM | LINCOLN, NE | $2,000 | 2023 | PROMOTE YOUTH |
YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$115,000SUPPORT EDUCATION
FOUNDRY COMMUNITY
$20,000SUPPORT THE NEBRASKA COMMUNITY
LINCOLN ARTS COUNCIL
$60,000SUPPORT COMMUNITY
BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION
$50,000SUPPORT COMMUNITY
CASA FOR YORK COUNTY
$50,000PROMOTE YOUTH
LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$40,000COMMUNITY ART PROGRAMS
HOPECAM
PROMOTE YOUTH
LINCOLN CHILDRENS MUSEUM
$5,000PROMOTE YOUTH
CASA FOR YORK COUNTY
$15,000PROMOTE YOUTH
LINCOLN ARTS COUNCIL
$15,000SUPPORT COMMUNITY
BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION
$15,000SUPPORT COMMUNITY
LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$10,000COMMUNITY ART PROGRAMS
HOPECAM
$5,000PROMOTE YOUTH
BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER
$5,000PROMOTE YOUTH
LINCOLN CHILDRENS MUSEUM
$2,000PROMOTE YOUTH