The Charles and Mary Heider Family Foundation concentrates its support on large, local institutions that serve children and youth in the Omaha area. Its recent giving is dominated by one major child welfare organization and a Catholic girls’ school, indicating a focus on direct services for vulnerable children and support for faith-based education. Grants are sizable and likely intended for capital, program expansion, or endowment. The foundation appears locally focused and issue-specific rather than broadly distributed across causes.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants to established local nonprofit institutions rather than many small awards; funding appears targeted to major projects or long-term sustainability for core grantees.
The Charles and Mary Heider Family Foundation’s recent giving is led by a $9,125,000 grant to Child Saving Institute, a sign of its strong backing for child welfare and family services in Omaha. The foundation also made multimillion-dollar gifts to Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Creighton University, Omaha Performing Arts - the Presenters, and Vita Nova, showing a pattern of sizable support for local institutions with long operating horizons. Several of its largest awards go to organizations serving children and youth, including Children’s Nebraska Hospital, The Madonna School, Jesuit Academy, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands, and Community Alliance. Education is another recurring thread, especially Catholic and faith-based schools such as Omaha Catholic Schools Consortium and Kuemper Catholic School. The mix of recipients suggests a funder that concentrates on direct services, school support, and institutional sustainability rather than a broad, dispersed portfolio. Most of the grants in the recent list are in Omaha, with a smaller number reaching nearby or related organizations outside the city.
Child welfare and family services are a major part of the foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $9,125,000 to Child Saving Institute for charitable purposes, and $1,106,500 to Children’s Nebraska Hospital, both in Omaha. Behavioral health also appears in the record through a $1,000,000 grant to Mental Health Innovation Foundation and $500,000 grants in 2024 and 2025 to Parkinson's Nebraska. Education is another clear theme: Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart received $3,161,000, while The Madonna School received $1,100,000 in 2025 and $516,000 in 2024. Faith-based schooling extends to Jesuit Academy, Omaha Catholic Schools Consortium, Kuemper Catholic School, and Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $11,000 at the median, and $35,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record also includes repeated seven-figure awards. The foundation’s giving is concentrated and place-based, with many recipients appearing in multiple years; Creighton University, Community Alliance, Omaha Performing Arts - the Presenters, The Madonna School, Mental Health Innovation Foundation, and Parkinson's Nebraska all show repeat grants. It is a private family foundation, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The recent list suggests a preference for multi-year support to established institutions rather than one-time, widely dispersed grants.
$40.3M
$245.1M
$3.8M
$41.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $35K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$35K
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Notable grantees: Child Saving Institute, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
The foundation gives overwhelmingly in Nebraska: 83% of grants go to recipients in its HQ state, and Nebraska is also its top state by grant count. Omaha dominates the recipient map, with repeated grants to organizations in the city across education, health, arts, and family services. Outside Nebraska, the recent list includes Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Carroll, Iowa, and Des Plaines, Illinois, but the footprint remains local overall. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 537 grants to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants cluster around child welfare and family services, child and adolescent behavioral health, Catholic girls’ secondary education, faith-based schooling, and a few other Omaha institutions such as arts and community organizations. The pattern is centered on direct-service and school-based groups rather than a broad mix of issue areas.
Yes. Nebraska is the top state by grant count, and 83% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent grants are heavily concentrated in Omaha, with only a small number reaching places such as Pine Ridge, South Dakota; Carroll, Iowa; and Des Plaines, Illinois.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $5,000, a median of $11,000, and a 75th percentile of $35,000. At the same time, recent giving includes several much larger awards in the seven-figure range.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Creighton University, Community Alliance, Omaha Performing Arts - the Presenters, The Madonna School, Mental Health Innovation Foundation, and Parkinson's Nebraska. That suggests recurring support for a number of long-standing local institutions.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY | OMAHA, NE | $25,189,040 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE | OMAHA, NE | $2,332,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY | OMAHA, NE | $1,380,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| JOSLYN ART MUSEUM | OMAHA, NE | $1,000,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION | MIAMI, FL | $900,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $600,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $566,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| WORD ON FIRE CATHOLIC MINISTRIES | DES PLAINES, IL | $550,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OMAHA POLICE FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $536,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $500,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CREIGHTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL | OMAHA, NE | $451,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| JESUIT ACADEMY | OMAHA, NE | $445,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CUES | OMAHA, NE | $379,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| STABLE RECOVERY | LEXINGTON, KY | $365,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| PROJECT HARMONY | OMAHA, NE | $352,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| FILM STREAMS | OMAHA, NE | $345,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $300,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC HS | OMAHA, NE | $300,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE SHELTERING TREE | OMAHA, NE | $270,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDREN'S NEBRASKA HOSPITAL | OMAHA, NE | $257,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ARUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $250,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT TRUST | OMAHA, NE | $200,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| MERCY HIGH SCHOOL | OMAHA, NE | $160,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $155,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ONEWORLD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS | OMAHA, NE | $115,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AMERICAN MIDWEST BALLET | OMAHA, NE | $100,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| WESTERN IOWA JOURNALISM FOUNDATION | BREDA, IA | $100,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH | OMAHA, NE | $100,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| DUCHESNE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART | OMAHA, NE | $75,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| FAYETTE ALLIANCE FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $65,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BEMIS CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS | OMAHA, NE | $65,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHRIST THE KING | OMAHA, NE | $57,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| WESTSIDE FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $54,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| BLUE GRASS FARMS CHARITIES | LEXINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| YFC INC | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| VITA NOVA | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF OMAHA | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| ESSENTIAL PREGNANCY SERVICES | OMAHA, NE | $45,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| RESPECT | OMAHA, NE | $40,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| GO BEYOND NEBRASKA | OMAHA, NE | $35,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION | IOWA CITY, IA | $35,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS - THE PRESENTERS | OMAHA, NE | $35,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| NEW VOCATIONS | LEXINGTON, KY | $35,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| OMAHA STREET SCHOOL | OMAHA, NE | $30,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| COMPLETELY KIDS | OMAHA, NE | $30,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| LATINO CENTER OF THE MIDLANDS | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| AUTISM ACTION PARTNERSHIP | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| COMMON SENSES | OMAHA, NE | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
$25,189,040CHARITABLE
CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE
$2,332,500CHARITABLE
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
$1,380,500CHARITABLE
JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
$1,000,000CHARITABLE
THE PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION
$900,000CHARITABLE
MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION
$600,000CHARITABLE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS
CHARITABLE
WORD ON FIRE CATHOLIC MINISTRIES
$550,000CHARITABLE
OMAHA POLICE FOUNDATION
$536,000CHARITABLE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA
$500,000CHARITABLE
CREIGHTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL
$451,500CHARITABLE
JESUIT ACADEMY
$445,500CHARITABLE
CUES
$379,000CHARITABLE
STABLE RECOVERY
$365,000CHARITABLE
PROJECT HARMONY
$352,500CHARITABLE
FILM STREAMS
$345,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION
$300,000CHARITABLE
ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC HS
$300,000CHARITABLE
THE SHELTERING TREE
$270,000CHARITABLE
CHILDREN'S NEBRASKA HOSPITAL
$257,500CHARITABLE
ARUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$250,000CHARITABLE
DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT TRUST
$200,000CHARITABLE
MERCY HIGH SCHOOL
$160,000CHARITABLE
GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$155,000CHARITABLE
ONEWORLD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
$115,000CHARITABLE
AMERICAN MIDWEST BALLET
$100,000CHARITABLE
WESTERN IOWA JOURNALISM FOUNDATION
$100,000CHARITABLE
OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH
$100,000CHARITABLE
DUCHESNE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART
$75,500CHARITABLE
FAYETTE ALLIANCE FOUNDATION
$65,000CHARITABLE
BEMIS CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS
$65,000CHARITABLE
CHRIST THE KING
$57,500CHARITABLE
WESTSIDE FOUNDATION
$54,000CHARITABLE
BLUE GRASS FARMS CHARITIES
$50,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
$50,000CHARITABLE
YFC INC
$50,000CHARITABLE
VITA NOVA
$50,000CHARITABLE
THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
$50,000CHARITABLE
CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF OMAHA
$50,000CHARITABLE
ESSENTIAL PREGNANCY SERVICES
$45,000CHARITABLE
RESPECT
$40,000CHARITABLE
GO BEYOND NEBRASKA
$35,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION
$35,000CHARITABLE
OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS - THE PRESENTERS
$35,000CHARITABLE
NEW VOCATIONS
$35,000CHARITABLE
OMAHA STREET SCHOOL
$30,000CHARITABLE
COMPLETELY KIDS
$30,000CHARITABLE
LATINO CENTER OF THE MIDLANDS
$25,000CHARITABLE
AUTISM ACTION PARTNERSHIP
$25,000CHARITABLE
COMMON SENSES
$25,000CHARITABLE