About University of Nebraska Foundation
The University of Nebraska Foundation overwhelmingly funnels philanthropic support back into the University of Nebraska system, prioritizing institutional and alumni-directed funding with a secondary emphasis on affiliated medical/healthcare units. Grants are largely for broad university support, alumni relations, and medical center needs, reflecting an institutional fundraising and stewardship mission rather than project-based or community grants. The foundation repeatedly funds the same core university entities, signaling sustained long-term backing of campus priorities and institutional advancement.
Focus Areas
Systemwide University Support (unrestricted and campus priorities for the University of Nebraska)Alumni Association strengthening and alumni-directed programs at University of Nebraska–Lincoln and UNMCAcademic medical center support and clinical/research capacity at Nebraska Medicine/UNMC
Who They Fund
universities / higher education institutionsalumni / alumni associations
Giving Approach
Extremely concentrated, high-dollar giving focused on a small set of repeat institutional grantees; few grants overall, multiple large gifts to core university and alumni organizations rather than broad, distributed funding.
About University of Nebraska Foundation
The University of Nebraska Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by very large university-support grants to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, including awards of $286,243,870 in 2025 and $286,323,087 in 2024. That pattern places the foundation firmly in the role of institutional backer for the University of Nebraska system rather than a broad community grantmaker. Beyond the main university support stream, its recent grants also show recurring funding for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, reflecting a second major channel tied to clinical and medical operations. The grant record points to sustained support for university priorities, medical center needs, and affiliated alumni organizations. The foundation’s active grant programs reinforce that picture: UNO Fund, N Fund, UNK Fund, Nebraska Medicine - Greatest Needs, Innovation Funds at UNMC, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, and Nebraska Grow crowdfunding all sit inside the University of Nebraska ecosystem. Across those channels, the foundation supports campus priorities, students, academic programs, research, innovation, and alumni engagement.
What University of Nebraska Foundation Funds
At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the foundation backs greatest-needs work through the N Fund, which supports campus priorities, colleges, students, athletics, and academic initiatives. At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the UNO Fund serves the same kind of campus-priority role, with support for students, colleges, and programs. Medical and health sciences funding is another clear theme: Nebraska Medicine’s Greatest Needs fund supports priority needs and affiliated clinical and medical programs, while UNMC Innovation Funds support priorities, research, and student and faculty initiatives. The foundation also funds institutes inside the system, including the Buffett Early Childhood Institute for early childhood research, programs, and initiatives, and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute for water, food security, and global agriculture.
How University of Nebraska Foundation Gives
The grant-size profile is highly skewed: p25 is $320,000, median grant size is $491,498, and p75 rises to $57,692,188. The recent grant list also shows repeated awards to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and Nebraska Medicine, which suggests ongoing institutional support rather than isolated project grants. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not make program-related investments. Its active grant programs are not structured for unsolicited applications; each listed program says it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$292.3M
Total Assets
$3.6B
Total Revenue
$352.5M
Total Expenses
$345.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $320K and $57.7M, with a median of $491K.
25th Percentile
$320K
Median
$491K
75th Percentile
$57.7M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in NE.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BRIAN F HASTINGS
PRESIDENT & CEO
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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