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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Nebraska
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 3,031 grantmakers listed 28,642 grants totaling $2.8 billion to 7,883 organizations in Nebraska. 2,731 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 300 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 583 are based in Nebraska; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Nebraska organization was $10,000. Douglas County received the most grants (13,088, from 1,563 funders), followed by Lancaster County (5,326) and Adams County (636). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (3,414 grants), children & youth (2,766 grants) and arts & culture (1,755 grants).
The Sherwood Foundation (Omaha, NE) funded the most different Nebraska organizations: 602, through 1,931 grants with a typical size of $80,000.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Nebraska organizations
Ranked by the number of different Nebraska organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to NE organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sherwood Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 47-0824755 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 1,931 | 602 | $80,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 2 | Nebraska Community Foundation Lincoln, NE · EIN 47-0769903 | 352 | 346 | $16,884 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 3 | Lincoln Community Foundation Inc Lincoln, NE · EIN 47-0458128 | 324 | 324 | $25,124 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 4 | The Lozier Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 94-3027928 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 550 | 315 | $50,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 5 | Weitz Family Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 47-0834133 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 468 | 236 | $50,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | First Interstate BancSystem Foundation Inc Billings, MT · EIN 81-0465899 | 298 | 234 | $2,500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 7 | Land O'lakes Foundation St Paul, MN · EIN 41-1864977 | 291 | 219 | $1,250 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 8 | The Charles and Mary Heider Family Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 47-0810266 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 461 | 188 | $15,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 9 | The Hawks Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 47-6194021 | 229 | 156 | $38,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 10 | Oea Foundation Inc Omaha, NE · EIN 47-0488295 | 151 | 151 | $5,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | Abel Foundation Lincoln, NE · EIN 47-6041771 | 234 | 142 | $10,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 12 | Robert B Daugherty Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 36-3766006 | 224 | 138 | $87,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 13 | Mutual of Omaha Foundation Omaha, NE · EIN 20-2176636 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 222 | 127 | $25,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 14 | D F Dillon Foundation Lincoln, NE · EIN 91-1805591 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 293 | 125 | $30,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | Cooper Foundation Lincoln, NE · EIN 47-0401230 | 170 | 115 | $10,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 13,088 | 1,563 | $1.7 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Lancaster County | 5,326 | 958 | $581.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Adams County | 636 | 112 | $49.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Sarpy County | 592 | 223 | $32.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Buffalo County | 583 | 110 | $40.3 million | Top 5 funders |
| Hall County | 539 | 98 | $19.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Sioux County | 425 | 46 | $5.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Otoe County | 359 | 48 | $11.2 million | Top 5 funders |
| Dodge County | 268 | 71 | $12.1 million | Top 5 funders |
| Madison County | 243 | 55 | $9.8 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 3,414 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 2,766 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 1,755 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 1,344 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 780 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 678 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 586 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 548 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 469 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 231 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 184 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 180 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 94 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Nebraska ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.