The Omaha Community Foundation awarded a total of $133,277 to 16 local organizations from three specialized grant funds: Creche Childhood Education Fund, Jetton Charitable Fund, and Richard A. Shaw Fund. Each fund supports specific programming in the community-driven by the intent of donors who established the funds.
Creche Childhood Education Fund
The Creche Childhood Education Fund was established following the closure of the Creche Home for Children in 2014. The Fund continues the organization’s 134-year legacy of serving youth in Omaha by distributing a maximum of $25,000 a year to nonprofits providing educational services to underserved children.
- FAMILY, Inc.: $7,500 for Southwest Iowa Raise Me to Read
- Kids Can Community Center: $6,319 for Early Childhood Expansion
- Educare of Omaha, Inc.: $7,500 for the Read & Play Program
Jetton Charitable Fund
The Jetton Charitable Fund supports youth exposure to the performing and visual arts as well as educational pursuits in the areas of natural science, technologies, zoological, botanical, or historical programs. The fund places an emphasis on programs offered by area cultural institutions or nonprofits rather than traditional classroom instruction.
- Kids Can Community Center: $15,000 for STEMsmart Academy Expansion
- Nebraska Writers Collective: $15,000 for All Writes Reserved
- WhyArts, Inc.: $10,000 for WhyArts Academy
- African Culture Connection: $24,000 for 2023/2024 Student-focused Authentic Cultural Experiences with African Culture Connection (ACC)
- Circle Theatre Inc.: $5,760 for Exploring The Little Prince through Theater
- City Sprouts: $7,500 for Seed to Table: Educational Programming with City Sprouts
- University of Nebraska Foundation: $4,712 for Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center Education and Outreach Programming
- Institute For Holocaust Education (Jewish Federation of Omaha): $5,575 for Art & the Holocaust
- Rabble Mill: $5,000 for Rabble Mill Beatmaking Programming
- Omaha Street School, Inc.: $6,500 for How Big is Your World?
- Omaha Academy of Ballet: $10,000 for Dance Away Your Afternoons
Richard A. Shaw
The Richard A. Shaw Fund awards grants to organizations with a focus on history, the natural sciences, outdoor education, or animals. It was established to honor the life and legacy of Richard A. Shaw, a graduate of Benson High School and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, who worked as a teacher in Ralston and Elkhorn schools throughout his life. Each year the fund distributes $3,500 through two grants that support an organization’s mission.
- Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Inc.: $1,911 for Equine-Facilitated Mental Health & Learning for Collaborations
- First Responders Foundation: $1,000 for Equine Services for Veterans and First Responders
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Visit the Field of Interest Funds page for more information about each of these funds and their application dates.