In October, the Fund for Omaha, the Omaha Community Foundation’s largest grant program, awarded $387,031 to 23 local nonprofits.

In this cycle, grant funds went to programs ranging from a workforce development program at one local nonprofit, to a voter participation campaign for residents, and operational funding at several organizations.

The following nonprofits received funding:

  • Intercultural Senior Center, $25,000, Connecting Diverse Older Adults to Behavioral Health Services
  • Heart Ministry Center, $5,500, Fresh Start
  • Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, Inc., $15,000, Tired Moccasins Elders Program
  • Santa Monica, Inc. Health, $25,000, Treatment and Supportive Housing for Women with Co-Occurring Disorders
  • Union for Contemporary Art, $25,000, General Operating Support
  • Bike Union Mentoring Project, $10,000, The Bike Union Workforce Development Program
  • Metro Young Latino Professionals Association, $3,000, Young Latino Professional Development Program
  • International Council for Refugees and Immigrants (formerly known as African Aid Initiative), $25,000, Bridge To Prosperity
  • I Be Black Girl Vibrant Communities, $15,000, Omaha environmental scan for Black women and girls
  • Black and Pink, Inc., $7,000, Gear for Good, a social enterprise
  • El Museo Latino, $25,000, School and Community Outreach Programs – Latino Arts
  • Outlook Enrichment, $20,000, Associate Development Program
  • Generation Diamond (Latino Community Betterment Corporation), $25,000, Generation Diamond Operating Expenses Support
  • Ollie Webb Center, Inc., $25,000, Career Solutions
  • Simple Foundation, $10,000, Reducing Violence and Increasing Academic Performance in Minority Youth through Soccer
  • African Culture Connection, $25,000, African Culture Connection Operation Funding for the 2019-2020
  • New Life Family Alliance, $10,000, Strengthening the South Sudanese Community
  • Black Votes Matter Institute for Community Engagement Vibrant Communities, $10,000, Voter Participation & Information Campaign, 2020 Project
  • Nebraska Writers Collective, $10,000, Louder Than a Bomb: Great Plains Youth Poetry Festival
  • DIBS for Kids, $25,000, Evaluating DIBS for Kids’ Omaha Impact
  • Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha, Nebraska, $15,000 , Tri-Faith Overall Mission (General Operating Support)
  • Great Plains Black History Museum, $15,766, GPBHM Operational Funding
  • Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim Reinforcing Our Roots, Living Our Maya Heritage, $15,765, CMPI Core Mission Support and Capacity Building

The 23 organizations funded represent just 20% of those that applied for grant funding from the committee. Criteria determining funding decisions includes equitable access, cultural awareness, authentic engagement, and capacity building. For the first time, funding within the Fund for Omaha was also based on the priorities and opportunities identified in The Landscape indicator and listening projects.

“We saw the pool of Fund for Omaha applicants expand to be more diverse and inclusive as a result of OCF’s commitment to actively engaging all of the community.”

– Deborah Bunting, Fund for Omaha Committee Chair

 

Additional learnings and insights from this grant cycle included:

  • 33% of the requests supported the area of Vibrant Communities, while 25% of requests supported Arts & Culture programs, specifically related to community engagement or equitable access to high-quality arts education
  • 36% of organizations were first time applicants to the Fund for Omaha
  • 45 of the total grant requests (almost 40%) served youth in the community
  • The grant cycle saw themes focused on the importance of Authentic Engagement, Equitable Access, and Cultural Awareness

Historically, the Fund for Omaha distributed grants twice annually; once in the spring to large nonprofits and in the fall to smaller nonprofits with operating budgets under $500,000, however as of July 2019, the fund accepts applications for nonprofits with budgets of $5 million or less annually from July 1 to August 1—moving from two grant periods to one.

To learn more about the Fund for Omaha grant program and funding criteria, click here.