Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation
The Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. Established in 1943 by Martha Harris Hitchcock to honor her late husband, U.S. Senator Gilbert Monell Hitchcock, it has supported the greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area for more than 80 years.
Key facts about Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation
In short: Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation gave $1.6M across 74 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Nebraska. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-6025723
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,593,100
- Grants made (2025)
- 74
- Average grant
- $21,528
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (17 of 74, 2025)
- Total assets
- $13,593,780
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation’s website says grant requests should be submitted as a single PDF by email, with a one-page summary letter, a detailed letter of no more than five pages, recent financial statements and an operating… Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Requests for consideration in the following calendar year are accepted through November 30.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$13.6M
+0.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
+29.5% YoY
Grant Count
74
+4.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$22K
+24.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 74 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 158% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated funding areas include education, healthcare, religious institutions, journalism, social services, historic preservation, museums, and the arts. Its website also describes support for conservation and animal welfare.
Examples of grantees’ work include Brownell-Talbot School, which describes its purpose as helping every student be known, inspired, and challenged; NorthStar Foundation, whose mission is to support young men through programming rooted in education, self-discipline, and community service; and Bellevue University, which provides career-oriented, cost-effective, open-access education. Other 2025 grantees include Quality Living Inc., which says it delivers rehabilitation and care, and Nebraska Journalism Trust, which aims to uncover truth, amplify diverse voices, and enrich life in Nebraska.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 74 grants totaling $1,593,100. Itemized awards ranged from $1,000 to $184,000, with a median of $15,000. Among its largest 2025 grants were $184,000 to Brownell-Talbot School, $115,000 to Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation, $75,000 each to Bellevue University and NorthStar Foundation, and $50,000 each to Nebraska Journalism Trust, Omaha Home for Boys, Quality Living Inc., and Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum.
Review Cycle
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its geographic focus as the greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area. In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska and 8% to Iowa; the remaining reported shares were 3% to Virginia and less than 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 74 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2022) to $1.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 74 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brownell-Talbot School ($184K). Together the top 10 received $719K.
Grant Size Distribution
314 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 280 grants of 314 (89%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brownell-Talbot School Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $184,000 |
| Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation Council Bluffs, IA | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $115,000 |
| Bellevue University Bellevue, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $75,000 |
| NorthStar Foundation Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $75,000 |
| Nebraska Journalism Trust Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $50,000 |
| Omaha Home for Boys Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $50,000 |
| Quality Living Inc Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $50,000 |
| Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum Staunton, VA | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $50,000 |
| SienaFrancis House Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $40,000 |
| Kevin O'Connor Scholarship Fund Inc Omaha, NE | To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient | $30,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,593,780 | $1,789,273 | $1,762,320 | $1,593,100 |
| 2024 | $13,566,827 | $1,436,313 | $1,403,809 | $1,230,000 |
| 2023 | $13,624,323 | $1,399,600 | $1,161,314 | $1,052,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $13,593,780 | $13,566,827 | $13,624,323 |
| Revenue | $1,789,273 | $1,436,313 | $1,399,600 |
| Expenses | $1,762,320 | $1,403,809 | $1,161,314 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,651,130 | $1,280,324 | $87,371 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,678,083 | $1,312,828 | $1,377,655 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,043,573 | $1,047,950 | $976,610 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Neely Kountze as President/Trustee; Mary L. Kountze as Executive Vice President/Trustee; John W. Webster as Treasurer/Trustee; Tower Kountze as Secretary/Trustee; and James E. Landen, W. Russell Bowie III, Elizabeth Mallory Hunt, and Edward D. Hotz as trustees.
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation is led by Neely Kountze, President & Trustee on every filing since 2019; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Neely Kountze
President & Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
James E Landen
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
John W Webster
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary L Kountze
Executive Vice President & Trustee
Vice President & Trustee → Executive Vice President & Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Tower Kountze
Secretary & Trustee
Trustee → Secretary & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
W Russell Bowie III
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Mallory Hunt
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Edward D Hotz
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: John Q Bachman (2019–2022) — Secretary & Trustee
- Former: Elizabeth Mallory Kountze (2019–2021) — Vice President & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Neely Kountze
Mailing address: 209 South 19Th Street Suite 151, Omaha, NE 68102
Phone: (402) 345-0043
Website: https://hitchcockfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation
How much does Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation give each year?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation gave $1.6M across 74 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 71 grants.
What is Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's typical grant size?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $21,528, across 74 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation give grants?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Iowa (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Omaha, NE (65 grants), Council Bluffs, IA (2 grants) and Lincoln, NE (2 grants).
Does Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 74 grants with a stated purpose on Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To further thecharitable purposeof the recipient" (74 grants).
Who are Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's largest grantees?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Brownell-Talbot School ($184,000), Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation ($115,000) and Bellevue University ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation reported $13.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated funding areas include education, healthcare, religious institutions, journalism, social services, historic preservation, museums, and the arts. Its website also describes support for conservation and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation?
The foundation’s website says grant requests should be submitted as a single PDF by email, with a one-page summary letter, a detailed letter of no more than five pages, recent financial statements and an operating… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's EIN?
Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6025723. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Gilbert M and Martha H Hitchcock Foundation by hand.
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