Greater Grand Island Community
The Greater Grand Island Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation based in Grand Island, Nebraska. Established in 1960, the organization serves as a community endowment that accepts charitable contributions and unites donors of all sizes with community needs. The foundation operates under one organizational roof to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Central Nebraska while assisting donors in realizing their charitable goals.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$38.3M
+29.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
+43.5% YoY
Grant Count
32
-15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$56K
+70.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Empowering people to turn their passion into purpose by creating legacies that strengthen the future of the communities served.
The foundation's grant-making focuses on:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Public Safety
- Arts and Culture
The foundation primarily serves Nebraska, with some giving in Oregon and Arizona.
Grantmaking
The Greater Grand Island Community Foundation operates multiple grant programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves Central Nebraska, with some grant-making activity in Oregon and Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $38,313,431
- Total Revenues: $10,953,230
- Total Expenses: $3,632,714
- Employees: 7
Historical Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $29.6M
- Total Revenues: $3.74M
- Total Expenses: $2.47M
- Total Liabilities: $3.78M
Historical Data (2019):
- Total Assets: $25,004,766
- Domestic Grants: $2,906,554
The foundation maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $38,313,431 | $29,572,182 | $26,301,211 |
| Revenue | $10,953,230 | $3,744,119 | $2,213,903 |
| Expenses | $3,632,714 | $2,465,739 | $2,299,625 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,842,498 | $1,626,059 | $636,848 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
211 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Greater Grand Island Community
Doniphan Community Foundation Grant
GREATER GRAND ISLAND COMMUNITY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GG ICF: Greater Impact Grant Program Fields-of-Interest-Grants
GREATER GRAND ISLAND COMMUNITY
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GGICF: Discretionary Grant
GREATER GRAND ISLAND COMMUNITY
Amount
More than US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Lisa Thayer: Principal Officer (as of 2020)
- Melissa Delaet: Key Executive (listed in sources)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MELISSA DELAET | CEO | 40 | $107,157 |
| DORI WANITSCHKE | FINANCE OFFI | 40 | $53,417 |
| HERSON CASTANEDA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JILL FARGO | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KATIE GOERING | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| TERESA GRABOWSKI | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JACKIE HARVEL | HR CHAIR | 1 | — |
| VINCE HERNANDEZ | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CHRIS HOCHSTETLER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| PHILIP MARTIN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MATT MASER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| MARK MORAVEC | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANGELICA MORROW | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KYLE OVERTURF | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| BART QUALSETT | PAST CHAIR | 1 | — |
| KIM RERUCHA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SHANE STAVA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANNA STEHLIK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KEVIN WALSH | MEMBER | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $32,000 in Summer Greater Impact Grants (2025)
Greater Grand Island Community Foundation awards $32,000 in Summer GreaterThe Grand Island Creative District received a $100,000 grant from the Nebraska Arts Council to strengthen arts, culture, and community collaboration (2026)
Grand Island Creative District Receives $100,000 grant to strengthen arts,Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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