Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation
The Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation is a private foundation based in Littleton, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports 17 grants totaling $920,100, including support for research, conservation research, historical organizations, and other charitable activities.
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation at a glance
In short: Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation gave $920K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $54K), mostly in Wyoming. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $920,100
- +138.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $54,124
- +110.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $7,510,778
- -5.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wyoming (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 7901 Southpark Plaza, Littleton, CO 80120-4505
Phone: (303) 962-0025
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Wyoming Foundation ($535K). Together the top 10 received $900K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 63 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Wyoming (61%), followed by Washington, DC (28%), New York (8%), North Carolina (2%), and Nebraska (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $139K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 150% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 188% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $345K (2022) to $920K (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $920K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wyoming Foundation Laramie, WY | Support environmenataland convervationreasearch | $535,000 |
| American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research Washington, DC | Support research | $200,000 |
| Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research New York, NY | Support research | $75,000 |
| Hudson Institute Inc Washington, DC | Fund research, writtingsbriefings and conferences about US foreign policy. | $50,000 |
| Sublette County Historical Society dba Museum of the Mountain Man Pinedale, WY | Donation to General Fund | $20,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $15,000 |
| The Federalist Society Washington, DC | Restoring constitutionallimits on government | $10,000 |
| Church of Our Lady of Peace Pinedale, WY | Support of Pinedalelocal catholic organziation. | $6,000 |
| Fur Trade Days Inc dba Museum of the Fur Trade Chadron, NE | Support musuem operations | $2,000 |
| Buffalo Bill Memorial Association Cody, WY | Operating Support | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,510,778 | $587,405 | $1,014,202 | $920,100 | 17 | $920,100 | $51,188 | $489,600 |
| 2023 | $7,937,575 | $626,854 | $499,130 | $386,000 | 15 | $386,000 | $25,637 | $485,924 |
| 2022 | $7,808,851 | $765,198 | $438,433 | $345,000 | 17 | $345,000 | $35,198 | $385,836 |
| 2021 | $7,482,096 | $1,354,990 | $464,019 | $368,600 | 14 | $368,600 | $43,762 | $343,428 |
| 2020 | $7,476,634 | $39,391 | $84,572 | — | — | — | $24,391 | $368,708 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation reported a distributable amount of $490K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for environmental and conservation research at the University of Wyoming Foundation, research at policy institutes, historical museums, and other organizations. The University of Wyoming Foundation describes its mission as lifting up the university through philanthropy. The American Enterprise Institute says it pursues liberty, individual opportunity, and free enterprise through research and exposition; the Manhattan Institute describes its work as advancing opportunity, individual liberty, and the rule of law. Hudson Institute says it promotes American leadership for a secure, free, and prosperous future.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 17 grants totaling $920,100. Grants ranged from $100 to $535,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest awards included $535,000 to the University of Wyoming Foundation for environmental and conservation research, $200,000 to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research for research, $75,000 to the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research for research, and $50,000 to Hudson Institute for research, writing, briefings, and conferences about U.S. foreign policy. Other listed awards included $20,000 to the Sublette County Historical Society for its general fund and $15,000 to an individual recipient for College Credit for efforts to help homeschooled children receive college credit.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists J Joe Ricketts as President, CEO and Treasurer, and Alfred P Levitt as Secretary and General Counsel.
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation is led by J Joe Ricketts, President, CEO & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
J Joe Ricketts
President, CEO & Treasurer
Director & President → President, CEO & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alfred P Levitt
Secretary & General Counsel
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation
How much does Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation give each year?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation gave $920K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $386K across 15 grants.
What is Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's typical grant size?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $54,124, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation that year got $139K on average.
Where does Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation give grants?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation gives mostly in Wyoming: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (28%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and Pinedale, WY (3 grants).
Does Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 12% of Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's largest grantees?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Wyoming Foundation ($535,000), American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research ($200,000) and Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation reported $7.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $920K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $490K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for environmental and conservation research at the University of Wyoming Foundation, research at policy institutes, historical museums, and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's EIN?
Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1864875. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joe-ricketts-nebraska-foundation-morg_1c016d5393574dbaa11e634bb2130f4b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611864875_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joe-ricketts-nebraska-foundation-morg_1c016d5393574dbaa11e634bb2130f4b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Joe Ricketts Nebraska Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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