Nebraska Children & Families Foundation
Nebraska Children and Families Foundation is a public charity based in Lincoln, Nebraska, formed in 1997. It supports children, young adults, and families by working with communities to strengthen families, help children succeed in school, and support young adults without family support as they transition to adulthood.
Key facts about Nebraska Children & Families Foundation
In short: Nebraska Children & Families Foundation gave $22.1M across 141 grants in 2024 (avg $157K). 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 91-1829974
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $22,142,633
- Grants made (2024)
- 141
- Average grant
- $157,040
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (37 of 141, 2024)
- Total assets
- $53,973,821
- Deadline
- For the 2015 request for proposals, the letter of intent and Community Readiness Questionnaire were due October 7,…
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$54.0M
+3.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$22.1M
-24.2% YoY
Grant Count
141
-11.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$157K
-14.5% YoY
Is Nebraska Children & Families Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 37 of 141 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $115K; repeat grants $172K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $70K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement. Its vision is a Nebraska where all children have the resources and support to reach their full potential. It identifies prevention, opportunity, and collaboration as its values.
Its 2024 filing describes three program areas:
- Early childhood: Developing and supporting integrated early-childhood care and education for children from vulnerable families, and partnering with communities on practices to support social-emotional development from birth through age 8.
- Connected Youth Communities: Supporting youth-led work to remove barriers affecting young people with foster-care experience, including barriers related to permanence, education, employment, housing, health, community engagement, and economic success. The filing describes work to develop rural Nebraska communities and collaborations for young people with foster-care or juvenile-justice experience, those experiencing homelessness, or those disconnected from a family structure.
- Child Well-Being Communities: Developing community-owned collaborations to promote protective factors and prevent adverse childhood experiences.
The foundation’s website also describes work with communities to strengthen families, support children’s success in school, and help young adults without family support transition to adulthood.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 141 grants totaling $22,142,633. Grants ranged from $5,200 to $3,680,275, with a median of $50,000. The largest listed grants were:
The listed purposes for these grants are operating expenses. The grant recipients include organizations with names indicating community, education, and United Way affiliations; the grant information does not provide their missions.
A historical 2015 request for proposals for the Rural Nebraska Connected Youth Initiative required a nonbinding letter of intent and Community Readiness Questionnaire, followed by a full application through an online process. Applicants were also required to attend a bidder’s conference webinar. This describes that specific 2015 program, not a current application process.
Review Cycle
For the 2015 request for proposals, the letter of intent and Community Readiness Questionnaire were due October 7, 2015, and full applications were due November 20, 2015.
Ready to take the next step with Nebraska Children & Families Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as focused on Nebraska. Its 2015 Rural Nebraska Connected Youth Initiative request for proposals sought community applicants for a rural Nebraska initiative. The 2024 filing’s grant list includes recipients such as Nebraska public schools and Nebraska-based community organizations.
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $19.4M (2020) to $29.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 141 grants totaling $22.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Central Plains Center for Services ($3.7M). Together the top 10 received $10.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
651 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 309 grants of 651 (47%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central Plains Center for Services | Operating Expenses | $3,680,275 |
| Unite for Literacy | Operating Expenses | $2,621,405 |
| Board of Regents University of Nebraska | Operating Expenses | $933,784 |
| Bridge Family Resource Center | Operating Expenses | $698,133 |
| Columbus Area United Way | Operating Expenses | $690,048 |
| Fremont Area United Way | Operating Expenses | $596,141 |
| United Way of South Central Nebraska | Operating Expenses | $452,972 |
| Siouxland Human Investment Partnership | Operating Expenses | $450,746 |
| Lift up Sarpy | Operating Expenses | $424,723 |
| Kearney Public Schools | Operating Expenses | $380,477 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $53,973,821 | $44,062,974 | $43,709,118 | $22,142,633 |
| 2023 | $52,215,038 | $42,889,789 | $48,076,402 | $29,208,667 |
| 2022 | $58,798,146 | $67,517,081 | $68,447,047 | $27,479,188 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $53,973,821 | $52,215,038 | $58,798,146 |
| Revenue | $44,062,974 | $42,889,789 | $67,517,081 |
| Expenses | $43,709,118 | $48,076,402 | $68,447,047 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,368,616 | $1,203,622 | $555,822 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 28, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing include Dr. Lawrence Chatters, chair; Anne Steinhoff, past chair; Laura Langford, vice chair; Jason Hagan, treasurer; and Mike Wortman, secretary. Other directors listed are Liliana Bronner, Joyce Davis, Dan Mauk, and Mike McQuillan. John W. Ewing Jr. is listed as a director through July 2024.
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation is led by Mary Jo Pankoke, President on every filing since 2020; 9 of 33 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Jo Pankoke
President
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$179K (2020) → $219K (2024)
Lawrence Chatters
Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Prokop
Director First Five Nebr
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$144K (2023) → $149K (2024)
Ben Watson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Russell
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Mauk
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Padilla
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Christensen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gaye Lynn Schaffart
Director
Chair → Past Chair, 2022
Past Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John W. Ewing Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Davis
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liliana Bronner
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike McQuillan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly O'Holleran
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanna Kotula
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Candias Jones
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Whittry
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tj McDowell
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melanie Parker
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew McCarthy
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Langston Frison
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seth Carlson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Cloonan
CFO
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$130K (2020) → $185K (2024)
Jennifer Skala
Executive Vice President
Senior Vice President → Executive Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$177K (2022) → $188K (2024)
Joshua Cramer
Executive Vice President
Senior Vice President → Executive Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$150K (2022) → $172K (2024)
Bob Homan
General Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$116K (2023) → $134K (2024)
Marquisha Frost
Senior Vice President Strategic Eng
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$109K (2023) → $148K (2024)
Sara Riffel
Senior Vice President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$117K (2023) → $132K (2024)
Lori Nebelsick-Gullett
Chief Scientist Evaluation
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$129K (2024)
Anne Steinhoff
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Hagan
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Wortman
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Langford
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Kimberly Goins (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kyle McGowan (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ingrid Rodriguez (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Utterback (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Thomas Lee (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Jennifer Thielen (2023) — Senior Vice President Ops & Culture
- Former: Brian Mathers (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Barb Schlothauer (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Brad Bauer (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sandy Parker (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Scott Wanetka (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Luper Akough (2021) — Director
- Former: Helen Raikes (2020) — Director
- Former: Jaime Hemmerling (2020) — Director
- Former: Nick Thielen (2020) — Director
- Former: Sara Woods (2020) — Past Chair
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $219K, to Mary Jo Pankoke (President). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 215 Centennial Mall 200, Lincoln, NE 68508-1813
Phone: (402) 476-9401
Website: https://nebraskachildren.org
Frequently asked questions about Nebraska Children & Families Foundation
How much does Nebraska Children & Families Foundation give each year?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation gave $22.1M across 141 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $29.2M across 159 grants.
What is Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's typical grant size?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $157,040, across 141 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nebraska Children & Families Foundation that year got $115K on average.
Does Nebraska Children & Families Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (141 of 141) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's largest grantees?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Central Plains Center for Services ($3,680,275), Unite for Literacy ($2,621,405) and Board of Regents University of Nebraska ($933,784), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nebraska Children & Families Foundation?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation reported $54.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $44.1M.
What does Nebraska Children & Families Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement. Its vision is a Nebraska where all children have the resources and support to reach their full potential. It identifies prevention, opportunity, and collaboration as its values. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nebraska Children & Families Foundation?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nebraskachildren.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does Nebraska Children & Families Foundation make grants?
The foundation describes its work as focused on Nebraska. Its 2015 Rural Nebraska Connected Youth Initiative request for proposals sought community applicants for a rural Nebraska initiative. The 2024 filing’s grant list includes recipients such as Nebraska public schools and Nebraska-based community organizations.
What is Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's EIN?
Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1829974. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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