Oldfather Foundation Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Kearney, NE EIN: 27-6972352

Oldfather Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Kearney, Nebraska. It reported 11 grants totaling $65,000 in 2024, supporting charitable organizations in Nebraska and Colorado.

Oldfather Foundation Trust at a glance

In short: Oldfather Foundation Trust gave $65K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Nebraska. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$65,000
+0.0% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
11
-15.4% vs 2023
Average grant
$5,909
+18.2% vs 2023
Median grant
$3,000
Total assets
$885,845
+2.5% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
9% first-time grantees (1 of 11, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Nebraska (72% 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 Oldfather Foundation Trust

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 864, Kearney, NE 68848
Phone: (308) 237-5253

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Oldfather Foundation Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Elevating Connections: $18KElevating Connections$18KLighthouse: $15KLighthouse$15KKearney Catholic HS Foundation: $8KKearney Catholic HS Foundation$8KKearney Buffalo County CASA: $7KKearney Buffalo County CASA$7KKearney Area Community Foundation: $5KKearney Area CommunityFoundation$5KBuffalo County Community PTR: $3KBuffalo County Community PTR$3KNe State Historical Society Foundat: $3KNe State Historical SocietyFoundat$3KKearney Public Library Foundation: $3KKearney Public LibraryFoundation$3KKearney Family YMCA: $3KKearney Family YMCA$3KHelpcare Clinic: $1KHelpcare Clinic$1K

The largest 2024 recipient was Elevating Connections ($18K). Together the top 10 received $65K.

Grant Size Distribution

60 grants across all recorded years

60<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska and 28% to recipients in Colorado.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.

Cities

KearneyLincolnGreenwood VillageGrand IslandColorado Springs

Is Oldfather Foundation Trust open to new grantees?

9%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 1 of 11 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $250; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $250 first-time, $4K repeat.

  • 91% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 94% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K10 grants2020 12 grants2021 14 grants2022 13 grants2023 11 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $55K (2020) to $74K (2022). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $65K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Elevating Connections Greenwood Village, COGeneral Operations$18,000
Lighthouse Lincoln, NEGeneral Fund Operations$15,000
Kearney Catholic HS Foundation Kearney, NEGeneral Fund Operations$8,000
Kearney Buffalo County CASA Kearney, NEGeneral Operations$7,000
Kearney Area Community Foundation Kearney, NEGeneral Funds Operations$4,750
Buffalo County Community PTR Kearney, NEGeneral Fund Operations$3,000
Ne State Historical Society Foundat Lincoln, NEGeneral Fund Operations$3,000
Kearney Public Library Foundation Kearney, NEGeneral Fund Opeations$2,500
Kearney Family YMCA Kearney, NEYouth Membership Support$2,500
Helpcare Clinic Kearney, NEGeneral Fund Operations$1,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Oldfather Foundation Trust?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$885,845$100,675$79,233$65,00011$65,000$7,449$69,220
2023$864,403$88,280$77,581$65,00013$65,000$7,858$61,413
2022$853,704$21,246$88,786$73,50014$73,500$3,403$62,807
2021$921,244$82,485$73,898$57,50012$57,500$5,903$73,274
2020$912,657$15,516$66,409$54,64010—$6,694$57,118

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Oldfather Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $69K 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 included support for organizations working in areas such as youth services, education, child advocacy, community charitable activities, and health care. For example, Elevating Connections describes its mission as building sustained positive relationships for current and former youth in foster care, while Lighthouse says it promotes adolescents’ well-being through an after-school program. HelpCare Clinic says it provides medical services to qualifying low-income patients in Buffalo and Kearney Counties.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $65,000. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $18,000, with a median of $3,000. Its largest grants were $18,000 to Elevating Connections, $15,000 to Lighthouse, $8,000 to Kearney Catholic HS Foundation, and $7,000 to Kearney Buffalo County CASA. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as general operations or general fund operations.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists David H Oldfather and Jane O Light as co-trustees.

Oldfather Foundation Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • David H. Oldfather

    Co-Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Jane O. Light

    Co-Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    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 Oldfather Foundation Trust

How much does Oldfather Foundation Trust give each year?

Oldfather Foundation Trust gave $65K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $65K across 13 grants.

What is Oldfather Foundation Trust's typical grant size?

Oldfather Foundation Trust's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,909, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Oldfather Foundation Trust that year got $250 on average.

Where does Oldfather Foundation Trust give grants?

Oldfather Foundation Trust gives mostly in Nebraska: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kearney, NE (8 grants) and Lincoln, NE (2 grants).

Does Oldfather Foundation Trust give general operating support?

Yes: 82% of Oldfather Foundation Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Oldfather Foundation Trust's largest grantees?

Oldfather Foundation Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Elevating Connections ($18,000), Lighthouse ($15,000) and Kearney Catholic HS Foundation ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Oldfather Foundation Trust?

Oldfather Foundation Trust reported $886K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $65K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $69K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Oldfather Foundation Trust fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as youth services, education, child advocacy, community charitable activities, and health care. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Oldfather Foundation Trust?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Oldfather Foundation Trust's EIN?

Oldfather Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6972352. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Oldfather Foundation Trust 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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Live grants for the work Oldfather Foundation Trust funds

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Oldfather Foundation Trust's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

First Interstate BancSystem Foundation

Billings, MT

The First Interstate BancSystem Foundation funds poverty reduction, youth development, financial education, and community development, as well as civic, arts, education, health, human services, and sustainability efforts in communities served by First Interstate Bank across 10 states. Its 2025 grants had a median award of $2,500, though amounts varied widely; the stated minimum grant is $2,500. Organizations can submit grant requests online, which are traditionally reviewed monthly, but grants must be recommended by a local First Interstate branch.

Assets

$19.2M

Grants

767

Total Given

$5.0M

Hirschfeld Family Foundation Inc

Kearney, NE

The Hirschfeld Family Foundation funds specific, time-limited projects benefiting disadvantaged or vulnerable people, including health, education, housing, and community services, with priority for Central and Western Nebraska. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts ranged widely; it accepts preliminary applications from eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits and reviews them on an ongoing basis.

Assets

$101.8M

Grants

60

Total Given

$11.1M

Abel Foundation

Lincoln, NE

The Abel Foundation supports nonprofit community projects, especially capital projects, arts and culture, conservation, education, and human services, with a strong focus on Nebraska communities where NEBCO and its affiliates operate. Its 2025 grants ranged from $100 to $933,333, with a median of $10,000. It directs applicants to its website for application information; the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.

Assets

$14.1M

Grants

92

Total Given

$4.1M

Cope Ron & Carol Foundation Trust

Kearney, NE

COPE RON & CAROL FOUNDATION TRUST supports charitable projects in Nebraska, including rural health education, community facilities and capital improvements, and other community needs. Its 2025 grants ranged from $2,500 to $200,000, with a median of $25,000; it accepts requests, with application forms available upon request, from qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations.

Assets

$7.7M

Grants

25

Total Given

$780K

Tye Family Foundation

Kearney, NE

The Tye Family Foundation supports educational, community, cultural, and charitable organizations, primarily in Nebraska, with some funding in New York and South Dakota. Recent grants ranged from $750 to $6,000, with a median of $2,000. Its 2024 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations and invites applicants to contact Tom W. Tye II; it lists no deadline.

Assets

$320K

Grants

13

Total Given

$30K

Union Pacific Foundation

Omaha, NE

The Union Pacific Foundation funds 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Union Pacific communities, prioritizing direct services and organizational capacity in safety, workforce development, community and public spaces, and local needs. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $600,000, with a median of $10,000; it accepts online applications during designated periods.

Assets

$75K

Grants

441

Total Given

$8.2M

More similar funders

More Funders in Nebraska

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Oldfather Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/oldfather-foundation-trust-morg_4a79d74dd45e4ec484949fb980981f91

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_276972352_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Oldfather Foundation Trust funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/oldfather-foundation-trust-morg_4a79d74dd45e4ec484949fb980981f91},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Oldfather Foundation Trust'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.

Oldfather Foundation Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?