Washington County Community Foundation of Nebraska Grant

Washington County Community Foundation of Nebraska Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Washington County Community Foundation of Nebraska
Last Updated: June 26, 2025

Summary

The Washington County Community Foundation of Nebraska is dedicated to enhancing community life by building endowments and fostering philanthropic leadership. Established in 1998, it enables donors to support local causes, from education to health care. The foundation prioritizes projects that demonstrate community support and aims to provide $1 million annually for charitable initiatives. By promoting awareness of local nonprofits, it strives to create a culture of giving and ensure the sustainability of vital community services.

Overview

The Mission of the Washington County Community Foundation Improve the quality of life in our County by building permanent endowments and providing philanthropic leadership that enables donors to make lasting investments in our communities. Vision Statement We believe that the character of a community grows out of the activities and missions of its nonprofit institutions, including education, fine arts, parks and recreation, health and welfare, historical preservation, youth activities, and other facets of community life. Our History It’s about generosity. The Washington County Community Foundation began in 1998 to help donors make their generosity go further. It provided the means to make tax-deductible contributions toward charitable causes throughout Washington County. It’s about creating a culture. The Foundation was also established to promote awareness of local charitable organizations and to educate the public on the real benefits of charitable giving. It’s about good works. Our Community Grant Program began in 2001. Unrestricted gifts to the Foundation were pooled to provide grants to local organizations through an application and review process. This program continues yet today, providing tens of thousands of dollars annually for local charitable projects. It’s about a legacy of giving. In 2003 the Foundation received its first estate gift. This became the initial seed for our Endowment Fund, whose earnings will benefit the community for decades to come. It’s about collaboration. Donors have chosen the Foundation to establish designated funds to benefit their charitable interests. Such funds include scholarships, the Blair Public Library, Veterans Tribute Plaza, Black Elk-Neihardt Park, memorial funds, and numerous others. It’s about community involvement. Local corporations have used the Foundation for their charitable giving. The Foundation partners with them to make employees aware of charitable opportunities and distributes the funds raised to designated organizations. Our Goal It’s about doing more. In 2011 the Foundation adopted a strategic plan to expand its role in local charitable giving. It’s about sustainability. The focus is to grow our Endowment Fund to a point where its earnings will provide $1 million each year to benefit charitable projects that enhance the quality of life in our local communities. As a result of this plan, the Foundation hired a Director of Development to advance its goals through donor recruitment, public education, and outreach activities. It’s about creating a vision. Achieving our goals will enable the Foundation to take the lead in donating to major projects as well as growing our Community Grants to benefit even more organizations. It’s about planting the seeds of giving. These endowment funds will come primarily from legacy (planned or estate) gifts. We urge donors to consider designating a portion of their estates to the Foundation as a way to give back to their community for generations to come. Why We Do This It’s about quality of life. We firmly believe that the special quality of life we enjoy in Washington County, Nebraska, is the direct result of non-profit, charitable organizations. They shape the character of our communities. They make us who we are. The arts, education, local history, health care, wildlife preservation, youth development, feeding the poor, parks, community safety — these causes and more are served by our local charities. And that is who the Foundation serves.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applications will only be accepted from organizations that either have an official 501(c)(3) designation, are entities of government requesting funds for public purposes, or are churches or synagogues providing social services to the community.Requests for funding for large projects need to show existing financial support from the community. The WCCF grant program can help fund the final needs of a large fundraising campaign, but will not fund the initial needs without significant evidence of other sources of income committed to the project.The WCCF grant program can help fund the final needs of a large fundraising campaign, but will not fund the initial needs without significant evidence of other sources of income committed to the project.

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not finance annual appeals or payment of regular, ongoing operational expenses for applicant organizations.The Foundation will not purchase supplies or provide funding for annually recurring events or programs. However, the WCCF will consider assisting in the first year start-up costs of new programs that will benefit the community in new ways, serving needs not currently being met.The Foundation does not fund scholarships through this program.The Foundation does not make contributions that attempt to influence legislation nor does it intervene in any way in political campaigns.Funds may not be diverted from their original purpose by the recipient. If, after receipt of a grant from the WCCF, the non-profit organization feels there is a need to modify or change the usage of the funds, that change request must be submitted to the WCCF in writing, and approved in advance of implementation of the project by the Washington County Community Foundation, or the funds must be returned.