| Name of Organization | Mission Statement | Brief description of how the organization would spend the $1,000 grant money, if awarded it. |
|---|---|---|
| Autism Society of Nebraska | The mission of the Nebraska Affiliate of the Autism Society of America is to support and advocate for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. | We would use the grant money to help further opportunities for constituents in Omaha and across the state to connect and grow as individuals. In particular, we are hoping to expand the Artistic Autists program that is meeting both in person and via zoom. |
| BFF Omaha | Creating community through arts engagement. | BFF would love to use this $1000 micro grant to further our Green Team Initiatives. Green Team was started as a sustainability effort through the Mayor’s Grant. The green team is a group of volunteers that hosts monthly community clean ups, Earth Day events, and promotes green living through our composting program in association with Hillside Solutions. This year we are hoping to have more of a presence in the city and at all of our BFF programing. This would allow us to pay our admin and create more activities, including digital programming to promote a sustainable green Omaha! BFF Green team is passionate about its community and creating a network of amazing folks who want to actively create a better Omaha! |
| Big Muddy Urban Farm | Dedicated to making sustainable agriculture accessible to all. | Funds would go towards farm supplies - seeds, soil, tools. |
| Bluebird Cultural Initiative | Our Mission is to provide meaningful programming to the community that enriches their understanding of the history and cultural traditions of Native American peoples of the Great Plains. We strive to revitalize the past through the arts and culture in order to energize the future for our youth. | We would use this funding to provide regalia-making workshops to Native youth who do not have the resources to purchase their own materials nor the knowledge of how to make traditional powwow regalia. They would then be able to participate in powwows. |
| Brighten Our Future Early Learning Center | Brighten Our Future Early Learning Center’s mission is to provide access to quality childcare, early childhood education, and positive support and resources for all families regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds. | We would use the $1,000 to purchase necessary items for a science center. These items include an exploration table, microscopes, telescope, coding toys, and other STEM/Science related items. |
| Compassion In Action Inc. | Compassion In Action provides Pre-Release Education/Reentry Preparation for men, women and youth confined in Nebraska State Correctional Facilities. Additional services are implemented through networking with a variety of community agencies, universities, faith groups and trained individuals to provide services and support, for pre-release, reentry, transition and community reestablishment. | Teaching material for the Nebraska Youth Correctional Facility |
| Conservation Fusion | Educating to Build & Strengthen our World | We would apply the grant funds to a conservation and education program to connect our programs in Madagascar with service volunteers in Omaha that benefits our shared, global environment and wildlife. |
| Eat N’ Talk Africa | To preserve the African culinary heritage and improve race relations in our communities by offering forums for education and intercultural exchanges. | If given a chance Eat N’ talk Africa will allocate the grant towards our community programs. We will specifically use the fund to help organize our Summer African Culinary Experience. Summer ACE is a program design to teach youth and college students the fundamental of African Cuisines. |
| Emerging Ladies Academy | The Emerging Ladies Academy is dedicated to providing tech education, mentorship, and a safe space for Black girls to develop a bright future as skilled workers and leaders in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. | We would use the funds for marketing efforts. |
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE NETWORK | English Language Network’s mission is to bridge the world through culture and education and help immigrants in their journey to integrate the American culture by supporting their civic, citizenship and education needs. | English Language Network will use the $1000 to purchase Civic and Citizenship materials to support its Civic & Citizenship Education Program and provide scholarships to low income applicants. |
| Fashion Arts Collective | The Fashion Arts Collective(FAC) is committed to nurturing aspiring area students and designer talent and supporting the Midwest fashion ecosystem. The fashion industry gender ratio is 70% and 25% male. In this group about 45% identify as LGBTQ+. Emphasizing the necessity for the textile trades is paramount to our community. We at FAC are dedicated to providing this underserved community their chance at pursuing a fashion and textile arts career through overcoming barriers such as poverty, transportation, economic barriers and more. | Our award would be used to help pay for programming fees to low income area middle and high school students wanting to learn how to sew and create interest in pursuing a career in the fashion and textile industry. |
| Hot Shops Art Foundation | Our mission is to be the place where ideas, dreams and what ifs are explored, created and shared. We are an arts organization that provides education to explore creativity through a variety of artistic and creative processes. Our values are to celebrate the individual through education, inspiration and creation, providing a place to share and develop ideas and creative expressions. |
We are working to build capacity for operations. This is currently our most important need; human capital is launching point for all of our initiatives. We are a living museum. We provide opportunities for guests to observe and interact with working artists in their studios. Guests take part in the creative process led by a pool of 80+ talented artists, creatives and educators who inspire, expand thinking, and communicate ideas. We teach the creative process, we help kids and adults understand how to take an idea to marketplace, learn to hold focus, collaborate with others and find their voice through art by providing: -Free tours, demonstrations and hands-on experiences -Art experiences for some of the most vulnerable, such as people with disabilities and refugees -A community studio stocked with books and art supplies -CreativeMornings/Omaha, a free monthly lecture series -300 creative, arts based educational programs, with 2 designed as a result of needs from the events of 2020: - An online class catalog – to make art instruction more accessible to all - A workshop series that will bring together groups to learn about each other and build relationships through a joint exploration of the creative process |
| Inter-Faith Response, Inc. |
Inter-Faith Response, Inc., is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to preventing homelessness. We provide one on one counseling and provide monetary payments directly to landlords and utility companies, never the client. In this way, we are able to prevent utility disconnects, which lead to loss of subsidized housing vouchers for those folks lucky enough to receive them, and rental assistance. 83% of our clients were seen only 1 or 2 times. |
Inter-Faith Response, Inc., would use the grant wisely and well to assist approximately 4 families with between 4 and 12 members. We will dedicate this grant to help families with a college/university student and will help these families with rents and/or utility payments, and do our best to remove at least one stressor from the lives of these hard working students. |
| League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha | The League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. | During the upcoming year the LWVGO aims to (1) register and mobilize voters, especially those that are historically the most disenfranchised, for the next election; (2) educate voters to be informed on election day and active in holding government accountable throughout the year; and (3) increase the diversity of our membership and programming, including developing young leaders through education and training programs. Achieving these stated goals will rely on continued efforts and further resources to build internal capacity and professionalize operations. In May 2020, we were able to promote Candide Villard, our part-time intern, to full-time status as our first ever League Administrator. The League Administrator is supervised by the Vice President of the Board and works closely with the Executive Committee to manage day-to-day operations. She provides significant support managing our existing programs, as well as takes initiative to diversify and expand program options and reach. In the next fiscal year, we will work to develop Candide’s leadership, as well as expand the League Administrator role into a more traditional Executive Director position. |
| Leonas Dance Company | Providing a safe and positive atmosphere to learn, create and express leadership through dance. | We offer scholarship opportunities to kids in the community. This helps with Tuition for students that want to dance with us. It’s giving them an opportunity to the arts. |
| Little Leaf Learning Center | Little Leaf’s main goal involves supporting the community of people born with Down Syndrome. We provide early intervention learning to make sure our littles one can be prepared for the big world that awaits them. We also provide speech and occupational therapy to whomever requests it | It would all go towards new teachings tools or classroom equipment/ activities. |
| Little White Dog Rescue | Little White Dog Rescue is a non-profit dog rescue. Our goal is to find forever homes for small dogs who have been displaced through no fault of their own(city shelters, mass breeding facilities, and owners who can no longer care for them). We provide a home, medical care, and quality food to each dog while teaching them to a beloved house pet. | Little white dog rescue is limited in the number of dogs we are able to bring into rescue and save by the amount of donations we receive. There are many medically needy dogs that cost thousands of dollars in medical care that are sometimes turned away due to the lack of funds. On average we have adopt out about 400 dogs a year! You can see how vet bills pile up very quickly. The average cost of standard vetting for a healthy dog is just under $500. Unfortunately, most of our dogs do require more than standard vetting due to the lack of any medical care over the numerous years they spent in commercial breeding facilities. If we are able to obtain more donations, then we are able to take more dogs. This in turn saves dogs that really, really need and deserve the care that we can provide through vetting, medications, heartworm prevention/treatment, quality food, and of course hands on foster home care! Every donation goes 100% to the care of our rescue dogs ♡ |
| Mystery Code Society | The mission of Mystery Code Society is to champion gender equity in tech through beginner and intermediate coding education for people of marginalized genders. | Mystery Code Society would use the grant towards the running programs. The cost for each class is approximately $3500. |
| NAMI Nebraska | A champion for recovery, NAMI Nebraska is a statewide not for profit, membership organization that provides high-quality education and support services through its affiliates to those whose lives are touched by mental illness. It collaborates with other organizations, governmental bodies, and advocates to improve services and quality of life for people with mental illnesses and their families. | NAMI Nebraska has seen an increased need of Mental Health Services throughout the pandemic these grant dollars would be used to continue to advocate and bring awareness to mental health conditions. |
| Nebraska Coalition for LifeSaving Cures (Nebraska Cures) | Nebraska Cures mission is to promote, support, and advocate for health science research and education to advance our quality of life and our economy. Our vision is to lead society to understand and embrace the importance of scientific research. | Funding would be used to support our community education efforts. These efforts include educating policy makers about health science research matters critical to public policy decision making. Efforts also include educating the general public about research happening in our state and how to address health science misinformation. |
| Project Hope, Inc. | Helping Neighbors ~ Improving Lives ~ Spreading Blessings We are called to feed and clothe God’s people in need. We believe nutritious food contributes to good health. We value people with love, hope, compassion and dignity. |
The grant money offered with this opportunity would be used to purchase and set up a new computer. One of our current computers is old, actually antiquated and needs to be replaced. We use this computer to register our client information on a cloud data base program and our Pantry Specialist also enters inventory data and prepares pantry forms, nutritional information fliers, healthy recipe handouts, and instructional signs. Our new Lutheran Volunteer Corp individual who will serve for one year as our Pantry Communications and Operations Specialist will be starting in August. This individual has completed her college education with a BA degree in Public Policy and Environmental Studies with a minor degree in Geographic Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We look forward to this individual helping us work through the Non-Profit Guidelines and Principles Assessment. This individual will research and assist in the development of the recommended policies that we need but do not currently have. We would like to be recognized as a nonprofit with policies and procedures demonstrating excellence in legal compliance and best practices. |
| Touch of Gold | Our mission is to eliminate the preventable causes of maternal and infant mortality in communities within the African Diaspora. | This amount would allow us to pay the instructors for our childbirth and breastfeeding education courses provided to the community for about two months. |
| Wisdom House Collaborative | cultivating a more mindful community | We would provide mindfulness live and on line training to the UNO student who gives the presentation. Alternatively, we could use the funds for an classroom teacher interested in learning and using Mindful Schools curriculum. |
| Name of Organization | Mission Statement | Brief description of how the organization would spend the $1,000 grant money, if awarded it. |
|---|---|---|
| A Time to Heal Cancer Foundation | A Time to Heal Cancer Foundation (ATTH) provides support, education and empowerment so that cancer survivors and their caregivers may create their best lives. | $1,000 would provide up to 202.5 hours of professional support for up to 15 cancer survivors/caregivers. This support is presented as one 9 week Survivorship 101 online zoom class, facilitated by a licensed/credentialed medical or mental health professional. This research-based class has over ten years of data and has been shown to increase hope, resilience, quality of life and happiness. This class is FREE and participants also receive a free 375-page book to keep for their reference. A Time to Heal would gratefully recognize this class as supported by the Maverick Philanthropy Initiative - Fundamentals of Public Speaking Project on our web site, social media pages and on the powerpoint slides presented during the class. |
| City Sprouts | City Sprouts’ Mission is to use urban agriculture as a platform to develop equitable food systems, provide educational opportunities, and build community. | If awarded this grant money we would use it to help finish our geodesic greenhouse that was installed this spring. This greenhouse will be used as a winter sensory garden, green classroom, and a space where we can extend our growing season and grow plants that otherwise would not survive in our climate. While the structure is complete, we still are in need of raised beds and soil inside and all the other finishing touches. This dome will be open to our community gardens, visitors, students, etc. Check out https://growingspaces.com/ to see how a geodesic dome works and all the beautiful possibilities (we have the 26’ dome). |
| D2 Center | The mission of the D2 Center is to connect out-of-school and disengaged youth ages 15-21 into an educational pathway with other resources and supports needed to earn a high school diploma and prepare for post-secondary opportunities and a career. | This grant funding would be used to support our Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) program. D2 Center YANs are education-focused case managers who check in with their students on a weekly basis, building a relationship with the individual, communicating with families, school staff, and staff from other agencies who are working with the youth. YANs serve as positive sources of support as issues arise and also refer students to relevant resources as needed. YANs have a caseload of around 30 youth and also do outreach to Omaha Public Schools (OPS)students who have left school in order to encourage and assist them with reenrolling in school. |
| Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands | The Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands is committed to connecting those touched by Down syndrome through education, advocacy and support. | Funds would support our growing Family Programs which include the Parent Visitation and Outreach Programs. We reach out to new and expectant parents of children with Down syndrome to provide them with informative new parent packages, a supportive and understanding community of parents of children with Down syndrome, and educational programs to help them become effective advocates for their children. |
| Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska | Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. | We would use the grant to support high school age girls through leadership and mentoring experiences which include a three-day business and entrepreneurship program on the UNO campus, a five-day mentoring camp pairing girls with women leaders from their community, and a one-day leadership conference. We would also use part of the grant to develop additional curriculum to promote philanthropy and take-action projects to support issues girls care about. |
| Go Beyond | Go Beyond’s extraordinary outdoor adventures bring diverse groups of young people together to facilitate self-discovery and build community. | It would go directly to funding a camper to go on the trip of a lifetime with a truly diverse group of peers in the summer of 2022! |
| Hillcrest Foundation for Enhancing Lives | The Hillcrest Foundation empowers caregivers with education about the care of older adults as well as provide meaningful gifts, travel opportunities and life experiences to support older adults. | The Hillcrest Foundation would use the grant money to purchase materials that support caregiver education, such as diabetes education, sending a caregiver to an Alzheimer’s care conference, or providing one-on-one education on how to care for someone’s loved one. |
| Hospice House-The Josie Harper Residence | Hospice House is our community’s shared home for compassionate, expert care and leads the conversation to ensure comfortable, dignified and rich end-of-life experiences. | Hospice House provides charity care for those who are unable to pay partially or fully for their residential hospice care. It is our privilege to give comfort and medical care to those in need. On average 22% of Hospice House residents receive some portion of charity care. This award would help many individuals (and their friends/family) along their end-of-life journey. |
| International Council for Refugees and Immigrants | To deliver immediate philanthropic support to equip vulnerable, and underserved refugee and immigrant populations by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate client centered services and advocacy. | ICRI has two main programs: a case management program, and a refugee youth mentoring program. If awarded the $1,000 grant, ICRI would use the money to provide food security and snacks to families and youth in those two programs. The main grants that support these programs does not have food as an allowable cost. However, it is a basic need that the families we serve are struggling to meet. ICRI assists families with food stamp applications as well as delivers food to families from Whispering Roots but that still does not meet the food needs of large families. ICRI would ensure that this money is used for food for families and youth that are most vulnerable. Thank you for your consideration. |
| KANEKO | Creativity begins with an idea - seeing things differently. Our purpose is exploring the creative process - how a new idea is born into the arts, sciences, and philosophy. There is no restriction for creative activity. Imagination has complete freedom. Supporting and promoting freedom in creativity is KANEKO’s mission. | KANEKO would like to use the funds from this grant to provide a needed lift to our technical supplies. Specifically, to update parts of our sound system, which we use for a multitude of purposes, but primarily to provide an exceptional experience. The need to provide crisp, clear sound can not be underrated. KANEKO has many chances to interact with to our guests and constituents, but if our friends cannot understand what we are trying to convey, due to inadequate equipment, we do a disservice to all. |
| Language & Culture School of Omaha | Mission Statement: The Language & Culture School of Omaha (LACSO) seeks to offer English language opportunities for immigrant populations in Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, while collaborating with other nonprofits interested in establishing programs by offering trainings in the teaching and tutoring of ESL adults. | We are so satisfied with the results of our virtual English classes, which, because of Covid 19, we needed to transition to from our regular face-to-face classes. The pandemic has been especially hard on our immigrant population here in Omaha. It has touched workers and their families; it has touched businesses; it has touched our entire community. But, in many ways, it has allowed us to expand our programming. We now have students who can come to class during their break time (sometimes in the parking lot in their cars), who can come to class because they no longer need to take off work, find a babysitter, or need to find a ride to class. An ongoing expense includes a continual purchase of materials for student use and postage to send these resources directly to students. We would use the money to help fund this project and the new GED project as well. |
| Omaha Area Youth Orchestra | The Omaha Area Youth Orchestras inspire and educate young musicians by providing a rigorous and enlightening orchestral experience. | $1,000 in grant money would be used for need-based financial aid for students and for hiring professional musicians to coach sectionals for young musicians. |
| Omaha Summer Arts Festival, Inc. | The mission of Omaha Summer Arts Festival, Inc. is to present a variety of high quality arts programs and exhibits in Omaha for the general public to enjoy and appreciate. | OSAF would spend the grant money on arts programming such as the mural cube project, wooden sign project and pop-up concert series presented as part of the 2021 Festival. |
| Prairie STEM | Prairie STEM is an education-based 501(c)3 non-profit focused on improving critical thinking and creativity in all PK-12 students. Using STEM and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) integration combined with teacher professional development, students are empowered to understand their greatest value. | Prairie STEM works directly with students in underserved communities to understand their greatest value through STE(A)M/SEL programs and initiatives. From Girls in STEAM to #Gaming4Good to partnering with local nonprofits doing impactful work in the community, Prairie STEM has become the platform to bridging gaps in education (gender, equity, social/emotional) by delivering programs through remote learning, STEMkits and in-person camps. If awarded the $1000 grant money, Prairie STEM would apply the funds directly to underserved students looking to participate in continued, after-school programming by offering sponsored camps (Space Rover Camp, STEM Exploration, Design Engineering Challenges, Robotics Camps) as well as continue our professional develop program to sustain continued programs for K-6 instructors using our train-the-trainer model giving teachers the confidence, knowledge and comfort level needed to bring this level of STEM/STEAM education for all. |
| Rejuvenating Women | Providing hope and restoration for victims and survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. | We would use the funds to purchase additional curriculum for the residents. By having their own books/workbooks they can take what they have learned with them upon graduation as a resource in the future. |
| Restoring Dignity | Restoring Dignity is a grassroots organization that advocates for housing equity for Omaha’s refugee communities through education, partnership, and empowerment. | We would use $1,000 to purchase cleaning starter kits for 30 refugee families. |
| Sheltering Tree, Inc. | Sheltering Tree’s mission is to build apartments for adults with developmental disabilities to empower them to live self-determined lives and to be engaged in their community. |
Sheltering Tree’s Activities and Enrichment program is designed to combat the isolation adults with developmental disabilities face. This program provides an enriching environment, full of ways to connect and stay active while assisting our residents with developmental disabilities in remaining safe and supported. One of our values is community. Connecting our residents to meaningful participation with others is paramount in all that we do. This can be seen in our monthly activity opportunities that take place in the wider community, the peer-to-peer support that is offered during onsite events, and the interaction with apartment neighbors that evolve into close friendships. Funding received would offset the the total activity budget. Grant Funds would be used to fund these annual Program Expenses: $10,400-Activity Supplies, Admission Fees, Wellness Instruction, Communication and Scheduling Software Annual Subscription, Zoom subscription, Art Instructor Fees(Partnership with Why Arts). $3,500 -Two Resident Assistants to facilitate community outings. $6,500-Part-time Activity Director Salary. $2,000-Van Expenses; Gas, Maintenance/Repairs, Vehicle Registration. Total annual program budget-$22,400. |
| Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum | The Mission of the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum is to preserve the history of Strategic Air Command, the Cold War and aerospace artifacts and to inspire learning through imaginative, innovative, and inspirational programs and exhibits. | Granted funds would be used during the Museum’s free, off-site event open to the public in the summer of 2022. STEM in the City is an all ages event that makes learning fun! Guests will visit each booth sponsored by another non-profit or business to collect stamps on their passport. Once its complete, the passport can be turned in for a prize! The Museum will bring educational activities, host a live demonstration, and give-a-ways (while they last!). To round out this fun event, there will be live entertainment, bounce houses, a balloon artist, and face painting. This event helps make fun career connections to local businesses for youth in Omaha. |
| Team Jack Foundation, Inc. | Our Mission: Raising money to fund impactful childhood brain cancer research and working to raise national awareness for the disease. | These funds will go to our Power 5 Childhood Brain Cancer Research Initiative at UNMC and Children’s Hospital in Omaha for: laboratory and clinical research, pain management for kids with cancer and education. |
| The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Nebraska | To Save Lives and Bring Hope To Those Affected By Suicide | To give out Mental Health / Suicide Prevention programs and education & Loss and Healing programs and resources. |
| THE BLOC, INC | We change the quality of live of all community members through education, charity and philanthropy, and community building. | We will invest the $1,000 into our diversity and inclusion campaign. Specifically into the organization of the 50 OVER 50 NE Awards. |
| Urban Abbey | We are a space of radical hospitality connecting people to God and one another in everyday life. | Queer Faith on Campus is a small group facilitated by Urban Abbey geared towards LGBTQIA+ students, allowing and providing a safe space to discuss religion, faith, and how it intersects with sexuality. Urban Abbey also hosts Queer Faith panel discussions, and the funds would be used to fund these panels through honorariums. We value the time and dedication of our panel members and providing compensation for their time is important to the Abbey. Additionally, we would provide handouts and “swag” to all who attend the panels, increasing awareness of the Abbey and the work we do. |
| WhyArts Inc. | WhyArts, founded in 1990, is dedicated to providing Omaha’s underserved populations with access to inclusive quality arts programming. We believe each individual, no matter their circumstance, has unlimited creative potential. We also believe the arts are an incredibly powerful means of communication for the nonstandard learner. That’s why we meet each individual at their level and work from there. | $1000.00 can go a long way at WhyArts. It can provide 10 visual arts or creative play workshops for Early Childhood classes where we focus on SEL skills using the arts. Or $1000.00 can help us to re-engineer one of our Kids On The Block puppets which will be very exciting. These 30” hand and rod puppets are used in performances that educate youth about how to respectfully engage with persons with disabilities. Our goal is to re-engineer our 8 existing puppets and build 8 new puppets that will be more diverse in culture and gender expression. We anticipate it will cost %1500.00 per puppet. |
| Name of Organization | Mission Statement | Brief description of how the organization would spend the $1,000 grant money, if awarded it. |
|---|---|---|
| American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Nebraska Chapter | Save Lives and Bring Hope to Those Affected by Suicide | AFSP provides free-of-charge suicide prevention education programming and materials to communities throughout the state of Nebraska. The grant money would help to fund the purchase of materials that we use in our programming as well as in outreach and awareness events like wellness fairs, parades, walks, conventions, etc. |
| Catholic Charities DVSA | Empower Individuals /Strengthen Families | Purchase food for our shelter residents. |
| Child Saving Institute (CSI) | CSI opened its doors to children in 1892 to “Respond to the cry of a child”. Today a two-generational approach is applied: To thrive, children must be exposed to and given tools to live beyond poverty; and brain science proves that learning starts well before formal learning emphasizing the maxim “start early and start well”. |
CSI’s Emergency Shelter (ES) provides a space for youth while they are in transition; youth for whom juvenile detention centers, which typically operate using punitive methodologies, would be a detriment. In juvenile cases, a “status offense” involves conduct that would not be a crime if committed by an adult. In other words, the actions are considered to be a violation of the law only because of the status as a minor. Common examples of status offenses include underage drinking, skipping school, and violating a local curfew law. In an average year, approximately 20% of all juvenile arrests involve status offenses. ES is a safe and supportive environment providing housing stability, physical and mental health care, food security, crisis support and intervention. Nearly all have experienced trauma: abuse, abandonment, neglect and homelessness. Youth receive individualized, therapeutic care, emphasizing strengths and positive, pro-social behaviors while addressing behavioral obstacles. ES provides personal clothing and personal hygiene products, and continuance of the youth’s normal routine wherever possible, including: schooling, physical activity, recreational activities, facilitated and encouraged |
| College Possible | Our mission is to close the degree divide and make college possible for students from low-income backgrounds through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. | Grant funds would be directed to general operating expenses related to College Possible high school and college programming, which includes student support costs, program management and support services, and other related expenditures. |
| Combined Health Agencies Drive (CHAD) | Funding charities. Changing lives. | CHAD would utilize the funds to help continue to carry our 23 members’ missions across the state by providing valuable information and resources through our workplace givings programs at companies large and small. |
| Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) | ENCAP reduces the power of poverty in Eastern Nebraska through direct service and results-driven partnerships. | ENCAP values thoughtful gifts, and has 50 years of experience effectively utilizing grant funds in order to carry out our mission. Due to the pandemic, over the last year and a half we have seen a significant increase in emergency assistance needs related to food, and emergency rent & utility assistance. These funds would be utilized for direct client assistance for food, and/or emergency rent & utility assistance. |
| Easterseals Nebraska (ESN) | Since 1924, Easter Seals Nebraska (ESN) has provided exceptional services to help ensure all people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to live, learn, work and play. ESN’s mission is to change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day. |
ESN offers the only overnight recreational camp and respite program in the state that accepts all individuals, regardless of age or ability. Camp addresses a two-fold need in our community for (1) enriching, community-based activities for individuals with disabilities and (2) respite for families of those individuals. A team of a camp director, counselors, public health nurses, and other specialized staff care for campers with the most complex needs, making it possible for all campers to enjoy the same experience of a standard camp. Grant funding would allow ESN to purchase essential items for camp; to included medical and craft supplies, sports and outdoor equipment, first aid kits, sunscreen, bug repellent, and personal hygiene items. If ESN is unable to operate camp in person due to COVID-19; camps will be modified to day camps for individuals, family sampler camps (controlled family/household pods), or virtual. Before the pandemic, people with disabilities reported significantly higher rates of social isolation and loneliness than those without disabilities. Camp is a valuable solution in supporting and connects individuals with disabilities and their families during these unprecedented times. |
| Girls Inc of Omaha- Pathfinders Mentoring | Girls Inc of Omaha inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold. The Girls Inc. Pathfinders Program is a mentoring program devoted to providing one-on-one female support to girls in need of/desiring social development, recreational opportunities, and emotional support. The mentors assist their mentees in developing and achieving positive academic, career, and personal goals. In 2021, much of this program will take place in an online setting until social distancing allows for in-person meetings once again. | With Girls Inc of Omaha currently closed to students, all of our programming has moved online. We have been finding creative ways to engage with our matches in the virtual world, including celebrating National Fast Food Day (Winners received gift cards to their favorite places) and National Ice Cream Day (Making ice cream in a bag while listening to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift!) We know that our mentees will come online with their mentors if they have something enjoyable to look forward to. As we plan for the coming year, we expect to be closed many more months. We have plans to make pizza flavored lipgloss, decorate flower pots, and paint canvases with melted crayons. Our plans always come from what the girls want, and we can’t wait to make it happen. This $1000 would allow us to help cover the costs of all these events. |
| Heart Ministry Center | The mission of the Heart Ministry Center is to provide food, healthcare, and a way forward to people severely affected by poverty in the Omaha area. | The Heart Ministry Center (the Center) is requesting funding for its general operations. If awarded, funding for general operations allows the Center to be flexible with where these funds are allocated. Often, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual program budget can be different from the budgeted amount because adjustments were necessary to meet the shifting needs of the community. As such, the Center is requesting funding for its general operations but most likely these funds will go to help support one of the Center’s major programs i.e. food pantry, case management, Fresh Start job training/placement, laundromat, medical clinic, or dental clinic. |
| Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA) | HETRA’s mission is to improve the quality of life both physically and emotionally of adults and children of all ability levels through Equine-Assisted Activities. |
Our Therapy Services Scholarship Program ensures that those at the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage can receive the benefits of Equine-Assisted Services. Through our Therapy Services, Occupational and Physical Therapists work one-on-one with participants using Hippotherapy, a treatment strategy in which we partner with horses to achieve clinical results in areas like coordination, posture and muscle development. As stated by Sandy Rafferty, Occupational Therapist & PATH Intl Advanced Instructor, “A horse can provide the same intervention as 35 pieces of therapy equipment.” Therapists use traditional techniques like neurodevelopmental treatment and sensory integration as well as movement of horses. The program is often an alternative for those who don’t respond to traditional therapy. Many state that it doesn’t feel like therapy, but an enjoyable activity in which they aren’t limited by a diagnosis. A difficult challenge faced by those with disabilities is the high cost of care. Our services are affordable thanks to support of our donors. We’ve never turned anyone away due to the inability to pay. Support of this program would ensure that we can continue to offer services to all regardless of socioeconomic status. |
| Heartland Family Service | The mission of Heartland Family Service (HFS) is to strengthen individuals and families in our community through education, counseling, and support services. Whether challenges arise from stress, sexual abuse, mental health conditions, substance use disorder, learning disabilities, homelessness, or any other trauma which can create instability in our human family, HFS strives to serve each person holistically to improve their safety, self-sufficiency, and wellbeing. | One Oak is an innovative HFS program that offers behavioral therapy and education to K-12 students who struggle to find success in a traditional school setting due to significant behavioral and mental health challenges. Your generous support will assist One Oak teachers and staff in providing evidence-based, appropriate academic materials that equip and empower our behaviorally challenged students to master foundational scientific concepts. One Oak would use $1,000 to purchase manipulative materials rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) principles to provide proactive problem-solving opportunities and increased collaboration in the classroom. Some examples of these items include rock, mineral, and fossils collections, robotics kits, hand-held digital microscopes, and solar system demonstration sets. Use of the manipulative items has been shown to be an effective alternative approach to teaching students and other children who are recovering from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Ultimately, we want our students to become critically-thinking, disciplined, motivated members of society who can take what they learn from our program and share it with their communities. |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska | For more than 50 years, Legal Aid of Nebraska has provided dignity, hope, self-sufficiency and justice through quality civil legal aid. The legal services we provide allow us to support and stand side-by-side with low-income Nebraskans to ensure the fair enforcement of the law, to protect the rights of the people, and to address the urgent legal needs of our communities. | If our organization is awarded the grant money, we plan on using it to fund and support our ongoing civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable people in the Omaha area. We provide assistance in the following areas (and more): Evictions, Utility Shut Offs, Wage and Bank Account Garnishment/Debt Collection, Bankruptcy, Denial of Unemployment or Disability Benefits (e.g. SSI, AABDI), Denial of Medicaid, SNAP, ADC/TANF and Other Public Benefits, Protection Order Hearings⠀ |
| Live On Nebraska | To heal and connect through organ and tissue donation. | If awarded, we would elect to spend the grant money in an opportunity identified by the student’s project. Alternatively, we would spend the money promoting our educational curriculum, found at https://liveonnebraska.org/education/ |
| MICAH House | To provide a safe and nurturing environment with support services for families and individuals experiencing the crisis of homelessness. | According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, only when the most basic needs are met, are human beings capable of working toward higher-level needs such as social-emotional, or practical needs such as employment or stable housing. When an individual does not know where he or she will sleep, or where their next meal is coming from, it’s difficult to focus on the bigger picture. A donation of a $1,000 grant would provide families and women experiencing homelessness a safe place to sleep tonight – helping to meet their basic needs and get back on their feet. MH provides a private and dignified atmosphere in which clients can turn their focus from acquiring their most urgent and basic needs, to addressing larger issues through shelter support services. Donations also provide support to assist individuals in finding permanent housing and stable income. Once those needs have been met, they can focus on the skills they need to continue to be successful. |
| Munroe-Meyer Institute | Our mission is to be world leaders in transforming the lives of all individuals with disabilities and complex health care needs, their families and the community through outreach, engagement, premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care. | In collaboration with other University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) colleges and in partnership with Special Olympics International, MMI will establish programs and services to address documented health disparities in caring for people with IDD and complex health care needs. See flyer attached. |
| Nebraska Enterprise Fund |
The Nebraska Enterprise fund envisions a vibrant small business eco-system where every small and micro business has the opportunity to start, grow and prosper. The Nebraska Enterprise Fund supports underserved communities by providing micro and small businesses with access to training, technical assistance, and capital. |
NEF is developing a series of Business Clinics which provide a day long forum where entrepreneurs from the start-up phase to growing businesses can meet with multiple resource providers in one place to discuss their business needs. Based on NEF’s experience, to often a start-up or small business does not have easy access to key resources. By holding the business clinic, NEF will invite bankers, legal professionals, small business experts, insurance agents, accounting professionals and others. This allows the entrepreneur and growing business owner access to a wide range of skills and expertise in a one stop location. The funding would cover the operational costs of the event including facilities and promotion. NEF is holding its first ever business clinic on the 9th of September. The next business clinic will be during the first quarter of 2022 (Jan. – Mar.). The forum is an ideal way to support small and emerging businesses across Omaha and the state. |
| New Visions Homeless Services | Our mission is to provide help, hope, and opportunity to those experiencing hunger and homelessness in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area. | If awarded, New Visions Homeless Services would utilize a $1,000 grant to enhance services in one of our program areas of shelter, food insecurity, homelessness prevention, transitional housing, or Veteran’s services. Some examples of the impacts of monetary donations include the purchase of bus tickets, gas cards, and birth certificate resources to help shelter guests take their next steps towards housing or employment. Funding can also be used to maintain our vehicle fleet, purchase supplies for the shelter, or provide resources that will impact the lives of people we serve in all of our program areas. |
| Open Door Mission | Open Door Mission is a Gospel Rescue Mission that meets the needs of individuals and families while inspiring HOPE for lasting change. Our vision is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty through our 4 core values of rescue, redeem, rebuild, and restore. | Open Door Mission will devote grant money to guest services to provide safe shelter, nutritious food, and quality care for homeless and near homeless individuals and families being served through Open Door Mission’s programs. A grant of $1,000 will provide 27 nights of safe shelter for those in need right here in Omaha. |
| Opera Omaha |
The Holland Community Opera Fellowship is the centerpiece of Opera Omaha’s strategic vision for the future. In today’s world, the arts play a pivotal role in shaping our communities and the quality of life of our citizens. In service to the community, we are bringing opera into new environments illustrating and promoting the value of creativity in both the arts and non-arts sectors. The Fellowship ENGAGES in meaningful dialogue with the community on issues and ideas of social relevance. FULFILLS unmet needs in the community for arts experiences, education, and appreciation. EMPOWERS communities through music and culture. CREATES reciprocal relationships between Opera Omaha and different sectors and neighborhoods benefitting residents and communities. EXPANDS Opera Omaha’s civic impact and relevancy to the community. DIVERSIFIES and grows Opera Omaha’s impact through performance and social interactions. |
Launched in 2017, The Holland Community Opera Fellowship (HCOF) is transformational, and as a result supports the creation of an inventive, creative, empathetic, and inclusive community that inspires joy, self-discovery, kinder discourse, and opportunity for all. HCOF works collaboratively with community partners to co-create programming that helps individuals, organizations, and communities reach their goals. We know we can’t solve the most pressing issues in our community, like homelessness, income disparity, immigration, or segregation, but by working with partners who are the experts working on those issue areas we can bring our unique artistic resources to the table to help meet their goals together. Some of these projects include Creativity Workshops for residents at MICAH House, and QLI, and with UNMC’s Healing Arts, individual sessions for adults with disabilities from Gotta Be Me and Ollie Webb Center and a songbook project with Intercultural Senior Center. We primarily with historically marginalized populations and those who may not otherwise have access to creative or artistic programming. Programming is free for our non-profit community partners, and the grant funds would support the cost to run that programming. |
| Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue | Connect perishable food from local food purveyors to local nonprofits that feed our hungry, while raising awareness and educating the community on wasted food and hunger. |
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| The AIM Institute | The AIM Institute grows a strong and diverse tech community through education, career development, and outreach. Our vision is to build a thriving city where anyone can pursue a rewarding tech career. | If awarded this grant via the Maverick Philanthropy Initiative, AIM will use the funds to purchase snacks for participants in our Youth in Tech program. This program provides access to curiosity-sparking, hands-on tech activities like designing and 3D printing objects; programming robots to navigate a maze; and building do-it-yourself Raspberry Pi kits to understand the inner workings of a computer. Many of our students may not otherwise have the chance to experience such meaningful interactions with technology due to gaps in their schools’ science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum and/or lack of access to technology in the home. Many of our students are underserved and forced to deal with issues that most of their peers do not, such as poverty and hunger. Since nobody can focus or retain information while chronically hungry, we provide healthy snacks in order to relieve students’ hunger and ensure they are able to get the most out of our tech education programming. A grant of $1,000 would help us support healthy snacks for children in need of both physical and intellectual sustenance. |
| Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) | VNA is a nonprofit organization with a mission to “delivering community-based care that provides peace of mind, quality of life and independence.” Since 1896, VNA has operated innovative programs that serve the unique public health, home health, and hospice needs of at-risk individuals and families throughout Omaha and Council Bluffs. | VNA provides Parenting Support as part of a strategy to strengthen children and families at highest risk of adverse childhood experiences and poor lifetime outcomes. Registered nurses, parent coaches, a social worker, and lactation consultants target the needs of low-income families with children by providing intensive home visitation services over a period of 1-3 years, ideally beginning prenatally or shortly after birth. Our program uses a strengths-based approach and evidence or research-based interventions that focus on supporting parents to develop the skills necessary to protect and nurture their children, increase their understanding of developmental stages of childhood, and improve child-rearing competencies. Grant funding will allow VNA to purchase board books to promote positive parent-child interaction, brain development and communication. We estimate that each family will receive five books for their child’s library. These books will have brightly colored pages without words, making this the perfect book for all families, no matter their language or literacy level. VNA staff will help parents learn to make up stories or songs by describing the pictures on each page while promoting positive parent-child interactions. |
| Voices of Hope | Voices of Hope’s mission is two-fold: 1) to provide confidential 24-hour-a-day crisis intervention services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, incest, stalking and related forms of abuse; and, 2) to provide presentations for the purposes of citizen awareness and prevention and offer training opportunities for professionals who work with individuals who have experienced the trauma of relationship violence or sexual abuse. | Our project focuses on enhancing our violence prevention programming by providing healthy relationships presentations to middle and high school students, and college students. A central component to these presentations is distinguishing healthy characteristics in relationships and making a commitment to engage in healthy relationships with current and future partners. We discuss the importance of maintaining relationships based on respect, equality, trust and honest communication as well as helping students to understand consent, bystander intervention, media literacy, and healthy conflict resolution. Students pledge to create relationships established in these qualities and also to help a friend if they are in an abusive relationship by saying something, modeling healthy relationships and connecting them to resources. |