Best Custer County Grants for Nonprofits in Nebraska

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5433 - Optimizing Membrane Biofouling Control in Potable Water Reuse Treatment Trains

Grant Information

Main Objective: Evaluate alternative biofouling control chemicals and operational strategies to optimize performance across the potable reuse treatment train while maintaining treatment performance and finished-water quality. Supporting objectives include:

• Identify and assess alternative biofouling control chemicals and operational strategies that can reduce membrane fouling and differential pressure, reduce cleaning frequencies, minimize degradation of ultraviolet transmittance (UVT), and reduce lifecycle cost.
• Evaluate treatment-train performance impacts, including effects on membrane system performance, membrane lifespan, UVT, and ultraviolet advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOP) performance and energy demand, finished-water quality, and concentrate management.
• Quantify lifecycle benefits and tradeoffs associated with selected strategies, including energy and chemical consumption, membrane replacement and cleaning frequency, monitoring and reporting requirements, operator safety and chemical handling, environmental considerations, and capital/operating and maintenance costs.

Arnold Ventures

Overview

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through evidence-based policy solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We focus on improving systems where outcomes are falling short, incentives are misaligned, and the time is right for change.

To advance this mission, we invest in rigorous research to better understand the root causes of problems and strengthen the evidence base on what works to solve them. Using this evidence, we advocate for policy reforms and help build durable, bipartisan coalitions for lasting change.

Request for Proposals

Causal Research on the Impacts of K-12 School Policies 

The next several years present an important opportunity to shape the future of state K-12 education policy. States are making consequential decisions about curriculum, assessment, and accountability systems; school choice and governance policies; and teacher and leader workforce policies. High-quality research in these areas will help policymakers distinguish between reforms that are merely appealing and those that meaningfully improve student outcomes over the long term.

Through this request for proposals (RFP), Arnold Ventures seeks to support research studies that estimate the causal effects of actionable, politically viable U.S. K-12 education policies that can be influenced at the state level and have the potential to improve outcomes at scale. Competitive proposals should employ rigorous causal research methods and, where feasible, examine not only short-term educational outcomes but also longer-term impacts on postsecondary and/or labor market outcomes using administrative data. Given the pace of state policymaking, we place a high value on research that can inform decisions quickly and will give preference to studies that can be completed within 18 months of project kickoff and/or produce actionable findings by the end of 2028.

Fall 2026 Early Childhood Education Funding Cycle

Overall Early Childhood Education Program Blueprint

The Stranahan Foundation’s Early Childhood Education grant program supports efforts to improve access to high-quality early care and education for young children (birth to five), especially those from low-income families. We do this by investing in strategies that strengthen, support, and retain a high-quality, thriving early educator workforce.

The Foundation has a history of supporting professional development (PD) and learning systems through its Provider strategy (). We believe strong professional development systems are essential for building a skilled early childhood workforce and creating positive learning environments for young children.

The Fall 2026 funding cycle is available for organizations that align with this Provider strategy.

Funding Opportunity

This funding opportunity will provide up to $750,000 to support early childhood education providers in strengthening existing professional development (PD) systems. Funding is intended to improve a specific area of an established PD system—not to build a brand-new system from scratch or put the foundational elements in place.

What kind of improvements can funding support?

Organizations should focus their projects on strengthening their professional development systems. The Stranahan Foundation defines a strong professional development system as one that includes:

• Connect learning opportunities that build on one another over time.
• Use adult learning best practices.
• Align staff learning to educator competencies, credentials, career growth, or compensation.
• Provide learning experiences that are individualized, scaffolded, and responsive to educators’ needs, experience, and goals.
• Have dedicated leadership and organizational capacity to support ongoing implementation.

• Gather regular feedback from staff and families.
• Use standardized assessment and evaluation tools to understand what is working and where improvements are needed.
• Make ongoing improvements based on what is learned.
• Support reflective practice, peer learning, and collaborative inquiry among educators.

• Offer both individual and group learning opportunities, such as training, professional learning communities, coaching, and mentoring.
• Provide learning opportunities on an ongoing basis rather than in a one-and-done situation.
• Connect internal and external learning opportunities to make the best use of available resources.
• Support classroom implementation through observation, modeling, feedback, and continuous improvement cycles.

• Provide learning experiences that are practical, relevant, and easy to apply in daily work.
• Include fundamental topics such as family engagement, effective instruction, developmentally appropriate practice, and classroom management.
• Align with established standards, research, and effective practices in the early childhood field.
• Equip educators to support all learners, including multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and children impacted by trauma or adverse experiences.

Pinky Swear Foundation

Our mission

Pinky Swear Foundation's mission is to help kids with cancer and their families with financial support. 

All-Star Fund

Housing, food, and transportation support

The All-Star Fund provides financial support for everyday expenses to families navigating the challenging journey of childhood cancer. This fund provides assistance for rent/mortgage, utility payments, groceries, gas, and car payments, ensuring that families can focus on what truly matters - their child.

Ignite Your Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Lead the future of innovation at your higher education institution with the Ecosystem Futures Fellowship. This fellowship is an evolution of our Course & Program Grants that focuses on scalable science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) ecosystem solutions through the lens of environmental and social sustainability and inclusive innovation. This program offers professional development, immersive learning experiences, and a supportive community of leaders. It enhances the role of faculty and higher education leaders as ecosystem builders in partnership with industry and government.

VentureWell Ecosystem Futures Fellowship

The Ecosystem Futures Fellowship is a one-year program that aims to strengthen campus innovation and entrepreneurship. This fellowship enhances both in-class and out-of-class student engagement and institutional culture by growing ecosystem networks. Teams of two will receive $30,000 in funding—a $10,000 award and $5,000 in travel stipends for each fellow—and 12 months of immersive programming and communities of practice.

The Ecosystem Futures Fellowship is a one-year experience that supports higher education leaders in advancing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) ecosystem growth centered on environmental and social sustainability and inclusive innovation.

What types of projects are eligible?

Projects should focus on STEM I&E ecosystem expansion, addressing significant social, health, or environmental challenges. Your STEM I&E ecosystem growth goals might align well with the fellowship if they are similar to one of the following:

• Building out a degree pathway that incorporates I&E into STEM disciplines
• Creating or revising courses that focus on STEM I&E through a social and environmental sustainability lens—these should be courses that make connections to I&E beyond the course in order to provide more robust I&E opportunities to a diverse population of students (community-engaged learning, internships, industry partnerships, etc.)
• Connecting existing courses to campus and off-campus extracurricular and co-curricular activities
• Designing new extracurricular and co-curricular I&E activities that connect to community partners
• Working with government, industry, or other community collaborators to expand STEM I&E activities on and off campus for students and other campus collaborators
• Working with administration on campus to change policies or systems that hinder STEM I&E activities on campus (promotion and tenure requirements, tech transfer opportunities, IP policies, etc.)
• Breaking down silos on campus in order to grow connections between disciplines and learning opportunities beyond the classroom
• Strengthening research translation and innovation development opportunities that work to solve the world’s most difficult problems

What support is provided besides funding?

• Mentorship from experienced industry experts.
• Access to a resource library and a collaborative network of STEM educators and students.
• Participation in on-campus immersive experiences, communities of practice, and VentureWell’s annual conferences.

The UNLOCK program aims to enhance energy and critical resource extraction from subsurface resources, addressing geological and technical challenges. It focuses on increasing extraction efficiency from low permeability formations and optimizing water management while ensuring cost efficiency. Despite advancements in hydraulic fracturing, recovery rates remain below 20%, leaving significant resources untapped. This initiative seeks innovative solutions to improve recovery methods and manage produced water effectively, paving the way for more sustainable resource utilization.

About

Founded in 1971, the Mensa Foundation was established by members of American Mensa to extend the organization’s impact. While connected by a shared purpose, the Foundation operates independently, guided by its own Board of Trustees, strategic plan, and initiatives.

Awards

Cooper Black Award for Creativity

The Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement honors Mensa members whose innovative solutions and practical creativity have brought meaningful benefits to the world.

Details

The Copper Black Award annually recognizes Mensa International members who have demonstrated a specific creative achievement with practical value. This award honors innovations that have been implemented, at least in part, to benefit others.

Award Components

The FY 2027 Continuation of Solicitation invites applications to support various program areas, including Advanced Scientific Computing, Basic Energy Sciences, Fusion Energy Sciences, and more. This annual open solicitation from the Department of Energy (DOE) allows research proposals throughout the fiscal year. Applications must align with SC's mission and can be submitted until September 30, 2027, or until a new solicitation is issued. Detailed submission processes are outlined in 10 C.F.R. part 605.

The Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives Program (DBI) for Fiscal Year 2026, administered by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, invites applications from existing initiatives to support the dairy industry. With approximately $12.65 million available, the program aims to diversify dairy markets, enhance farmer income, and promote regional milk production. Funding will prioritize equipment and infrastructure projects, which are vital for strengthening the capacity of dairy businesses and fostering innovation in processing and marketing.

The Water Resources Research Act Program National Competitive Grants FY2026, administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, aims to support innovative research initiatives at Water Resources Research Institutes across the U.S. and its territories. These grants facilitate essential studies on water management, addressing critical water resource challenges while promoting collaboration among states. This program seeks to enhance the understanding of water issues, ultimately contributing to sustainable management practices and informed decision-making in water resource policy.

The Fiscal Year 2026 Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program aims to enhance public safety by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving habitat connectivity for various species. With approximately $80 million available through cost reimbursable grants, this initiative supports eligible projects that address these critical environmental and safety concerns. The program may also distribute leftover funds from previous years, contingent on availability, fostering innovative solutions in wildlife management and transportation safety.

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, managed by the Department of War, aims to enhance the U.S. military's technical workforce by offering competitive scholarships for STEM degrees. With a funding cap of $1.3 billion over ten years, the program prepares scholars for critical roles in national defense, ensuring a pipeline of skilled professionals. Since its inception in 2005, over 8,000 scholarships have been awarded, fostering a strong connection between education and service in defense-related fields.

The USDA SBIR/STTR programs aim to enhance scientific excellence and technological innovation through federal funding, fostering a robust national economy. By supporting small businesses in addressing federal research needs, these programs encourage the commercialization of federally funded research. Specifically, the STTR program promotes partnerships between small businesses and research institutions, such as universities and federal laboratories, to advance cooperative research and development efforts.

The Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service provides funding for essential technical assistance and training aimed at resolving water and waste management issues. This program supports applicants in preparing loan and grant applications, enhancing the operational efficiency of water systems, and ensuring compliance with best practices in facility management. However, grant funds cannot be used for duplicating existing services or for capital expenditures.

The Solid Waste Management Grant Program, administered by the USDA's Rural Utilities Service, invites applications for FY 2027 funding. This initiative aims to enhance solid waste management in rural communities through technical assistance and training. Eligible organizations can receive grants to develop sustainable waste management practices, addressing critical issues like water pollution and emerging contaminants, while promoting hazardous waste collection. This program supports operational improvements and capital financing applications to ensure long-term environmental health.

The HIV Prevention and Alcohol R61/R33 funding opportunity aims to advance innovative HIV prevention strategies through a phased research approach. The R61 phase focuses on developing and pilot testing interventions, addressing key implementation questions for diverse populations. Following successful milestones, the R33 phase expands testing of these interventions and explores their effectiveness and sustainability, particularly in relation to alcohol use and related health issues.

The NASA ROSES 2025: A.18 Geosphere program provides funding for research on solid-Earth processes across various scales. It aims to enhance understanding of the Earth's structure and dynamics, particularly in the core, mantle, and lithosphere. Key areas of focus include Earth Surface Properties, Crustal Dynamics, and Earth Interior. This initiative supports advancements in managing natural resources, assessing geohazards, and exploring the forces driving plate tectonics, ultimately contributing to improved hazard forecasting and mitigation strategies.

The Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) Program provides competitive funding for eligible applicants to deliver technical assistance to local governments serving economically distressed communities of 50,000 or fewer residents. Selected awardees collaborate closely with HUD to enhance the capabilities of UGLG officials and staff, ensuring they effectively address community needs. Applicants may focus on broad HUD jurisdictions or specific areas as specified in the program's NOFO.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5430 - Unlocking Value and Opportunities from Carbon Flows in Water Utilities

Grant Information

• Identify carbon flows across drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and advanced treatment systems. Carbon flows may include source water, stormwater, process emissions, process inputs, residuals, and biogas.
• Identify the most relevant carbon recovery, capture, conversion, storage, and avoidance opportunities.
• Evaluate value creation pathways, including products, avoided costs, and environmental attributes, and mechanisms and partnerships needed to put them into practice.
• Assess how opportunities vary across system types and local contexts by focusing on more common scenarios for utilities.
• Provide practical, research-based insights to support identification, prioritization, evaluation, and advancement of carbon management opportunities under site-specific conditions and constraints.
• Evaluate implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, environmental attribute claims, and other potential benefits across pathways.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5411 - Practical Playbook for Adaptive Utility Capital Improvement Planning Under Deep Uncertainty

Grant Information

• Assess current utility practices for incorporating adaptive or flexible decision making into capital improvement planning (CIP) at the portfolio or programmatic level.
• Identify where deep uncertainty most affects CIP decision points, including investment areas prone to lock-in or points of no return.
• Document the institutional processes, frameworks, and governance structures that have enabled utilities to embed adaptive and flexible investment strategies.
• Quantify how adaptive capital strategies compare to traditional CIP approaches in terms of lifecycle costs, rate stability, financial risk exposure, and avoided or deferred capital investments across a range of plausible future conditions.
• Establish practical criteria to help utilities determine which types of capital investments are well suited for adaptive approaches.
• Develop a practitioner-focused playbook that equips utilities to apply adaptive CIP in practice, including case studies, decision trees, trigger points, vulnerability assessment tools, financial and risk insights, and governance guidance.
• Produce tiered recommendations that allow utilities to adopt adaptive CIP practices incrementally.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5418 - Optimizing PFAS Treatment Systems for Multi-contaminant Removal and Operational Benefits

Project Objectives

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5426 - Investigation of Non-Point Sources of PFAS in Sewersheds and Potential Mitigation Strategies

Grant Information

Evaluate the impact of non-point or dispersed sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the sewershed (including PFAS-contaminated groundwater infiltration) on PFAS mass loading to wastewater treatment plants.

Assess how PFAS loading from non-point or dispersed sources of PFAS in the sewershed may affect treatment efficiency and reuse water quality.

Improve understanding of PFAS precursor contributions.

Identify potential strategies to mitigate PFAS loading from non-point or disbursed sources of PFAS in the sewershed.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5416 - Innovative Approaches to Extend Lifetime and Minimize O&M for Nature-based Installations

Grant Information

• Identify and evaluate innovative design, construction, and management approaches that extend the functional lifetime of nature-based installations and reduce ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements.
• Develop practical guidance on key factors affecting nature-based solution (NbS) longevity, including hydraulic optimization, engineered media selection and replacement, plant selection, sediment management, and construction-phase best practices.
• Survey utilities and other NbS owners to document current maintenance practices, costs, and hours, and establish benchmarks to inform targets for improvement.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5415 - Guidelines to Develop Best-In-Class Maintenance Strategies for Vertical Assets

Grant Information

• Develop a clear understanding of the background and benefits associated with implementing well-rounded maintenance strategies for vertical assets.
• Develop a structured approach to identify and implement best-in-class maintenance strategies for vertical assets that improve reliability, increase asset availability, reduce unplanned work and emergency shutdowns, support the transition from reactive to proactive maintenance, and minimize total lifecycle cost.
• Apply leading practices such as Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and cutting-edge technologies and analytics to vertical assets.

The Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Program aims to enhance understanding of biological processes and disease mechanisms due to somatic mutations in human tissues. Since 2023, it has produced multi-omic datasets from various human tissues. The NIH plans to advance this initiative by establishing the National Somatic Mosaicism Commons Data Analysis & Organizational Center, which will oversee data management, develop analytical tools, and provide training to facilitate research and clinical applications.

The Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Program aims to uncover biological processes and disease mechanisms influenced by somatic mutations. Since its inception in 2023, it has produced valuable multi-omic datasets from diverse human tissues. The upcoming Stage 2 Genome Characterization Centers will focus on understanding the impact of these mutations in both healthy and clinically significant samples, enhancing our knowledge of somatic mosaicism's role in human health and disease.

In collaboration with Cummins Inc., the American Library Association (ALA) invites applications from U.S. public libraries to participate in A Year of STEM, 12 months of curated STEM programming to foster curiosity and STEM-mindedness in early childhood learners across the country. 

Twenty-five libraries will be chosen to participate in A Year of STEM, receiving professional development to prepare them for the project, copies of a newly created A Year of STEM programming guide developed by librarian advisors, a $5,000 programming stipend, four STEM kits (to be delivered quarterly), and support from ALA’s Public Programs Office staff throughout the project implementation period.