Best Youth Sports Grants in Nebraska

Federally tax-exempt nonprofits, public agencies, and government subdivisions in Nebraska can receive support for time-limited arts programming, productions, or events open to the general public. Nebraska Arts Council provides US $2,000 - US $7,500 for projects such as performances, festivals, community murals, or ethnic heritage activities, including those engaging underserved communities; a dollar-for-dollar cash match is required.

The Nebraska Arts Council offers the Arts Accessibility for Event Services grant to provide reimbursement funds for services that enhance access to arts events. This includes essential services such as American Sign Language interpretation, video captioning, audio descriptions, and language translation. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with a six-week advance deadline prior to the event. A Letter of Interest can be submitted if applicants are not yet certain about hiring the service.

The Arts Accessibility Grant for Improvement Projects, provided by the Nebraska Arts Council, aims to enhance access to arts programs and facilities for individuals with disabilities. Nonprofit arts organizations in Nebraska can apply for this non-matching grant to improve their existing services beyond ADA requirements. Priority is given to those lacking access due to geographical or economic barriers. A Letter of Intent is required before applying, ensuring alignment with accessibility goals.

The W R Berkley Corporation Charitable Grant Program supports local 501(c)(3) organizations in Central Iowa, SW Minnesota, and Eastern Nebraska. With a focus on health, community betterment, youth development, education, and food insecurity, grants are awarded twice a year. There are no limitations on request sizes, but only one grant per organization is accepted annually. Funding decisions prioritize organizations with a proven track record of efficiency and success in serving their communities.

The Jetton Charitable Fund Grant aims to enhance youth cultural education in Omaha through performing and visual arts, and natural sciences. Grants of $20,000 and more support organizations with a minimum of 5 years as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, serving over 1,000 students annually. Eligible programs focus on broad community engagement and educational initiatives. Special considerations may extend funding to organizations in Lincoln and across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, emphasizing programmatic support with some capacity building exceptions.

The US Department of Health & Human Services announces a competitive funding opportunity for the Head Start/Early Head Start programs across various states. This initiative aims to enhance services for low-income families and children, promoting their social and economic well-being. With approximately $818.3 million available, the program seeks to expand access to quality early childhood education, thereby strengthening community stability and prosperity. Interested applicants can seek further information through the OHS Operations Center.

The NHC Mini Grants, offered by the Nebraska Humanities Council, aim to support nonprofit projects that foster cultural connections and enhance the understanding of humanities across Nebraska. Grant applications are encouraged from a diverse range of organizations, focusing on projects that serve Nebraskans and address underserved audiences. Emphasizing collaboration and innovative partnerships, these grants prioritize initiatives that explore interdisciplinary connections within the humanities, enriching the cultural landscape of the state.

Nebraska youth sports and recreation nonprofits can seek community sponsorships supporting events, general operations, and season sponsorships. Focused on community development and health, First National Bank of Omaha invites organizations in its Nebraska service areas to request unrestricted funding for fundraisers, festivals, athletics-related events, and other local initiatives important to their communities.

Nebraska 501(c) organizations, government entities, and state-recognized nonprofits can seek funding for firearms education, shooting sports, and hunting safety programs. With a mission to support shooting sports education, NRA Foundation provides Nebraska youth sports and community safety programs with grants of US $3,000 - US $5,000 for training, equipment, and marksmanship-related activities.

Eligible Nebraska rural local governments, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes facing drinking water emergencies can apply for USDA Rural Development’s Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants, with awards up to US $1,000,000 for water line repairs or new water sources and treatment. Communities hosting youth sports programs may benefit from restored access to safe, reliable water.

Nonprofit organizations in Nebraska operating or planning organic community gardens that feed low-income communities can receive US $3,000 for urban agriculture projects. Nature's Path Organic provides these grants to support organic, pesticide-free gardens. Youth-serving programs that use gardening to support health or nutrition for young people may be eligible if they meet these criteria.

The GPCAH Community Pilot Grant supports innovative research and outreach aimed at enhancing the health and safety of agricultural workers in the Midwest. Funded by NIOSH, this program encourages projects focusing on critical issues like mental health, injury prevention, and chemical safety. With grants up to $30,000, it invites collaboration from various organizations, particularly those within the nine-state region. Special emphasis is placed on proposals addressing the needs of underrepresented groups in agriculture.

The Mosaic Company Foundation Community Investment Grant aims to create a lasting impact in communities by supporting initiatives in three key areas: Food, Water, and Local Community. With an annual investment of approximately $12 million, the foundation addresses food security, promotes water conservation, and enhances community sustainability. Eligible applicants must be recognized charitable organizations, primarily in North America, committed to improving quality of life through innovative solutions and partnerships.

The California Casualty Music & Arts Grant supports K-12 public schools facing budget cuts that threaten their music and arts programs. Eligible applicants, who must be active employees of public K-12 schools and members of specified educator associations, can request grants of $250 for music or arts needs. This initiative aims to enhance creative education across the states, excluding AK, HI, MA, MI, NY, and WI. Applications received by July 15 will be notified by November 30.

Nebraska organizations running K–12 truancy prevention and intervention programs can apply for funding up to Up to US $115,000 to support implementation and operations. Focused on juvenile justice and keeping youth out of the system, the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice invites Nebraska youth-serving programs to propose data-reporting projects addressing excessive absences.

Chronic Disease Management Navigation and Education Initiative (NE)

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Chronic Disease Prevention Program invites proposals to expand Chronic Disease Management through Navigation and Education across Nebraska’s communities. This initiative is funded through the Rural Health Transformation Project, 4.4A. It aims to connect people in need with resources to promote healthy living and strengthen coordination among patients and health systems.

Program Scope

Funded projects will expand community-based education, care navigation, and self-management support for individuals living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other long-term health challenges. Projects should improve health outcomes by helping individuals understand their conditions, navigate complex health systems, and access timely, community responsive resources. Through structured education, one-on-one navigation support, and partnerships with healthcare providers and community organizations, participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to manage their conditions, reduce preventable complications, and improve quality of life.

Workplans should include, but are not limited to:

• Chronic disease education delivered through workshops, group sessions, and individualized learning tailored to participant needs
• Care navigation and referral support, helping participants connect to primary care, specialty services, medications, and community resources
• Health system navigation, including assistance with appointments, care plans, insurance literacy, and follow-up care.

Funding Amounts

Awards will be made based on applicant type, project scope, and demonstrated need. Single applications should not exceed $400,000 per proposed budget. Applicants must verify and/or justify that their proposed workplan does not overlap existing efforts. Our goal is to expand program reach, not duplicate efforts.

The Building Local Alignment and Community (BLAC) Fund is a participatory grant process powered by IBBG. The BLAC fund will regrant $1M by 2027 to reproductive health and wellbeing organizations and projects across Nebraska that support and are led by underserved populations, including but not limited to Black women, femmes, and girls.

Blac Fund General Grant

The BLAC Fund aims to support community-based organizations and projects in Nebraska that are led by, and benefit, underserved populations, including but not limited to Black women, femmes, and girls. According to the Pocket Change report released by the Ms. Foundation in 2020, philanthropic giving to women and girls of color in the U.S. averaged just $5.48 per person, amounting to only 0.5% of the total $66.9 billion given by foundations. 

The Building Local Alignment and Community (BLAC) Fund is a participatory grant process powered by IBBG. The BLAC fund will regrant $1M by 2027 to reproductive health and wellbeing organizations and projects across Nebraska that support and are led by underserved populations, including but not limited to Black women, femmes, and girls.

Blac Fund Childcare Grant

We’re excited to announce a new opportunity through the 2026 BLAC Fund, created specifically to support underrepresented childcare providers across Nebraska. IBBG will invest $250,000 in grants to help sustain and strengthen childcare businesses in economically distressed and underserved communities.

Nebraska Humanities Council

The mission of Humanities Nebraska is to help people explore what connects us and makes us human.

There are two organizations that fall under the Humanities Nebraska umbrella — the Nebraska Humanities Council is the entity that conducts programs and makes grants. The Nebraska Foundation for the Humanities works with the Council to secure private funding and advocate for public funding at the state and federal levels to support these programs. A third organization, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, serves as the endowment for both Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency.

Sower Award in the Humanities

Humanities Nebraska presents the Sower Award in the Humanities annually to honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to the public understanding of the humanities in Nebraska. This contribution can be made through any combination of time, expertise, or resources. The selection committee will consider how nominees have helped enrich the lives of Nebraskans through the humanities: history, literature, culture, philosophy, and all the ways we explore what it means to be human.

Each year, the Sower Award in the Humanities is presented prior to the annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities. The award recipient must be present. In some past years the Sower Award was presented to organizations or communities; as of 2016, only individuals are eligible for nomination. Current board and staff members of Humanities Nebraska are not eligible.

Previous honorees have included:

• Talented humanities faculty who have taken the humanities to the public beyond their classroom;
• Committed volunteers dedicating their time and energy to enhancing the cultural life of Nebraska;
• Thoughtful journalists and filmmakers bringing the humanities to bear on important public issues;
• Generous philanthropists who have directed significant financial support to humanities-related programs and projects accessible by Nebraskans

The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Development Phase (COBRE-D) program aims to enhance biomedical research capacity in IDeA states, which historically receive low NIH funding. By providing critical support for early-career investigators and essential infrastructure, COBRE-D facilitates a long-term vision for institutions. This initiative not only supplements start-up packages for new hires but also establishes research facilities and improves administrative services, paving the way for less-resourced institutions to transition into the COBRE E/S program.

Expedited Off Cycle Grant

Due to the passage of Legislative Bill 1071 in April of 2026, there is included in the appropriation for Nebraska Tourism Commission dba Visit Nebraska to this program FY2025-26 $175,000 Cash Funds for state aid, which shall only be used for a marketing grant related to international volleyball events at a city of the metropolitan class. There is included in the appropriation to this program for FY2025-26 $150,000 Cash Funds for state aid, which shall only be used for a tourism and visitor promotion grant to an organization that provides tourism and visitor promotion services in the state through exhibits and trails and that is located along the Missouri River and within five miles of a city of the first class.

When developing your grant application, be creative and innovative, tell us what marketing tools your community, event, destination, or region is lacking that will help you attract more visitors. Outline your needs in your application and include how, when, why, and where you plan to implement the tools. 

About

The Advancing Communities grant program helps communities across Nebraska and southwest Iowa develop or enhance spaces that are inviting to all citizens, enabling connection through social, recreational, historical and civic engagement. By supporting capital projects that make great community assets — from libraries and youth rec centers to parks, trails, museums and more — we encourage our neighbors to get out and explore.

Advancing Communities Grant

Projects for consideration should align with the following themes:

• Shared spaces such as libraries, parks, trails and community centers — that encourage engagement and make towns more vibrant places to live, work and gather.
• Innovative ideas and forward-thinking approaches that engage multiple generations, introduce new ideas or bring fresh energy into existing community spaces.
• Community-led efforts, including partnerships among public, private and nonprofit sectors, with priority given to initiatives that demonstrate collaboration, local investment and community-driven vision.
• Sustainable, ready-to-launch projects that have secured at least 60% of their total funding and show clear plans for long-term maintenance, sustainability and measurable community benefit.

Grant amounts:

Applicants may request up to $250,000 for one time capital support.

Deadlines:

Applications for this program can be submitted at any time.

Grants from the Bureau of Reclamation help Nebraska public entities, Tribes, and other organizations plan, design, or construct water reclamation and reuse projects. WaterSMART Title XVI projects expand urban and irrigation water supplies, providing new clean water sources and more reliable supplies that may benefit communities supporting youth sports facilities and programs.

The Express Health Information Outreach Awards aim to enhance public health by increasing access to biomedical information for U.S. health professionals and the general public. These awards support projects that improve health information literacy among consumers and caregivers, ensuring they can effectively find and utilize health information. Focused on partnerships and outreach to underrepresented communities, the initiative seeks to promote healthy behaviors, prevent illness, and improve health outcomes through informed decision-making.

Grants from the Bureau of Reclamation help Nebraska organizations improve water resource management through projects like conservation, efficiency upgrades, infrastructure improvements, and river or watershed restoration, with awards from US $50,000 - US $3,000,000. Programs whose youth sports facilities or recreation areas depend on reliable water systems may be eligible if they advance broader watershed benefits.

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation offers ministry grants to churches and agencies affiliated with the Great Plains United Methodist Conference. Aimed at enhancing ministries, these grants support programs and operating expenses but exclude building repairs or expansions. Funded by the "Gifts From the Heart" Endowment Fund, applications are reviewed by the Foundation's Stewardship Committee and approved by the Board of Directors during their October meeting.

Our Mission

The Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Greater Kansas City by increasing charitable giving, educating and connecting donors to community needs they care about, and leading on critical community issues.

Scholarships

We offer hundreds of different scholarships for students in and around Kansas City.

Kansas Association of Independent Crop Consultants Scholarship Fund

The Kansas Association of Independent Crop Consultants created this scholarship fund to award to a qualified individual majoring in an agricultural field.