A remarkable Nebraska success story

A community, just like a person, is an unfolding process. Ever changing, growing and maturing, a community always needs to appreciate the present while focusing on the future.

This year Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) is celebrating its 30th anniversary of helping Nebraska hometowns do just that: create new community capacity, better teamwork and a progressive vision for a future that motivates and inspires the next generation to want to be in community with us.

In November NCF held its Annual Celebration, which always includes training and peer learning for advisory committee members of NCF affiliated funds. The day culminates in a dinner celebrating success stories from some of the 269 Nebraska hometowns that benefit from NCF affiliated funds. This year, nearly 300 volunteers participated in training and more than 450 proud Nebraskans attended the celebratory dinner.

At the center of this celebration is a remarkable Nebraska success story. Over the past three decades, thousands of Nebraskans in every corner of the state have dedicated their time, talent, treasure and talk to NCF’s community-building work. Since 1994, the NCF network has amassed $256 million in assets – $164 million of which are endowed – in furtherance of its mission to unleash abundant local assets, inspire charitable giving and connect ambitious people to build stronger communities across Greater Nebraska. Since NCF’s establishment, the network has reinvested more than $553 million into rural hometowns, forever transforming the philanthropic landscape of the state and the lives of future generations who will call Nebraska home.

Through the years, NCF has remained staunchly committed to keeping its work community centered and locally controlled. Drawing from decades of complex community development experience, NCF’s 24 staff members provide expertise in accounting, legal work, investments, IRS compliance, fundraising, gift planning, communications, marketing, data management, group facilitation and leadership training. Above all, the organization supports local volunteers in their efforts to build unrestricted endowments – financial resources that grow in perpetuity and are available for whatever challenges or opportunities Nebraska hometowns face in the future.

Nebraska Community Foundation’s national and international reputation has grown alongside its statewide influence. Not only is the organization known for its innovative community-building work and volunteer-led network, NCF has become increasingly well known for its studies on the intergenerational transfer of wealth as well as statewide youth surveys designed to better understand the perspectives and desires of young Nebraskans as they choose where they want to build their futures.

Today there are dozens of community success stories throughout the NCF network. Here are four examples:

Five NCF affiliated funds that benefit Boone County support afterschool programming, health and wellness, and fine arts in the K-12 school district. Collectively, they have raised and contributed more than $5 million to help build a trails system, a world-class early childhood education facility, and an agricultural education and performance facility at the fairgrounds.

Shickley’s $2.3 million unrestricted endowment has payout of $99,000 per year, which is greater than the Village’s annual property tax receipts. And 15 generous donors have already included Shickley in their estate plans. 

NCF affiliated funds that benefit Thayer County have now hosted 17 Hometown Interns in the past four years. Many of these young adults, after discovering the abundance in their hometowns, have returned after college to make Thayer County their home. Thayer County affiliated funds now hold $6.2 million in assets.

Valley County has built a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem; an incredible arts and culture scene prompting some to call Ord “the Nashville of the Sandhills;” and now has nearly $10 million endowed, including $4 million to support Valley County Health System.

At the heart of every one of these stories are amazing, passionate people. And these amazing people are “paying it forward” in their hometown and in neighboring communities as well. Communities that once considered each other rivals are now mentoring one another in pursuit of collective success. That’s the power of the NCF network.

Dozens of NCF affiliated funds throughout Greater Nebraska are accomplishing their vision of helping their homeplace be a community of choice for the next generation.

In the next few decades, billions of dollars will be transferring from one generation to the next. Now is our opportunity to invite one another to build community together. We can do this by making a gift today or making provisions in our estate for a gift in the future. If we act to benefit the next generation, the next 30 years and beyond will be incredibly bright for all Nebraskans.

Jeff Yost is president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. Learn more about NCF’s work at NebraskaHometown.org.