Omaha was built on a deep commitment to supporting each other.”
It’s no surprise to Donna Kush, president and CEO of the Omaha Community Foundation (OCF), that the Omaha–Council Bluffs area ranks in the top 3% nationally in per capita giving. The city’s extraordinary generosity and self-investment, she explained, are year-round efforts.
“We take care of one another,’’ Kush said. ‘‘That’s the heart of Omaha philanthropy.”
In 2023 alone, OCF and their fundholders granted $280 million to nonprofits. Of the 17,000 individual grants distributed to over 3,000 nonprofit organizations, 71% remained within the metro area.
“We’re very proud of last year being a record year for us,” Kush said. “Having the community we have makes us nationally competitive.” In another record-breaking achievement, OCF’s assets now total around $2 billion, making them the 12th largest community foundation in the United States.
While streamlining local philanthropy has always been OCF’s greatest strength, Kush said the severe weather disaster earlier this year marked a major shift for the organization.
A devastating tornado outbreak swept across Nebraska and Iowa on April 26, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses in ruins. OCF swiftly established the Nebraska Tornado Recovery Fund, receiving its first donation within 30 minutes.
In just two weeks, the community had donated a million dollars.
The Foundation recognized a gap in coordination between government partners, nonprofits, individual fund holders, family foundations, corporate community leaders, and more. “There was a need for a neutral convener, and we were uniquely positioned to ensure resources were maximized throughout the community,” Kush said.
Affirming the necessity for long-term crisis management, OCF activated a long-term recovery group (LTRG) to help provide stable housing and support after disasters. The LTRG facilitates quick, flexible responses, ensuring effective resource coordination for current and future crises.
Disaster response, education, and the arts are just some of the efforts within economic prosperity, one of OCF’s main funding priorities. Mental and behavioral health is another priority—OCF gathers information directly from nonprofits, including types of services offered or information about new facilities, then communicates the information to individual fundholders or private and family foundations. Communication is also key in the funding priority of maternal health.
OCF launched the Omaha Pathways Community HUB in 2023, which uses community healthcare workers to remove health barriers and improve birth outcomes. The Foundation collaborates with various healthcare partners to measure data and track progress. “This model may be adapted in the future to address the needs of other populations, too, such as seniors and those requiring mental and behavioral health support,” Kush added.
OCF also partners with Front Porch Investments to address affordable housing needs. This partnership aims to improve and expand affordable housing options within the community, responding to the major demand for such resources. Each of these initiatives, Kush said, are supported by philanthropy and community donors.
“We’re proud to be quarterbacking these community-wide efforts where our leadership is needed to address specific problems. It’s all possible because of the community’s generosity,” Brandon Hamm, OCF’s board chair, said.
Though the Foundation has strategic goals of continuing to see funding go beyond the metro, Hamm said they see a strong trend among Omaha donors with successful businesses who want their charitable dollars to stay within their own community.
“What we’re also seeing with some of our major donor families is that second or third generation inheritors might not live here,” Kush explained. “We see it as a very important role to be that connector, helping to keep them educated, informed, and connected to the Omaha nonprofits they support.”
The Foundation now boasts over 2,000 fundholders, supporting the needs of more than 3,000 nonprofits, initiatives, and funds across greater Omaha and Southwest Iowa. Kush said they are prepared to continue their guidance and leadership through the major transfer of wealth expected nationwide over the next decade.
“We have no doubt the next generation will continue this legacy of giving,” Kush said. “Omaha’s long-term success is inevitable as long as our community is actively dedicated to improving as a whole.
“Our city’s future is bright, because giving is in our DNA.’’
For more information, visit omahafoundation.org.
