Cooper Foundation Awards Second Quarter Grants

June 22, 2016

COOPER FOUNDATION AWARDS SECOND QUARTER GRANTS

Lincoln, Neb. — The Lincoln Bike Kitchen was awarded a $4,500 grant to support operations. The Lincoln Bike Kitchen is an all-volunteer community-building organization that provides bicycles and bike repair free of charge. They advocate for bicycling as a vital part of a healthy, equitable and sustainable community. Children under 13 are provided with bikes, helmets, locks and chains at no cost. Those who are older can earn a bicycle by volunteering for at least 10 hours. Lincoln Bike Kitchen also provides volunteer opportunities to high school and college students. In 2015, they distributed 190 children’s bikes, 30 adult bikes, and made repairs for over 400 bicyclists.

In total, $106,000 was awarded, supporting education, human services, the arts, and the environment. All grant recipients are located in Lincoln unless otherwise noted.

Asian Community & Culture Center – $12,000
To support general operations for services and programs focused on increasing the stability of immigrants and refugee families in Lincoln who face economic and cultural barriers to self-sufficiency as New Americans.

Capital Jazz Society, Inc. – $2,500
General operating support to support program growth. Capital Jazz Society’s two main programs, Monday Night Big Band and Capital Jazz Series, are held regularly at Vega in the West Haymarket.

Community Services Fund of Nebraska – $5,000
Toward general operations to support the Community Services Fund annual campaign.

Friends of the Pioneers Park Nature Center – $5,000
Support for the second annual Prairie Jazz Festival with proceeds benefiting programs for visitors and students at the Pioneers Park Nature Center.

Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska – $5,000
Toward outreach programs in Scottsbluff and Box Butte counties. Outreach programs are offered to girls in areas where there are no established troops or where there are barriers to participation, including lack of income, transportation, language barriers or the ability for parents to volunteer.

Greater Lincoln Chamber Foundation – $2,500
Support toward Lincoln Calling, a music festival in October 2016, which features emerging national and Nebraska artists across multiple venues over several days.

Lincoln Bike Kitchen – $4,500
General operating support for this organization that provides bicycles and bike repair free of charge by an all-volunteer staff.

Lincoln Parks and Recreation Foundation – $10,000
Support toward Woods Park Tennis Center to support the cost of energy efficient LED lighting for the new indoor tennis facility.

Mediation Center – $7,500
Support for a case manager for the Restorative Justice Juvenile Victim/Offender Program. This program provides victim/offender mediation where the victim and offender meet face to face to talk about the impact of the crime and create a reparation agreement.

National Audubon Society – $12,000
General operating expenses for Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center to support and expand their inquiry based education programs.

Nebraska Bicycling Alliance – $10,000
Support toward operational expenses so that fundraising and membership revenue can be used to build a training and education strategy. The mission of the Nebraska Bicycling Alliance is to cultivate a safer, more bicycle friendly Nebraska through partnerships, education and advocacy.

Nebraska Conservation Education Fund – $5,000
Support for operations to assist the organization in building capacity to achieve their goal of a network of people with the capacity to address local conservation concerns and to mobilize on statewide environmental issues.

Nebraska Shakespeare – $5,000
Support for the statewide Shakespeare on Tour program. This touring educational outreach program reaches an average of 30 middle and high schools, and over 7,500 students with performances, study guides and workshops.

Sheldon Art Association – $10,000
Toward support for “Crossing Borders,” 2016-2017 exhibition and programming, which will explore issues of identity, war, geography, conflict, psychology, society, and spirituality.

Voices for Children, Omaha, Ne. – $10,000
Support for the creation of an online database for the annual Kids Count in Nebraska publication. This report is a comprehensive resource that provides data related to children’s well-being in the areas of health, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and economic stability.

The Cooper Foundation, established by Joseph H. Cooper in 1934, has granted nearly $23 million to benefit the people of Nebraska. The Foundation makes quarterly grants supporting education, human services, the arts, the humanities, and the environment primarily in Lincoln and Lancaster County. For more information about guidelines and deadlines visit the Foundation’s web site, www.cooperfoundation.org.

Contact Us

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.