Cooper Foundation Announces New Program Area for Civic and Community Engagement

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Lincoln, Neb. — The trustees of the Cooper Foundation have added Civic and Community Engagement to its grantmaking priority areas. Over the years the Foundation has funded a variety of advocacy, community development, and civic engagement projects, and these activities are increasing across all sectors of our society.

Civic and community engagement takes many forms, including voting, volunteering, civic education about our government and its processes, and individual and collective action to improve our public systems. These programs help people develop the skills and knowledge to become more active citizens, to work with others to solve a problem, and to interact with our institutions of representative democracy.

This dedicated program area will support nonprofit organizations as they implement strategies to address issues of public concern, lift up voices from all areas of the community, and draw people into public decision-making processes.

The Cooper Foundation, established by Joseph H. Cooper in 1934, has granted over $25 million to benefit the people of Nebraska, funding arts and humanities, civic and community engagement, education, the environment, and human services. For more information, visit the foundation’s web site, www.cooperfoundation.org.