Cooper Foundation Awards First Quarter Grants
Friday, April 12, 2024
Lincoln, Neb. — The Cooper Foundation awarded a grant of $20,000 to Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition to support their work in addressing intimate partner violence against Native Americans and tribal communities in Nebraska.
Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition (NETAV) was established in 2022 and works with 34 member programs and four tribal domestic violence programs in Nebraska. They strengthen the prevention of and response to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, elder abuse, dating violence, and human trafficking against Native Americans, providing education, trainings, support, public awareness, and technical assistance for rural and urban tribal communities. All services are provided at no cost to member organizations, survivors, family members, and tribal communities.
The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women is severe, with 4 in 5 Native women reporting that they have been victims of violence. Nebraska ranks 7th in the top U.S. states and Omaha, Nebraska ranks 8th in the top U.S. cities for the highest number of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls’ cases. To learn more, go to https://www.netav.org/.
In total, the Cooper Foundation awarded $167,000 to 11 diverse nonprofit organizations. Grant recipients are all located in Lincoln unless otherwise noted.
Approved for Funding by the Cooper Foundation, March 2024
Arts
Lincoln Community Playhouse – $10,000
General operating to support the Lincoln Community Playhouse’s 78th Season.
LUX Center for the Arts – $20,000
Support for the visual arts and education programs to enhance LUX Center’s three core programs: artists-in-residence, education & outreach, and exhibitions and public arts.
Community Improvement
Give Nebraska – $7,000
Toward the 2024 campaign.
Education
Educare Lincoln – $10,000
To support the position of Mentor Teacher of Social-Emotional Learning. The mission of Educare is to promote school readiness of children ages 0 to 5 through high-quality early education at zero cost to families.
Human Services
BikeLNK – $9,000
Support for increased access to Lincoln’s bike share program through subsidized bike passes and educational programming.
Immigrant Legal Center & Refugee Empowerment (Omaha, NE) – $15,000
General operating support. Immigrant Legal Center & Refugee Empowerment is one of the largest immigration legal service providers in the Midwest and one of three federally recognized resettlement agencies in Nebraska.
City of Lincoln, Lincoln Police Department – $16,000
To support the Lincoln Police Department Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) which supports victims and witnesses with direct outreach, advocacy and court assistance, safety, and protection planning, and help to acquire needed services.
Clyde Malone Community Center – $30,000
Toward the position of Youth Programs Director.
Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition – $20,000
For general operating to support coalition work in addressing intimate partner violence against Native Americans and tribal communities in Nebraska.
YWCA of Lincoln – $20,000
General operating support. The YWCA works to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Humanities
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Harris Center for Judaic Studies – $10,000
To support the capacity and digital expansion of the Nebraska Stories of Humanity web site, (https://nestoriesofhumanity.unl.edu/).
The Cooper Foundation, established by Joseph H. Cooper in 1934, has granted over $29 million to benefit the people of Nebraska. The Foundation makes quarterly grants supporting the arts, civic and community engagement, education, environment, the humanities, and human services primarily in Lincoln and Lancaster County. For more information about grant guidelines and deadlines, visit the foundation’s web site, www.cooperfoundation.org.