Cooper Foundation Awards Second Quarter Grants at June Board Meeting

Friday, July 12, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —

The Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees awarded a $15,000 operating grant to the Northeast Family Center (NFC) to support early childhood education, family support, and youth development programs for residents in northeast Lincoln. Their Early Learning Center provides affordable quality early education for children ages six weeks through 12 years. The need for high quality affordable childcare and early childhood learning programs is critical in our community. NFC uses a research-based curriculum to ensure that early learning guidelines are met in every classroom. They also operate two Community Learning Centers in partnership with Lincoln Public Schools, providing expanded learning opportunities for students and important before and after school care for working families. For more information about the Northeast Family Center visit, https://nfclincoln.org/.

In total the Foundation awarded $174,300 to a diverse group of arts, civic and community engagement, education, environment, human services, and humanities organizations. Grant recipients are in Lincoln unless otherwise noted.

Approved for Funding by the Cooper Foundation, June 2024

Arts

Lincoln Arts Council – $20,000
General operating support for the organization’s efforts to enhance access, engagement, and community development with the arts in Lincoln.

Meadowlark Music Festival – $10,000
General operating support for the 2024-25 season. Meadowlark Music Festival is Nebraska’s premier international summer chamber music festival, bringing musicians from around the world to Lincoln and surrounding areas for concerts and educational outreach programs.

Civic & Community Engagement

Civic Nebraska – $15,000
For Capitol Experience Day programming for the 2024-2025 year, which provides immersive experiences at the Nebraska State Capitol to increase understanding of government processes with firsthand civic engagement activities for students and adults.

Nebraska Appleseed – $10,000
To support a community-informed research project focused on improving Nebraska’s Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program.

Nebraska Civic Engagement Table – $7,500
General operating to support voter education efforts in Lancaster County and communities statewide.

Education

ECHO Collective – $10,000
General operating to support entrepreneurship programs, professional development, and networking to further job opportunities for refugee and immigrant women.

Junior Achievement – $10,000
To support the expansion of Junior Achievement programming into K-3rd grade classrooms in Lincoln Public Schools.

Nebraska Transition College – $7,500
Support to sustain and expand the position of Residential Program Coordinator.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Honors Program – $9,300
Cooper Connections, in partnership with the University Honors Program, to support interns and Cooper Conversations for students and the public in coordination with the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues.

Environment

Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor & Agricultural Learning (Hastings, NE) – $10,000
General operating support. Prairie Loft Center, located in Hastings, is the region’s only outdoor and agriculture-based learning center.

Solidago Conservancy – $20,000
General operating support for conservation efforts within Lincoln and Lancaster County to protect and enhance natural, recreational, historic, and scenic resources for future generations.

Human Services

Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln/Lancaster County – $10,000
General operating support to provide safe spaces, caring mentors, and high-impact programs to over 400 youth, ages 11-18 at Park Middle School, Lincoln North Star and Lincoln Northwest High Schools.

Northeast Family Center – $15,000
General operating support for this neighborhood and childcare center serving northeast Lincoln.

Humanities

Willa Cather Foundation (Red Cloud, NE) – $20,000
General operating support to expand arts and educational programs for this organization dedicated to one of America’s most important writers. Created in 1955, the Foundation owns and operates the National Willa Cather Center and the nation’s largest collection of nationally designated historic sites dedicated to an American author.

The Cooper Foundation, established by Joseph H. Cooper in 1934, has granted over $30 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 the application process, visit the foundation’s web site, www.cooperfoundation.org.