Fund for Omaha: Advancing Racial Equity and Social Justice in Nebraska - fundsforNGOs

The Omaha Community Foundation is committed to mobilizing support through the Fund for Omaha for organizations leading racial and social justice work in the community.

Donor Name: Omaha Community Foundation

State: Nebraska

County: Douglas County (NE), Sarpy County (NE), Pottawattamie County (NE)

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 08/01/2022

Size of the Grant: up to $25,000

Details:

They are committed to tackling existing funding gaps by expanding opportunities for organizations that intentionally amplify and care for BIPOC voices. Program goals include:

Building grassroots capacity of nonprofit organizations.
Supporting advocacy efforts to address systems change in communities of color.
Increasing connections within and across communities.
Working to ensure equitable access for people of color throughout their community.

Priority Areas

They believe this work can happen through investments that address racial equity gaps. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Arts & Culture: Providing equitable access to the tools and resources needed to engage the community in arts and cultural programming
Neighborhoods: Ensuring safe and affordable housing, homeownership paths, and public spaces suitable for social connectivity for BIPOC communities
Economic Opportunity: Expanding access to job opportunities and equitable pay in their community for people of color
Health: Enabling access or removing barriers to quality healthcare, mental health, and nutrition for BIPOC
Transportation: Advocating for and supports expanded options for people of color to have reliable and efficient transportation to areas with the most jobs
Vibrant Communities: Amplifying the voices of those least often heard

Funding Information

Award Size: Applicants can request up to $25,000.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are those defined as public, tax-exempt organizations by Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that provide services in the Omaha metropolitan area (Douglas, Sarpy, and Pottawattamie counties), or working with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent who can receive funds on your behalf.
Organizations that have an annual operating budget of $5 million or less are eligible to apply.

They support local nonprofits that are working to ensure equitable access to opportunity for people throughout their community. With this in mind, funding decisions are made considering the following:

Equitable Access: Does the nonprofit provide an opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and people of color to thrive; especially those whose voices are least heard?
Cultural Awareness: Does the nonprofit demonstrate an understanding of the many cultures represented in the fabric of their community?
Authentic Engagement: Does the nonprofit prioritize Black, Indigenous, and people of color’s lived experience in the development, deployment, and facilitation of efforts to impact the community?
Capacity Building: Does the grant increase the nonprofit’s reach and bolster its efforts in the above three ways?