Since the beginning, the values of the Abel family have always included returning a measure of its success to the community through contributions. The first substantial gift from the Abel family was made in memory of George P. Abel, Sr. in 1944 to the newly formed University of Nebraska Foundation.
As the success of the family business increased, more contributions were made to various organizations. George P. Abel Jr. incorporated the Abel Foundation in 1946 as an orderly means of coordinating the family’s gifts.
Since that time, the Abel Foundation has awarded a number of major gifts to Nebraska projects, which have greatly promoted the quality of life in Nebraska communities.
Funding Priorities
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Education |
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Human Services |
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Civic / Community |
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Arts & Culture |
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Environment |
Recent Grant Recipients
| American Red Cross | Support for their First Aid Support Team |
| Angels Among Us | Support for their pediatric cancer financial assistance program |
| Ashland Area Foundation | Support for their Ashland/Greenwood Performing Arts Center |
| Asian Community & Cultural Center | Support for their programming and general operations |
| Boys and Girls CLub of Lincoln/Lancaster County | General operations support |
| BraveBe Child Advocacy Center | Support for their Haymarket Park Open disc golf tournament |
| Captial Humane Society | Support for their Clean the Shelters Event |
| CASA for Lancaster County | General operations support |
| CEDARS | Support for their Indoor Activity Center capital campaign |
| Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement | General operations support |
| Clinic with a Heart | Support for their Center Terrace Capital Campaign |
| Community Action Partnership of Lincoln/Lancaster County | Support for their Head Start Program |
| Family Service Association of Lincoln | Support for the "FiftyOne Commons" capital campaign |
| Food Bank of Lincoln | Support for their child hunger programs |
| I’ve Got a Name | Support for their street outreach team assisting victims of human trafficking |
| Junior Achievement | Support for their economic education programs |
| Lighthouse | Support for their Trades and Industries Program |
| Lincoln International FC | General operations grant |
| Lincoln Littles | Support for their early childcare and education programs |
| Lincoln Parks Foundation | Support for their South Haymarket Park Capital Campaign |
| Lincoln Symphony Orchestra | Support for their 2025-2026 Season |
| Linked2Literacy | Support for their early learning and literacy programs |
| LUX Center for Arts | General operations support |
| Malone Center | Support for their "Breaking the Cycle" capital campaign |
| Mourning Hope Grief Center | Support for their youth bereavement program |
| Museum of Nebraska Art | Support for their expansion, restoration, and renovation capital campaign |
| National Audubon Society | Support for their Spring Creek Prairie Acquisition |
| Nebraska Appleseed | Support for their Community Assistance Life Support |
| Nebraska Diaper Bank | Support for Lincoln/Lancaster County operations |
| Neighborworks Lincoln | Support for their capital campaign to renovate their offices |
| Northeast Family Center | Support for their Capital Campaign renovation |
| Salvation Army of Lincoln | Support for their Shield Music and Fine Arts Academy |
| Southeast Community College | Support for their scholarships program |
| Special Olympics of Nebraska | Support for the Lincoln Spring and Fall Games |
| St. Monica's | Support for their programming and general operations |
| Tabitha, Inc. | Support for the Meals-On-Wheels program |
| TeamMates Mentoring Program | Support for their mentoring programming |
| Women's Care Center | Support for their Capital Campaign renovation |
| YMCA of Lincoln | Support for capital campaign for Camp Kitaki's new Welcome Center |
Grant Application
Guidelines
We fund projects in Nebraska, primarily in Lincoln and Lancaster County, as well as communities where NEBCO and its affiliated companies have operations.
Funding requests will be considered when the applicant organization uses the Lincoln/Lancaster Grant-Makers Application Form.
We do not fund non-501(c)(3) organizations; endowments; individuals; businesses; private foundations; religious issues; travel; or membership.
Application Submission
The Abel Foundation meets in March, June, September, and December each year, but applications may not be reviewed at every meeting. Any applications qualifying for review will be considered within 1 to 3 months of receipt. Grant application deadlines are: February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15.
Submit just one copy of the application either by email or hard copy.
Payment Schedule:
Applications must provide the date(s) when funds are needed. Generally, we will issue payment up on approval of the request.
Re-Application:
We do not accept applications from organizations: (a) that have had requests approved or declined in the past 12 months; or (b) that are currently receiving payments for a multi-year grant.
The Abel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and annually files a Form 990-PF to the Internal Revenue Service. These records are available for inspection at: guidestar.org or by appointment at our office located at 1815 Y Street, Lincoln, NE 68501. Please fill out the “Contact Us” for further information.
Contact Us
1815 Y Street / P.O. Box 80268
Lincoln, NE 68501
Phone: (402) 434-1212
Fax: (402) 434-1799
[email protected]
1815 Y Street / P.O. Box 80268
Lincoln, NE 68501
Phone: (402) 434-1212
Fax: (402) 434-1799