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Nebraska · Private foundation

Abel Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$4.1M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
92
Grants FY2025
71
Organizations funded FY2024
46%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$10,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$933,333
Organizations funded a year
48 to 71
FY2020 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
6
Total assets, FY2025
$14M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 46% of the organizations Abel Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 8% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 92% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $292k went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’21’22’23’24
HealthHuman ServicesEducationArts & CulturePhilanthropyAnimalsOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving72$3.9M51%
FY202471$3.7M46%
FY202360$1.6M65%
FY202251$1.3M78%
FY202148$575k38%
FY202052$480kn/a
96% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Human Services$3.4MEducation$2.7MPhilanthropy$1.8MRecreation & Sports$1.4MArts & Culture$834kHealth$389kEnvironment$367kAnimals$290kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ND
MN
NY
IA
CA
NE
MO
VA
AZ
TN

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Malone Community Center$2,122,500415%
University of Nebraska Foundation$2,071,96640%
Lincoln Youth Complex$1,125,00034%
Cultural Centers of Lincoln$333,3331n/a
Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation$301,00054%
Tabitha Inc$265,00010%
Capital Humane Society$179,87661%
Lincoln Children's Museum$143,10062%
Mourning Hope$131,00046%
Food Bank of Lincoln Inc$115,10040%
Show all 121 grantees
All grantees of Abel Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Malone Community Center$2,122,500415%
University of Nebraska Foundation$2,071,96640%
Lincoln Youth Complex$1,125,00034%
Cultural Centers of Lincoln$333,3331n/a
Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation$301,00054%
Tabitha Inc$265,00010%
Capital Humane Society$179,87661%
Lincoln Children's Museum$143,10062%
Mourning Hope$131,00046%
Food Bank of Lincoln Inc$115,10040%
Nebraska Wesleyan University$115,00020%
YMCA of Lincoln$109,99940%
Rabble Mill$105,00041%
United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County$103,10011%
Kearney Family YMCA Foundation$100,0002n/a
Museum of Nebraska Art$100,00011%
Asian Community and Cultural Center$85,00032%
Ashland Area Foundation$75,000332%
Clinic With a Heart Inc$68,70042%
Cedars Youth Services Inc$65,00020%
Center for People in Need$60,50050%
Lincolnlancaster County Child Advocacy Center$60,00031%
United Way of the Kearney Area Inc$55,00036%
National Arbor Day Foundation$51,10020%
The Cedars Home for Children Foundation$50,60021%
Fresh Start Inc$50,00023%
Nebraska Public Media Foundation Inc$50,00011%
Ive Got a Name$50,00026%
Northeast Family Center$50,00014%
Milkworks Inc$50,00022%
Spastic Paraplegia Foundation Inc$46,00014%
Angels Among US$40,00031%
Heartland Cancer Foundation$37,70034%
Nebraska Diaper Bank$35,00031%
National Audubon Society Inc$33,33410%
Lincoln Bike Kitchen$33,00019%
Linked2Literacy$30,00023%
Lighthouse$27,00021%
Lincoln Literacy Council$25,00021%
Special Olympics Nebraska Inc$20,10040%
Peru State College Foundation$20,00021%
Neighborhoods Inc$20,00011%
Lux Center for the Arts$16,00021%
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska Inc$15,86050%
Seal-Nsw Family Foundation$15,00030%
Camp Jefferson Inc$15,000125%
Good Life Community Development$15,00025%
Lincoln International Fc$15,0002n/a
Sowers Club of Nebraska Foundation$15,00015%
Fontbonne University$15,00030%
Community Crops$14,50043%
Lincoln Arts Council$11,00031%
Teammates Mentoring Program$10,0001n/a
Leadership Lincoln Inc$10,00013%
Mybridge$10,00010%
Educare of Lincoln Inc$10,00010%
Willard Community Center$10,00021%
Bright Lights Inc$10,00023%
Lincolnlancaster County Habitat for Humanity$10,00010%
April's Kids Inc$10,000183%
Belmont Community Center$10,00012%
Heart Heroes Inc$10,00012%
The Bridge Behavioral Health Inc$10,00010%
Lincoln Community Playhouse$10,00011%
YWCA of Lincoln$10,00013%
Indian Center Inc$10,00013%
Fitting Futures$10,00014%
Lincoln Orchestra Association$10,00020%
Friends of Trinity Infant and Child Care Center$10,0001n/a
Friendship Home of Lincoln Inc$9,50020%
Lincoln Children's Zoo$7,10010%
Centerpointe Inc$7,00020%
Odell Nebraska Public Library$6,500113%
Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska$6,00020%
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest$5,0001n/a
Builders Foundation$5,00014%
Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska Inc$5,00010%
American Cancer Society Inc$5,00010%
Foster Care Closet$5,00011%
Good Neighbor Community Center Inc$5,00020%
Casa for Lancaster County$5,00011%
St Matthews Episcopal Church$3,1001n/a
Nebraska Shakespeare Festival Inc$2,50010%
Echo Collective$2,50011%
Southern Youth Sports$2,5001n/a
Tilt-Up Concrete Foundation$2,50010%
Net Foundation for Television$2,40020%
Nebraska Humanities Council$2,00020%
Christian Record Services Inc$2,00020%
Eisenhower Medical Center$1,50010%
Hall County Warriors Memorial$1,5001n/a
Breakthrough T1d$1,01010%
Domesti-Pups$1,00010%
Ava's Army Inc$1,00011%
Wyuka Historical Foundation$1,0001n/a
Thunderbirds Charities$1,00010%
Blair Fire & Rescue Volunteers$1,00011%
Kearney Area Animal Shelter Inc$1,00010%
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital$1,00010%
Hopespoke$1,00010%
Prairie Pines Partners$75711%
Bryan Foundation$60020%
Big Brothers Big Sisters Lincoln$50010%
Aidans Animals Inc$5001n/a
Lilly Berry Foundation$5001n/a
Sowers Club of Lincoln Inc$50011%
Nebraska Cultural Endowment$20010%
Nebraska Association of the Deaf$1001n/a
St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc$10010%
Omaha Botanical Center Inc$10010%
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands$10010%
St Michael Catholic Church of Cheney$1001n/a
People's City Mission$1001n/a
The Cat House$10010%
Creighton University$10010%
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church$1001n/a
Faith Lutheran Church$1001n/a
Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc$10010%
Omaha Zoo Foundation$10010%
Concordia University$10010%
Arizona Humane Society$10010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 98 recipients with no EIN on record ($2.5M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Abel Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 104 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMalone Community Center: $2,122,500 over 4y, 15% of budgetUniversity of Nebraska Foundation: $2,071,966 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetLincoln Youth Complex: $1,125,000 over 3y, 3.9% of budgetNebraska Game and Parks Foundation: $301,000 over 5y, 4.3% of budgetTabitha Inc: $265,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCapital Humane Society: $179,876 over 6y, 1.3% of budgetLincoln Children's Museum: $143,100 over 6y, 2.1% of budgetMourning Hope: $131,000 over 4y, 6.5% of budgetFood Bank of Lincoln Inc: $115,100 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetNebraska Wesleyan University: $115,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetYMCA of Lincoln: $109,999 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetRabble Mill: $105,000 over 4y, 1.3% of budgetUnited Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County: $103,100 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetMuseum of Nebraska Art: $100,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetAsian Community and Cultural Center: $85,000 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetAshland Area Foundation: $75,000 over 3y, 32% of budgetClinic With a Heart Inc: $68,700 over 4y, 1.5% of budgetCedars Youth Services Inc: $65,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetCenter for People in Need: $60,500 over 5y, 0.4% of budgetLincolnlancaster County Child Advocacy Center: $60,000 over 3y, 1.4% of budgetUnited Way of the Kearney Area Inc: $55,000 over 3y, 5.8% of budgetNational Arbor Day Foundation: $51,100 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetThe Cedars Home for Children Foundation: $50,600 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetFresh Start Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 3.2% of budgetNebraska Public Media Foundation Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetIve Got a Name: $50,000 over 2y, 5.6% of budgetNortheast Family Center: $50,000 over 1y, 3.7% of budgetMilkworks Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetSpastic Paraplegia Foundation Inc: $46,000 over 1y, 3.7% of budgetAngels Among US: $40,000 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetHeartland Cancer Foundation: $37,700 over 3y, 3.9% of budgetNebraska Diaper Bank: $35,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetNational Audubon Society Inc: $33,334 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLincoln Bike Kitchen: $33,000 over 1y, 8.9% of budgetLinked2Literacy: $30,000 over 2y, 2.7% of budgetLighthouse: $27,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetLincoln Literacy Council: $25,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetSpecial Olympics Nebraska Inc: $20,100 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetPeru State College Foundation: $20,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetNeighborhoods Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetLux Center for the Arts: $16,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetMake-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska Inc: $15,860 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetSeal-Nsw Family Foundation: $15,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetCamp Jefferson Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 25% of budgetGood Life Community Development: $15,000 over 2y, 5.3% of budgetSowers Club of Nebraska Foundation: $15,000 over 1y, 5.3% of budgetFontbonne University: $15,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCommunity Crops: $14,500 over 4y, 3.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 104.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Lincoln Community Foundation IncNE148.9× affinity79 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Lincoln Community Foundation Inc · Cooper Foundation · The Sherwood Foundation · Assurity Life Foundation · D F Dillon Foundation · Duncan Family Trust · Acklie Charitable Foundation · Rogers Foundation · Spreetail Foundation · United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County · Viking Foundation of Lincoln · Kinder Porter Scott Family Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Abel Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Abel Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Abel Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Abel Foundation

How much does Abel Foundation give?
Abel Foundation reported 92 grants totaling $4,088,958 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 48 and 71 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2024.
What does Abel Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2025, its largest causes are Human Services (27%), Education (22%), Philanthropy (14%).
Who are Abel Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2025: Malone Community Center ($2.1M), University of Nebraska Foundation ($2.1M), Lincoln Youth Complex ($1.1M).
Does Abel Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 46% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Abel Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as Abel Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Lincoln Community Foundation Inc, Cooper Foundation, The Sherwood Foundation.
Where is Abel Foundation based?
Abel Foundation is based in NE.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 224 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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