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Adams RBG Empowerment Fund at a glance

· Private foundation

Adams RBG Empowerment Fund

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$229k
Granted FY2025still arriving
16
Grants FY2025still arriving
5
States reached
$50k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Crime & Legal$229kHealth$203kEducation$143kArts & Culture$116kPhilanthropy$61kCivil Rights$54kPublic Benefit$53kFood & Nutrition$15kOther$0
02FY2025 · 16 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k6 grants · $18k
  • $10k–50k9 grants · $161k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $50k
$10,000
Median grant
5
States reached
$4.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Education Rights Counsel$50,000
Nebraska Appleseed$30,000
Nebraska Wesleyan University$25,000
Nebraska Civic Engagement Table$22,625
Nebraska Journalism Trust$20,000
Lincoln Community Foundation$18,000
Rewire News Group$15,000
Repro TLC$10,000
Planned Parenthood$10,000
Friends of Lied Center for Performing Arts$10,000
ACLU Foundation$5,000
Trust Women Foundation Inc$5,000
Foster Care Closet$3,500
The Phoenix Theatre Company and Subsidiary$2,500
Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust Inc$1,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY22–25, $5k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%Foster Care Closet: $4k → 13%Foster Care Closet: $1k → 13%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

93%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$770k · 18 repeat orgs$59k to everyone else

18 repeat relationships: 12 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

18
9

Total granted

$770k
$46k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

0%
+15%

Still filing today

72%
67%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 94% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $14k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureCivil RightsCrime & LegalEducationHealthEnvironmentOther
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.

Backed again, and grew

  • ER
    Education Rights Counsel
    3× · 2023–2025 · $152k · revenue +42%
  • NW
    NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
    5× · 2021–2025 · $124k · revenue +8%
  • NJ
    NEBRASKA JOURNALISM TRUST
    4× · 2022–2025 · $60k · revenue +96%

Funded once

  • WF
    Women's Fund of Omaha
    one grant, 2024 · $15k
  • OI
    OUTLINC INC OUTNEBRASKA
    one grant, 2022 · $13k · revenue +15%
  • PL
    PICKLEBALL LINCOLN INC
    one grant, 2022 · $9k · revenue -7%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Nebraska Votes

The organization's purpose is to ensure a fair and modern democracy in nebraska through research, education, and advocacy for policies and practices that promote participation in democracy.

Civil Rights
2
Aclu Nebraska

For over 50 years in nebraska, the aclu has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional and individual rights of all people. with a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters,…

—
3
Raise the Wage Nebraska

Advocacy of policies to support Nebraskans.

—
4
Nebraska Academy of Sciences
Science & Tech
5
Aclu Nebraska Foundation Inc

For over 50 years in nebraska, the aclu has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional and individual rights of all people. with a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters,…

—
6
Equality Legal Action Fund

We are a group of volunteer attorneys and advocates who are dedicated to fighting extremism and disinformation against educators, public officials, election officials, and members of the lgbtq community. no nebraskan deserves to be the…

Crime & Legal
7
Nebraska State Education Association

The mission of the nebraska state education association is to advocate for all education professionals, emplowering them to provide an excellent public education for every student.

Employment
8
The Nebraska Land Trust Inc

To foster the protection of agricultural, historical and natural resources on land in nebraska through education, partnering and permanent conservation.

Environment
9
The Nebraska Lawyers Foundation

The mission of the nebraska lawyers foundation is to serve the public and the legal profession by securing contributions to support programs dedicated to the improvement of the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Crime & Legal
10
Nebraska State Bar Association

The mission of the nebraska state bar association (nsba) is "helping lawyers help people." the nebraska state bar association works for nebraska lawyers to help them achieve the highest standards of competence, ethics and professionalism…

—
11
Nebraska Council On Economic Education

We work to advance economic and financial literacy and ensure that all K-12 students have an ongoing education in economics and personal finance. To that end, we work to enhance teachers' understanding of the subject matter so they can…

Social Science
12
Nebraska Appleseed Action Fund

Ensure every Nebraskans' voice is heard in public decision making processes, whether that is in the halls of legislative bodies or at the ballot box.

Civil Rights
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest; the most unlike its peers is Friends of the University of Nebraska State Museum. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

23 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 23 of the 31 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
23/23
Grantees still filing
14/23
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Planned Parenthood: $157,661 · OtherPlanned ParenthoodHISTORY NEBRASKA FOUNDATION: $31,500 · OtherHISTORY NEBRASKA FOUNDATIONFriends of Lied Center for Performing Arts: $20,500 · OtherFriends of Lied Center for Performing…The Nebraska Abortion & Reproductive Justice Fund: $20,000 · OtherThe Nebraska Abortion & Reproductive …Women's Fund of Omaha: $15,000 · OtherOUTLINC INC OUTNEBRASKA: $12,500 · Other+14 more: $41,221 · Other+14 moreEducation Rights Counsel: $152,011 · Crime & LegalEducation Rights CounselNEBRASKA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: $45,000 · Crime & LegalNEBRASKA APPLESEED CENTER…NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: $123,824 · EducationNEBRASKA WESLEYAN…UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION: $10,000 · EducationUNIVERSITY OF NEB…NEBRASKA CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TABLE: $52,625 · Civil RightsNEBRASKA CIVIC…Rewire News Group: $35,000 · Civil RightsRewire News Gr…NEBRASKA LEGAL ACTION EDUCATION FUND: $27,500 · Civil RightsNEBRASKA LEGAL…Lincoln Community Foundation Inc: $61,218 · PhilanthropyNEBRASKA JOURNALISM TRUST: $60,000 · Public BenefitTrust Women Foundation Inc: $15,000 · HealthRepro TLC: $10,000 · Health
Other$298,382Crime & Legal$197,011Education$133,824Civil Rights$115,125Philanthropy$61,218Public Benefit$60,000Health$25,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetEducation Rights Counsel: $152,011 over 3y, 5.6% of budgetNEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: $123,824 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetLincoln Community Foundation Inc: $61,218 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetNEBRASKA JOURNALISM TRUST: $60,000 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetNEBRASKA CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TABLE: $52,625 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetNEBRASKA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: $45,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetRewire News Group: $35,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetHISTORY NEBRASKA FOUNDATION: $31,500 over 2y, 21% of budgetNEBRASKA LEGAL ACTION EDUCATION FUND: $27,500 over 2y, 5.1% of budgetThe Nebraska Abortion & Reproductive Justice Fund: $20,000 over 2y, 3.6% of budgetTrust Women Foundation Inc: $15,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetOUTLINC INC OUTNEBRASKA: $12,500 over 1y, 3.8% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPICKLEBALL LINCOLN INC: $9,000 over 1y, 7.0% of budgetFOSTER CARE CLOSET: $4,700 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetNATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPLATTE RIVER WHOOPING CRANE MAINTENANCE TRUST INC: $2,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetDISABILITY RIGHTS NEBRASKA: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA STATE MUSEUM: $610 over 1y, 2.4% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

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 Fou…The Sherwood Foundati…Weitz Family Foundati…The Lozier FoundationCooper FoundationNebraska Humanities C…Jc & Jessie Seacrest …Abel FoundationSpreetail FoundationHopewell FundTides FoundationVanguard Charitable E…
Lincoln Community Foundation IncNE29.8× affinity12 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Lincoln Community Foundation Inc · The Sherwood Foundation · Weitz Family Foundation · The Lozier Foundation · Cooper Foundation · Nebraska Humanities Council · Jc & Jessie Seacrest Family Fndtn First Nebraska Trust Co Trustee · Abel Foundation · Spreetail Foundation · Hopewell Fund · Tides Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

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.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Adams RBG Empowerment Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Adams RBG Empowerment Fund. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%2%6%14%25%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    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 31 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

    Play a game based on Adams RBG Empowerment’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home