The Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation (NSHSF) Statewide Grants Program is now in its third year. Your donations help provide grants that benefit local historical and educational organizations with programming and learning opportunities in community history. Examples of applying organizations include museums, historical societies, and libraries that use core educational, preservation and interpretive programs. Grants up to $2,500 will be available.
For a limited number of organizations that do receive some government support from counties or municipalities, funds are universally applied to operating expenses such as a salary for a director, utilities, insurance, or maintenance. This focused allocation leaves the organizations searching locally for funds to serve school classes, prepare exhibits, process and preserve artifacts, and undertake activities such as lectures and museum festivals. There is a tremendous statewide need for education, outreach and interpretive funding in these organizations.
There hasn’t been nor is there now in Nebraska a statewide grants program that can assist local historical efforts on the part of historical societies, museums, archives, and libraries. While states such as Florida, Montana, Minnesota and others have programs in place and while those have been extremely helpful to the chronically-underfunded local historical efforts, to date, no such program has been available in Nebraska.
For 2023 we were able to grant almost $50,000 to these deserving organizations.
Our goal for 2024 is to increase the total to $75,000! Scroll down to donate to this project and help us support more of these local nonprofits.
Donate today to the NSHSF Statewide Grants Program!
Gifts of all amounts are welcomed and appreciated.
To donate to the Statewide Grants Program via check, please make your check payable to the NSHS Foundation and mail to:
Century House
1201 Lincoln Mall, Suite 100
Lincoln, NE, 68508
Congratulations to our 2023 recipients:
- American Society of Germans from Russia
- Arnold Area Historical Society
- Arts Council of Thayer County
- Banner County Historical Society
- Butler County Historical Society
- Clarkson Historical Society
- Clarkson Public Library
- Collection Museum, Inc
- Dawes County Historical Museum
- Descendants of DeWitty, NE, Inc.
- Dixon County Historical Society
- Dwight Community Library
- Fillmore County Historical Society
- Haigler Community Foundation
- Hall County Historical Society
- Hastings Museum
- Hemingford Public Library
- Indianola Historical Society
- Johnson County Historical Society
- John G. Neihardt Center
- John P. Falter Museum
- Joslyn Castle and Gardens
- Keya Paha County Library
- Legacy of the Plains Museum
- Lexington Public Library
- Lied Lincoln Township Library Association
- The National Willa Cather Center
- Nebraska Indian Community College
- Nebraska National Guard Museum
- Nebraska Prairie Museum
- Nemaha Valley Museum, Inc.
- Newman Grove Public Library
- Richardson County Arts and Humanities Council (Library and Community Foundation of Richardson County)
- Robert Henri Museum
- Saint Edward Public Library
- Sandhills Heritage Museum
- Shelton Historical Society
- Sheridan County History Center and Armstrong House Museum
- Silver Creek Township Library/Historical Committee
- Sturdevant McKee Foundation, Inc.
- (Dr.) Susan LaFlesche Picotte Center
- Swedish Heritage Center
- United by Culture Media
- Valley Community Historical Museum
- Washington County Historical Association
- White River Wacipi
I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars through the Nation, doing good.
In Nebraska, the history of our state and Nation are kept alive by thousands of these stars doing good through the works of community historical societies, museums and libraries. They protect and preserve not what is Nebraska history but a history that is at the heart of our Nation’s history.
