Cooper Foundation
Lincoln, NE · EIN 47-0401230. Reported 315 grants totalling $4,322,641 to 160 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Cooper Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $10,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $7,500 and $20,000; the smallest was $100 and the largest $80,398. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln En Thompson Forum on World Issues | Lincoln, NE | $378,596 | 9 | 5 | 2025 |
| Rabble Mill | Lincoln, NE | $200,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Clyde Malone Community Center | Lincoln, NE | $175,100 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| United Way of Lincolnlancaster County | Lincoln, NE | $140,920 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Asian Community & Cultural Center | Lincoln, NE | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Bravebe Child Advocacy Center | Lincoln, NE | $62,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lied Center for Performing Arts | Lincoln, NE | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Inc | Lincoln, NE | $57,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Solidago Conservancy | Lincoln, NE | $57,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Center for Legal Immigration Assistance | Lincoln, NE | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Lux Center for the Arts | Lincoln, NE | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Mid-America Arts Alliance | Kansas City, MO | $52,500 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| YWCA Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Nebraska Cultural Endowment | Omaha, NE | $49,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Civic Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Educare Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Indian Center Inc | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Lincoln Arts Council | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Lincoln Literacy | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition | Bloomfield, NE | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Neighborworks Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Humanities Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $44,000 | 3 | 2 | 2025 |
| Give Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $43,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Midland University | Fremont, NE | $43,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| ACLU of Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement | Omaha, NE | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Foster Care Closet | Lincoln, NE | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor and Agricultural Learning | Hastings, NE | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Teammates Mentoring Program | Lincoln, NE | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Bridge Behavioral Health | Lincoln, NE | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Visionary Youth | Lincoln, NE | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Doane University | Crete, NE | $38,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Lincolnlancaster County Habitat for Humanity | Lincoln, NE | $37,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lincoln Children's Museum | Lincoln, NE | $37,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, NE | $35,500 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Boys and Girls Club Lincoln Lancaster County | Lincoln, NE | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Food Bank of Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Hopespoke | Lincoln, NE | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska | Omaha, NE | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition | Lincoln, NE | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Community Crops | Lincoln, NE | $34,700 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nebraska Writers Collective | Omaha, NE | $32,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Lincoln Police Department | Lincoln, NE | $31,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Centerpointe | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Conservation Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Lincoln Crossroads Festival | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lincoln Public Schools | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nebraska Journalism Trust | Omaha, NE | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Land Trust Inc | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communicatio | Lincoln, NE | $28,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Community Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $27,500 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Lincoln Orchestra Association | Lincoln, NE | $27,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Southeast Community College Educational Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $27,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Center for People | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders County | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Hope Spoke | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Meadowlark Music Festival | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Nebraska Arts Council Development Corp | Omaha, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Sports Council | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rabble Mill Dba the Bay | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Rise Academy | Omaha, NE | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Hub Central Access Point for Young Adults | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Willard Community Center | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Nebraska Transition College | Lincoln, NE | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Echo Collective | Lincoln, NE | $22,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Center for People in Need | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| El Centro De Las Americas | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fresh Start Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friendship Home of Lincoln Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| I Be Black Girl | Omaha, NE | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Junior Achievement of Lincoln Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lincoln Community Playhouse | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Live Yes Studios Inc (payee Lincoln Community Foundation) | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mentor Nebraska | Omaha, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Outnebraska | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Monica's | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sunrise Communications Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Nebraska State Museum | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Voices of Hope Lincoln Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Willa Cather Foundation | Red Cloud, NE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mourning Hope Grief Center | Lincoln, NE | $18,800 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bellevue University | Bellevue, NE | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| College of Saint Mary | Omaha, NE | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $18,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hastings College | Hastings, NE | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Coalition for a Strong Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Share a Fare Inc | Omaha, NE | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Voz De Esperanza Dba Centro Hispano Comunitario De Nebraska | Columbus, NE | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cause Collective | Lincoln, NE | $15,925 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bridges to Hope | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Calling | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Medical Education Partnership | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Audubon Society | Denton, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Wild Turkey Federation | Edgefield, SC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nebraska Civic Engagement Table | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Northeast Family Center | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sheldon Art Association | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cedar Point Biological Station | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska Repertory Theatre | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Voices of Hope | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wachiska Audubon Society | Lincoln, NE | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Flatwater Shakespeare Company | Lincoln, NE | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Nebraskans for the Arts | Omaha, NE | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Down Syndrome Association for Families of Ne | Lincoln, NE | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Blue Valley Behavioral Health | Lincoln, NE | $10,700 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| At Ease USA | Omaha, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Banister's Leadership Academy | Omaha, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Carnegie Arts Center Inc | Alliance, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jewish Federation of Omaha | Omaha, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Legacy of the Plains Museum | Gering, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Bike Kitchen | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Multicultural Coalition | Grand Island, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nebraska Children and Families Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Nebraska Diaper Bank | Omaha, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Nebraska Jazz Orchestra Inc | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Open Sky Policy Institute | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Poverty Impact Network Inc | Hickman, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Roper Organization of Parents and Educators | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| South of Downtown Community Development Organization | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humaniti | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Unl Harris Center for Judaic Studies | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wellbeing Initiative | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| White Cane Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bikelnk | Lincoln, NE | $9,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Big Brothersbig Sisters of the Midlands | Omaha, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Big Gumdrops Outdoors | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bright Lights | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Educational Service Unit #6 | Milford, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Jewish Federation of Omaha - Institute for Holocaust Education | Omaha, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lincoln Music Teachers Association | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Milkworks | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Audubon Society - Audubon Nebraska | Omaha, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Inc | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Opensky Policy Institute | Lincoln, NE | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Legion Cornhusker Boys' State | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Angels Theatre Company | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blixt Locally Grown | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chadron State College | Chadron, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Honesty Project Corp | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Inclusive Communities | Omaha, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Literacy Council of Grand Island | Grand Island, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Metropolitan Operanebraska Auditions | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vision Maker Media | Lincoln, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program | Lincoln, NE | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jazz in June | Lincoln, NE | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Choral Artists | Lincoln, NE | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Grand Island Community Foundation | Grand Island, NE | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Housing Charities | Lincoln, NE | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Action of Nebraska Inc | Lincoln, NE | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Great Plains Studies | Lincoln, NE | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Stormont Vail Foundation | Topeka, KS | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Nebraska Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
71 of 160 (44%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 39%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 206 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63 | $1,005,380 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 79 | $944,744 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 54 | $658,462 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 54 | $698,157 | $10,000 |
| 2025 | 65 | $1,015,898 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Cooper Foundation has 77 of them, worth $867,200. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln En Thompson Forum on World Issues | Lincoln, NE | $50,000 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln En Thompson Forum on World Issues | Lincoln, NE | $50,000 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln En Thompson Forum on World Issues | Lincoln, NE | $50,000 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln En Thompson Forum on World Issues | Lincoln, NE | $50,000 |
| Lincoln Public Schools | Lincoln, NE | $30,000 |
| Child Advocacy Center | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 |
| Asian Community & Cultural Center | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 |
| Fresh Start Inc | Lincoln, NE | $25,000 |
| Voices of Hope Lincoln Inc | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Lincoln Community Playhouse | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Teammates Mentoring Program | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Humanities Nebraska | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Vision Maker Media | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Lincoln Community Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $20,000 |
| Willa Cather Foundation | Red Cloudn, NE | $20,000 |
Where its money goes
98% of its giving went to organizations in Nebraska. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $10,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Nebraska.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Cooper Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 1248 O Street 870, Lincoln, NE, 68508. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 47-0401230 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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