Nebraska is filled with abundance! Every day, more than 1,500 volunteers across the NCF network generously share their time, talent, and treasure with their hometowns, creating communities where new ideas ignite and fresh possibilities take shape. To help bring those possibilities to life, Nebraska Community Foundation is excited to offer Library Connection Grants, designed to unleash local creativity while connecting NCF affiliated funds and Greater Nebraska Libraries. We are the people we’ve been waiting for!
What is a Library Connection Grant?
In 2025, Nebraska Community Foundation was selected as a Civic Hub by the Trust for Civic Life. This designation acknowledges NCF’s efforts to advance civic health and weave a strong social fabric across our state. This partnership creates an opportunity for NCF to offer local support and funding to help unleash more opportunities throughout the NCF network.
The purpose of Nebraska Community Foundation’s Library Connection Grants is to support collaboration between NCF affiliated funds and Greater Nebraska libraries. By providing guidance, funding, and a collaborative framework, these grants are designed to help support local imagination, possibility, creativity and collaboration. Through this process, NCF hopes to inspire experimentation, celebrate community ingenuity, and champion local FACs who want to co-create robust opportunities with libraries throughout Greater Nebraska.
The basics
- NCF Library Connection Grant applications may be submitted beginning September 15, 2026
- Funding is available exclusively to funds in the NCF Network who wish to partner with a Greater Nebraska library
- A total of $100,000 is available
- NCF affiliated funds can request funding between $1,000 and $10,000 for their experiment
- NCF Library Connection Grants require a 1:1 cash match from the participating affiliated fund
- All funds must be expended prior to September 1, 2027
- NCF Library Connection Grants participant communities may be invited to share their ideas, discoveries, and outcomes
- NCF Library Connection Grants must be filled out by both an affiliated fund representative and a representative from the partnering library
Need some inspiration?
Below are examples of some awesome work already happening between affiliated funds across the NCF network. Click here for examples from the NCF network. We warmly invite you to propose your own bold, original ideas for consideration!
- Needle nights
- Maker space classes
- English and Spanish classes with childcare
- Game nights
- Story walks with art instillations
- Digital literacy initiatives
- Themed learning opportunities based on local assets
- Seed libraries
- Pen pal clubs
- Free theater camp
- Book clubs
- Summer reading camps
- Tool libraries or libraries of things
- Suffragist and other local historical exhibits
How do we apply?
NCF is taking an iterative, relational, and asset-based approach to the process. Here’s what interested funds can expect:
Step One:
We invite you to connect with your local library to imagine possibilities. Share your ideas, dreams, and imagine what’s possible together. This is an invitation to look at your community together with fresh eyes and imagine what additional abundance could be unleashed together!
Once you have an idea to explore, please fill out this simple inquiry form. To be considered for this grant, we ask that both an affiliated fund representative and a representative of the participating library submit the form together.
Library Connection Grant Interest Form
Step Two: Share your idea with NCF
After you submit your idea, we’ll invite both the affiliated fund and library representative to an informal conversation so you can share what you’re dreaming about. At that time, we can begin to work together to:
- Identify the level of support and resources that will help your idea take shape
- Estimate the time needed to bring your experiment to life
- Explore ways to enhance and strengthen your idea using local assets and community strengths
- Articulate some of the outcomes you hope to achieve through your experiment
- Consider how your experiment can connect, unleash, and inspire others across the NCF Network
Step Three:
Once approved, NCF issues a 1:1 matching grant to the local affiliated fund to move forward on their project with the partnering library. Then the real fun begins!
The funding range for Library Connection Grant is between $1,000 and $10,000.
Click here to download a PDF with even more information about this opportunity.
Who Should I contact if I have questions?
Chloe Carlson | ccarlson@nebcommfound.org | (402) 323-7326