Originally published on 10/11’s Pure Nebraska program.
Residents of the Sandhills gave back to the future with a sizeable grant to one of Nebraska’s most beloved events.
Volunteers with Calamus Area Community Fund, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation serving Garfield and Loup Counties, prioritized lasting impact and forward-thinking grantmaking with a $100,000 pledge to help rebuild storm-damaged infrastructure at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell. The grant from CACF went toward matching a $250,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor. To make the pledge, CACF used its 2024 unrestricted endowment payout, along with other sources of funding.
An unrestricted endowment is a great tool for community development, as it allows Greater Nebraska hometowns to grow financial resources while spending investment earnings on community projects without touching the principal. As the endowment grows, so does volunteers’ potential impact. Over the years, CACF has received over 5,000 contributions from folks who care about the future of the area, an impressive feat considering the residents of both counties combined total 2,400.
Over the years, CACF has developed a great relationship with Garfield County Frontier Fair Association, the nonprofit organization that operates Nebraska’s Big Rodeo and Garfield County Fair. The GCFFA needed to raise $1.2 million dollars to fund their portion of the $12 million project not covered by FEMA, NEMA or insurance.
Nebraska’s Big Rodeo—taking place July 24-27 of this year—is a massive tourism draw for the region every year, said CACF member Jim Welniak. Realizing the historical significance and huge economic importance that NBR brings to the communities of Burwell and Taylor and surrounding areas, CACF was proud to grant to NBR’s Grandstand Rebuild Project, which will include community center space and facilities beneath the new grandstand.
“That made an impact,” Welniak said. “It’s preserving our history, it’s helping our future, and giving our community something we’ve been trying to develop for many years.”
Calamus Area Community Fund’s grantmaking history reveals an organization focused on community prosperity. In addition to investing in people with nearly 200 scholarships, CACF has awarded grants to amenities and services like libraries, parks, playgrounds, fire and rescue funding, Burwell’s veterans memorial, and major investments in early childhood development via Sandhills First Steps, a nonprofit organization that is improving childcare in Garfield County with a state-of-the-art center in Burwell.
“We know what these communities have done for us personally, and we want to carry that on for many generations,” said CACF Chair Megan Helberg. “This is home and if you’re going to give, why not give to your home? Why not give to the place that makes you feel not just like you’re welcome, but that you truly belong?
