Originally published on 10/11’s Pure Nebraska Program.
Keith County’s Lake McConaughy and Old West history have made it a summer destination for families across the plains, but for those in Ogallala, Brule, Paxton, Lemoyne, and other local communities the county’s true draw is a rich quality of life stewarded by and for the people who call it home.
In Ogallala, residents enjoy a robust downtown populated with small businesses, local restaurants, the Kenfield Petrified Wood Art Gallery, and vibrant murals. In Brule, families and neighbors gather at the revitalized community center. Patrons enjoy an upgraded library in Paxton. County-wide, volunteer fire and rescue departments are well-equipped to ensure residents are taken care of in emergencies.
The Keith County Foundation Fund (KCFF), an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation, has supported those projects and many more. In the last 25 years, KCFF has invested $4.1 million across the county, creating a sizeable impact in the region. An $8 million gift from an anonymous donor in 2017 has helped boost KCFF’s unrestricted endowment to more than $11 million, providing ample resources to grow that impact in the future.
An unrestricted endowment generates investment income year after year, making it a source of funding for whatever dreams a community can imagine. Because the principal remains untouched, it grows with every gift – and so does the annual payout. The fund advisory committee stewarding the unrestricted endowment account can grant the funds in ways that they determine will fulfill its mission. To help steer their decisions, KCFF committee members have identified four focus areas for grantmaking: early childhood education, first impressions and placemaking, entrepreneurship, and housing.
“The work of our fund is incredibly important for our community,” said Pam Abbott, fund advisory committee member. “It captures the voice of the community and helps us decide what our narrative wants to be. Ultimately, we want everyone to feel like they belong here.”
One program is helping create a community where young people can participate and belong. Since 2020, the Youth Inspired Philanthropy (YIP) project has been helping youth from grades 3 to 12 take their community-building ideas and make them real. Teams of students create a pitch, including the details of their plan and a budget, and present it. Teams selected receive $1,000. Past YIP projects have included making handmade blankets for residents at an assisted living home, welcoming bags for new residents, tree plantings, stocking food pantries, and more.
Youth engagement efforts, like YIP or participation in Nebraska Community’s Hometown Interns program, give older residents an opportunity to listen and younger residents a chance to take ownership in their place. KCFF volunteers hope the next generation continues to get more deeply involved and bring the ideas that will make Keith County thrive.
“We want those ideas, those new voices out there because they are far reaching beyond the things that we’re even talking about,” Abbott said. “We want them to stretch our imaginations about what more we could be doing.”
