Grants for Churches in Nebraska (2026 Guide)

Federal rules on what grant money can buy for a congregation are in our grants for churches guide; other Nebraska organizations should use the Nebraska grants guide.

Nebraska Church Grants by the Numbers

Nebraska ranks 32nd among the states with 1,094 foundation grants to churches and ministries, according to Grantsights analysis of 990-PF records. Of those, 36% were filed for tax year 2023, 38% for 2024, and 25% for 2025.

One recipient explains almost half the money. The filings record five grants totaling $23,495,492 to a Jewish congregation with a Hastings, Nebraska mailing address, including $12,655,319 in tax year 2024 and $8,265,173 in 2023. Grantsights can't confirm that the address is right; it may be a miscoded filing for an organization elsewhere. Either way, they say nothing about what a Kearney or Norfolk congregation can raise. The same pattern shows in the concentration figures: one foundation accounts for 40.1% of Nebraska's church grant dollars, and the top 10 for 65.8%.

Big gifts drive the rest of the skew, too. Grants of $100,000 or more are only 67 of the 1,094, about 6%, yet they hold 75% of the dollars. Four grants topped $1 million: the two largest Hastings-address grants, a $1,261,015 general donation to a Lutheran church in York, and $1,224,293 to an Omaha congregation. Set the four aside and the average falls to $26,352. For a congregation planning its first request, the $6,000 median and the size bands tell the story: 42% of grants were under $5,000 and 78% were under $25,000.

Few Nebraska funders give to more than one church. Only 104 of the 333 foundations, 31%, gave to two or more different Nebraska recipients, compared with 49% nationally, and only 15% reached three or more. Meanwhile 60% gave to the same recipient in at least two tax years, close to the national 61%. These are donors loyal to one congregation and closed to others, so mass-mailing them is a common mistake.

Recipient names lean Catholic and Lutheran. Counting by words in recipient names (a rough method), 309 grants went to recipients whose names match Catholic terms and 189 to Lutheran names, together about 46% of the state's grants. Methodist (79) and Presbyterian (76) names follow, with Baptist names at just 18. Building and repair purposes appear in 43 grants, 3.9%, about double the national 2.0% share, which suggests Nebraska funders are more willing than most to pay for bricks and roofs.

The free Nebraska foundation preview shows how many funders gave to churches in the state. The Grantsights church funder list goes further and covers every state: for each foundation, the church and ministry grants listed on its own 990-PF with amount, recipient, year, purpose, and filing link, plus whether the filing says it accepts requests. You pay once, there's no subscription, and refunds are open for 30 days.

Where Nebraska Church Grants Go

Omaha recipients took 402 of Nebraska's 1,094 church grants, 37%, worth $15.1 million, according to the same 990-PF data. Cities below follow recipients' mailing addresses, which sometimes point to a diocesan or synod office.

Omaha's median is double the state's. At $10,000, the Omaha median is the planning anchor for metro churches, and 145 foundations gave there. Only 37 of them, about 26%, name an application route, so the Omaha list is large but mostly closed.

Lincoln funders are more open. For example, Lincoln received 117 grants from 47 foundations, and 19 of those funders, 40%, publish a route, the best ratio among Nebraska's larger cities.

Hastings is the outlier, not a model. Take away the five grants discussed above and Hastings has 39 grants worth about $1.08 million. Its $16,000 median includes those five, so it isn't a reliable benchmark for an Adams County church.

Western Nebraska runs on very few donors. Scottsbluff's 30 grants came from nine foundations and total $116,550. Chappell's 21 grants all came from a single foundation. A congregation in the Panhandle or the Sandhills should assume the local foundation pool is a handful of families and put more weight on its denomination's programs and the food routes below.

Working the Church Funder List in Nebraska

All 333 Nebraska funders are on the list. With a 31% repeat-funder share, the filtering matters more here than in most states.

1. Begin with the 94 that name a route. Part XV of the 990-PF says whether a foundation accepts unsolicited applications. That's 28.2% of Nebraska funders, above the 23.1% national figure.
2. Keep only funders with two or more Nebraska recipients. A foundation that has given to several churches has shown it will consider a congregation it doesn't belong to. Most of the 229 single-recipient funders won't.
3. Check the tradition. With so many Catholic and Lutheran recipients, see whether a funder's past grants all went to one denomination before writing.

Foundations whose filings say they fund only preselected organizations, 71% of Nebraska's list, aren't worth a proposal. Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches explains Part XV and includes a sample letter of inquiry.

Nebraska's Constitution and Public Money for Churches

Nebraska's constitution addresses religion in 2 sections, and neither reads like a single blanket ban. Grantsights read both on the Nebraska Legislature's site on November 6, 2026.

Article I, Section 4 (opens in a new tab), from 1875, says: "No person shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship against his consent, and no preference shall be given by law to any religious society." The same section also directs the Legislature to protect every denomination's peaceable public worship.

Article VII, Section 11 (opens in a new tab) is mostly about schools. It bars appropriating public funds "to any school or institution of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the state or a political subdivision thereof." It also says "The state shall not accept money or property to be used for sectarian purposes," while allowing the state to "receive money from the federal government and distribute it in accordance with the terms of any such federal grants, but no public funds of the state, any political subdivision, or any public corporation may be added thereto."

The Legislature's annotations to Section 11 list the cases that matter. In Cunningham v. Exon, 207 Neb. 513 (1980), the Nebraska Supreme Court read that third paragraph as forbidding the state to match federal grants to nonpublic institutions with state money. In State ex rel. Rogers v. Swanson, 192 Neb. 125 (1974), it held that an act indirectly benefiting private schools through grants to students was unconstitutional. For a church, the practical reading is that federal pass-through programs such as TEFAP and NSGP are on firm ground, while any state program that adds its own money deserves a close look at its eligibility language.

Federal backstop. Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) held that a state can't deny a church a generally available public benefit solely because it's religious. Federal grant rules still keep money away from worship, religious teaching, and proselytizing; our government grants for churches guide lays those out.

Security Grants: A State Program and the Federal NSGP

Nebraska funds its own nonprofit security grant, worth up to $50,000 per organization per year, on top of the federal program. The Legislature created the Nebraska Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2024 (LB1300), and the statute, section 81-829.08 (opens in a new tab), lets the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency award up to $500,000 a year.

NEMA's notice for the first round (opens in a new tab), released January 6, 2025, set these terms:

NEMA's newsroom showed no later state round on November 6, 2026, so the next window is unknown. Congregations that have never won federal NSGP money are exactly who the program favors.

The federal program. NEMA is also the state administrative agency for FEMA's NSGP. Its FY2024 notice (opens in a new tab) said Nebraska had no designated high-risk urban area, so Nebraska nonprofits apply only to the state track, at up to $150,000 per site for up to three sites. NEMA's site showed no FY2025 or FY2026 notice on November 6, 2026; questions go to the agency's grants inbox listed on its grants page (opens in a new tab). Nationally, the FY2026 program has $300 million, up from $274.5 million in FY2025, according to FEMA's NSGP page (opens in a new tab), which lists places of worship as eligible and dates FY2026 awards to September 28, 2026.

Pick the right program. A church can't use both at once: a federal award within five years rules out the state grant. For a congregation needing cameras and door locks under $50,000, the state program is the more natural fit whenever NEMA opens another round. Our church security grants guide explains vulnerability assessments, and our SAM.gov guide covers the UEI number both programs ask for.

Historic Preservation: A Tax Credit a Church Can Sell

Nebraska's historic tax credit pays 25% of eligible costs in Douglas and Lancaster Counties and 30% everywhere else, up to $2 million per project. It doesn't require an income-producing building. Under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act:

• Which buildings. The definitions in section 77-2902 (opens in a new tab) cover a building "used for any purpose, except for a single-family detached residence," that's listed on the National Register (individually or in a district) or designated under an approved local ordinance.
• Who can apply. The same section names any "nonprofit corporation certified pursuant to section 501(c)(3)."
• Credit rate and cap. Section 77-2904 (opens in a new tab) sets 25% for counties with a metropolitan- or primary-class city (Omaha and Lincoln) and 30% elsewhere, with a $2 million project maximum.
• Statewide limit. Section 77-2905 (opens in a new tab) cut annual allocations to $2 million starting in 2024, down from $15 million. Credits go by priority date, so a small project can wait in line.
• Sunset. No new applications after December 31, 2030, under section 77-2912.

Why a church can use it. A congregation owes no income tax, so a credit sounds useless. The Nebraska Department of Revenue's historic tax credit guidance (opens in a new tab) says entities exempt under IRC section 501(c)(3) receive all "Type A" certificates, which "can also be transferred, sold, or assigned." A church can sell its credits to a Nebraska taxpayer and use the cash for the work. Two cautions: the guidance page still describes the credit as 20%, lower than the statute's current rates, and its minimum project cost ($25,000, or more in Lincoln and Omaha) should be confirmed with History Nebraska before planning. The application has to be filed before any work begins.

Federal credit and state grants. The 20% federal credit is limited to income-producing buildings (opens in a new tab), so a sanctuary used for worship won't qualify. History Nebraska's own site blocked automated review on November 6, 2026, so Grantsights couldn't confirm whether its preservation sub-grants accept congregations; call the State Historic Preservation Office directly.

A long-shot national option. Sacred Places grants can reach $500,000, per the National Trust's grants page (opens in a new tab), but its October 20, 2026 awards (opens in a new tab) chose 30 of 466 applicants and no Nebraska church; Capitol Hill Lutheran in Des Moines was the nearest winner. Our church building repair grants guide compares the national programs.

Food: TEFAP at 180% of Poverty and EFSP

Nebraska households qualify for TEFAP food at or below 180% of the federal poverty level. The Nebraska DHHS take-home eligibility form, FDP-105, revised February 17, 2026 (opens in a new tab), lists monthly limits of $2,394 for one person and $8,358 for eight, plus $852 for each additional member. Households on SNAP, ADC, AABD, LIHEAP, and several other programs qualify automatically.

The DHHS TEFAP page (opens in a new tab) names two distributing food banks: Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha and Food Bank of Lincoln. A church pantry gets TEFAP by becoming one of their partner agencies:

• Food Bank for the Heartland. Its partner page (opens in a new tab) accepts "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or qualifying church" in its Nebraska or western Iowa service area, but said on November 6, 2026 that it has "temporarily paused taking new partner applications."
• Food Bank of Lincoln. Its agency partnering page (opens in a new tab) asks churches for a Church/Religious Organization Self Certification form instead of a 501(c)(3) letter, requires a site visit and food safety training, and reviews applications quarterly.

Churches underestimate that Omaha pause; a congregation in that area may need to partner with an existing pantry first.

EFSP. Nebraska's Emergency Food and Shelter Program allocation for Phase 43 (FY2025) is $591,281, per the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab).

The State Set-Aside holds 39% of Nebraska's money, more than Douglas County. Only 10 of Nebraska's 93 counties have their own allocation, so a church pantry in the other 83, from Custer to Cherry County, applies through the set-aside committee. That makes EFSP a realistic route for rural Nebraska congregations, unlike states where the set-aside is a sliver. Our church food pantry grants guide covers what local boards ask to see.

Denominational Funds for Nebraska Congregations

Two denominational foundations publish programs for Nebraska congregations, and both are limited to their own church families. Grantsights checked each on its own page on November 6, 2026.

Immanuel's FY26 recipient list (opens in a new tab) names 29 ELCA congregations in Nebraska and Iowa and 11 agencies, $1.6 million in all, from Kimball to Omaha. Its next congregation window is January 1 to 31, 2027. The Methodist matching grant has no posted deadline, which makes it the easiest program here to use this winter.

Grantsights didn't verify congregational grant programs on the sites of the Archdiocese of Omaha, the Dioceses of Lincoln and Grand Island, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod's Nebraska District, the Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation, or Nebraska's community foundations.

What Nebraska Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Five things a national list of church grants won't say about Nebraska:

1. The headline total is inflated. Five grants at one Hastings address are 45% of the state's church grant dollars, and Grantsights can't confirm the address.
2. Nebraska pays for security with its own money. The state program offers up to $50,000 and favors churches that have never had federal NSGP funds.
3. A sanctuary can earn historic tax credits. The state credit has no income-producing test, and a 501(c)(3) can sell its credits, but only $2 million is allocated statewide each year.
4. Rural food money is real. The EFSP State Set-Aside, $231,885, is the largest single pool in the state.
5. Omaha's food bank has paused new partners. A new church pantry there may wait.

A 90-Day Plan for a Nebraska Church

1. This month: decide which security program fits. If you've had no federal NSGP grant in five years and the job is under $50,000, plan for the state program. Order a vulnerability assessment and take photos of every entrance now.
2. December: denominational money first. United Methodist churches can send a Facility Upgrades application with a contractor quote any time. ELCA congregations should look for the January 1 to 31 Immanuel window. Others should ask their diocese, district, or presbytery for 2027 dates.
3. January: historic building check. If your church is on the National Register or in a local historic district, ask History Nebraska about a tax credit allocation before any work begins, and talk to a tax adviser about selling Type A credits.
4. February: foundations and food. Use the funder list to choose a few Nebraska foundations that publish a route and have funded several churches, and send short letters tied to one project. Pantry churches should contact Food Bank of Lincoln or Food Bank for the Heartland about partner status.

The free eligibility checker and the church grant paths page can point a congregation to open programs by need. For small congregations, the grants for small churches guide is the place to begin. Neighboring states differ in useful ways; compare the Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado church grant guides.

Limits of the Nebraska Data

The counts cover only filings Grantsights has loaded, and 990-PF returns lag the grants by a year or more. Name matching misses some congregations, and denomination counts are rough word matches. The Hastings-address grants may belong to an organization in another state. Grantsights couldn't confirm Nebraska's next security grant windows, History Nebraska's grant rules, the tax credit's minimum project cost, or the Catholic, LCMS, and Presbyterian programs.

Sources Checked

Every Nebraska source below was checked on November 6, 2026:

• Nebraska Constitution Article I, Section 4 (opens in a new tab) and Article VII, Section 11 (opens in a new tab) with annotations; Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-829.08 (opens in a new tab); NEMA state program notice (opens in a new tab), FY2024 NSGP notice (opens in a new tab), and grants page (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 77-2902 (opens in a new tab), 77-2904 (opens in a new tab), 77-2905 (opens in a new tab), and 77-2912 (opens in a new tab); Nebraska Department of Revenue historic tax credit guidance (opens in a new tab); National Park Service tax credit eligibility (opens in a new tab); National Trust grants (opens in a new tab) and October 2026 awards (opens in a new tab)
• Nebraska DHHS TEFAP page (opens in a new tab) and FDP-105 (rev. February 17, 2026) (opens in a new tab); Food Bank for the Heartland partner page (opens in a new tab); Food Bank of Lincoln agency partnering (opens in a new tab); EFSP National Board Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab)
• Funder pages: Nebraska United Methodist Foundation Facility Upgrades Matching Grant (opens in a new tab) and Ministry Grants (opens in a new tab); Immanuel Vision Foundation grant cycles (opens in a new tab) and FY26 recipients (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of Nebraska recipients in the 990-PF filings Grantsights has loaded, tax years 2021 to 2025, as of November 5, 2026