Scholarships
OPPORTUNITIES
The Kearney Area Community Foundation manages over 30 scholarship funds. The crtieria for these scholarships are varied, so please take a moment to search our scholarships to determine if you are eligible to apply.
Using the command "ctrl f" search for scholarships, your school or county.
OPPORTUNITIES
Scholarship forms are not availble using a mobile devise. Please check out our current scholarships using desktop view. There you will have the ability to download the following PDF and Word documents for each scholarship.
Scholarships
 Photography by Lori Potter |  Photography by Nebraska Through The Lens |  Photography by Michael Tillotson |  Photography by Manuel Garcia |  Photography by Lori Potter |
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 Photography by A Ramirez |  Photography by Leah Malchow |  Photography by Nebraska Through The Lens |  Photography by Lori Potter |
Grantees
GRANT RECIPIENTS
2018 Recipients
Buffalo County Community Partners – $1,000
Train mentors to facilitate and coordinate the planning stages of a community project “Rooted in Relationships” to implement evidence-based practices that enhance the social-emotional development of children birth through age 8.
Crane River Theater – $1,000
To assist with housing costs to bring in professional artists to the community during the summer.
Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska – $2,000
Train mentors to facilitate and coordinate the planning stages of a community project “Rooted in Relationships” to implement evidence-based practices that enhance the social-emotional development of children birth through age 8.
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation – $2,500
Create “Stop the Bleed” kits containing gloves, bleeding control dressing, and a tourniquet for first responders to have the ability to immediately respond to reduce trauma-related deaths. They will assemble the kits for large venues and train them on how to use it.
Great Platte River Road Memorial Foundation – $980
To support five programs that will help to enlighten and inspire visitors with musical performances, storytelling, and Native American dancing which reflect the cultural heritage of Nebraska.
Kearney Family YMCA – $1,828
To purchase a Pool Access Wheel Chair to provide independent accessibility for disabled people in and around the aquatic facilities.
Kearney High Select Camerata– $1,000
Provide a free spring concert for the community at Kearney High School by advanced Kearney High orchestra players who will play with professional piano and wind players.
Kearney Housing Development Corporation – $1,000
To assist the Kearney Manor Walk-Fit Program to bring in an instructor to teach Walk-Fit.
Kearney Housing Development Corporation | Meals on Wheels – $2,000
To assist the Meals On Wheels program to continue to serve a noon meal Monday through Friday to people in Kearney.
Kearney Public Schools Foundation | Northeast Elementary School – $2,000
To aid in updating the Northeast Elementary School’s 40-year-old playground equipment and replacing equipment that is beyond compare.
Mount Carmel Home – $2,000
To provide hospital-grade furniture for the Memory Care Unit to improve care of the residents with dementia.
Prairie Arts Brothers – $500
To support two of the six scheduled poetry readings in 2018.
SoulBeauty – $1,000
Support their first half-day, non-denominational spiritual encounter for women. The focus is on discovering your victorious secret: eternal beauty that radiates from a faithful and passionate heart for the Lord.
The S.A.F.E Center – $2,500
Establish and maintain a youth-led program to collaborate with a staff facilitator on violence prevention ideas and implementing them in their community.
Zion Lutheran School of Kearney – $1,000
To provide funding for Katherine Philpot from Kearney to go to the 2018 Special Olympics to complete in the swimming category as part of Team Nebraska.
2017 Recipients
Buffalo County Community Partners – $1,000
Train mentors to facilitate and coordinate the planning stages of a community project “Rooted in Relationships” to implement evidence-based practices that enhance the social-emotional development of children birth through age 8.
Friends Program of Kearney – $1,510
Purchase museum passes and event tickets as rewards for the"friends."
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation – $2,500
Create “Stop the Bleed” kits containing gloves, bleeding control dressing, and a tourniquet for first responders to have the ability to immediately respond to reduce trauma-related deaths. They will assemble the kits for large venues and train them on how to use it.
Junior Achievement District of Kearney – $1,000
Purchase curriculum materials for three classrooms.
Kearney/Buffalo County CASA – $900
Screen and train six CASA volunteers.
Kearney Catholic High School Foundation – $1,000
Upgrades on lighting system in the Performing Arts Department.
Kearney Community Theatre – $1,045
PUrchase microphone headsets and accompanying cables to enhance the theatre's sound quality.
Kearney High Select Camerata– $1,000
Provide a free spring concert for the community at Kearney High School by advanced Kearney High orchestra players who will play with professional piano and wind players.
Make-A-Wish Nebraska – $500
Assist with furnishings and equipment for a larger office space.
Merrymakers Association – $1,000
Provide live professional musical entertainment to Mount Carmel Home, Good Samaritan Society-St. Luke's and St. John's.
Museum of Nebraska Art – $1,000
Refurbish metal exterior signs.
SoulBeauty – $500
Support their first half-day, non-denominational spiritual encounter for women. The focus is on discovering your victorious secret: eternal beauty that radiates from a faithful and passionate heart for the Lord.
The S.A.F.E Center – $2,500
Establish and maintain a youth-led program to collaborate with a staff facilitator on violence prevention ideas and implementing them in their community.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney-Music, Theatre & Dance Dept. – $603
Purchase the musical score and royalties to Hansel and Gretel.
2016 Recipients
BraveHearts Equine Assisted Psychotherapy - $500
Provide funding for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade in Buffalo County to attend a four week HorsePowered Math summer program.
Central Mediation Center - $1,000
Aid the Small Claims Mediation Program in Buffalo County to serve more people.
Compass - $1,000
Provide a family celebration basket with family fun activities to support parents’ hard work to reunite with their kids.
Crane River Theatre - $1,500
Assist with housing costs to bring in professional artists to the community during the summer.
G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture - $1,000
Provide proper archival storage materials to ensure collected artifacts are preserved.
Girl Scouts - Spirit of Nebraska - $500
Offer a 2016 summer program in Kearney to give girls the opportunity to experience the Olympic Games in their own state.
HelpCare Clinic - $2,200
Purchase an electrocardiograph machine and anoscope for those in need.
Kearney Concert Association -$1,000
Host three professional ensembles, two educational workshops, and a matinee.
Kearney Jubilee Center - $2,500
Assist with the construction and remodeling of the center to keep it safe and
open for customers and staff.
Kearney Public Schools Foundation - $1,000
Offer students and staff the opportunity to work with a composer.
Merryman Performing Arts Center - $2,000
Assist with the student matinee season and offering reduced-price admission to
kids and their families.
Nebraska AIDS Project - $1,300
Purchase a refrigerator and freezer to increase support services to clients.
United Way of the Kearney Area - $1,500
Assist with the “Shoes 4 Kids” event to provide shoes for kids in need.
2015 Recipients
American Legion Post #52 - $2,000
Purchase a new refrigerator to complete the kitchen remodel at the American Legion building.
Buffalo County Historical Society – $1,000
Acquiring acid-free archival boxes specifically designed for museum storage to preserve artifacts and ensure the most efficient storage and retrieval in the newly constructed museum.
Buffalo County Community Partners- Buffalo County Youth Advisory Board - $1,000
Support a youth leadership summit at the University of Nebraska - Kearney.
Double R Horse Rescue - $500
Provide feed for rescued, abused, and neglected horses.
Faith Christian School - $1,068
Provide startup kits to create a robotics club and offer a summer camp that is open to all area youth.
Good Samaritan Society- St. Luke’s – $1,500
Purchase equipment for a new noninvasive bladder scanner to identify urinary tract infections for elderly residents.
Grace Fellowship - $1,000
Support the "Big Igloo Freedom Fest" on July 4, 2016, free to the public.
Junior Achievement – $1,125
Offer curriculum to six elementary classes to educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through the experiential hands-on programs.
Kearney Chautauqua Committee– $1,000
Provide entertainment and advertising for the Chautauqua series, Free Land? 1862 and the Shaping of Modern America. Audiences will enjoy first-person interpretations of important characters of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Kearney Soccer Club – $1,000
Provided a portable soccer goal for the Kearney Soccer Club to enhance soccer programs in the community.
Kids & Dreams Foundation - $1,500
Assisted with their "Operation Shine" special needs camp, for children 7-12 with autism or related conditions.
Kiwanis Club of Kearney Golden K - $500
Sponsored the "Bring up Grades (BUG)" program at Bryant Elementary to give recognition to students who raise and maintain their grades.
Museum of Nebraska Art – $1,380
Aided in purchasing and installing new carpeting and ceiling inserts for the museum’s elevator, and new carpeting on the second floor for safety and greater quality of ambiance.
Nebraska Teachers of the Year & National Network of State Teachers of the Year - $250
Provided expenses for the speakers at the Kearney conference.
Pleasanton Lions Club - $2,500
Assisted in adding handicap bathrooms, heat, and running water to the concessions stand at the Pleasanton football field.
Rowe Sanctuary (National Audubon Society) - $1,533
Created and implemented an educational video set to enhance the visitor's experience and safety during crane season.
2014 Recipients
Alia Arram Children’s Museum – $1,347
Purchase new software and computers to replace obsolete software and computers.
American Legion Post #52 – $2,000
Provide a banquet in Washington DC for the 2nd Korean War Veterans’ Hero flight.
The Archway – $3,642
Purchase a new projector and lens for the Archway exhibit to provide a multimedia experience for visitors.
Buffalo County 4-H Council – $600
Acquire equipment shed to house the 4-H’s archery equipment at the Fort Kearny Shooting Sports range.
Buffalo County Community Partners – $1,526
Purchase cameras for PhotoVoice participants to teach positive ways to communicate.
Central Mediation Center – $2,250
Offer mediation services to income-eligible individuals appearing in small claims suit in Buffalo County Court twice per month for one year.
Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska – $1,976
Assist Kearney area residents seeking certification as Nursing Assistants and Medication Aides to increase their job skills through the Life Skills Program.
Compass – $2,000
Implement a new project which provides foster children with a bag filled with age-appropriate items to help them adjust to a new home.
Crane River Theatre Company – $2,250
Assist with quality housing for professional artists during the 2014 Summer Season productions of Shrek the Musical, Footloose, and Almost, Maine.
Dobytown Kiwanis of Kearney – Back-2-School Program – $1,000
Help provide backpacks filled with school supplies for children in need.
Economic Development Council Development Council of Buffalo County – $2,000
Support the “Connect the Dots” program to help Buffalo County high school students explore post-secondary education and careers relevant to the area job market.
Family Advocacy Network (FAN) – $2,500
Assist with a marketing campaign to educate the community about FAN and the services they provide.
Friend Program of Kearney – $925
Obtain educational and recreational supplies for mentors to use during weekly visits with their little friends.
Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska – $630
Provide a flag pole and daisy garden for Girl Scout flag ceremonies in order to instruct girls on the proper way to handle the flag.
HelpCare Clinic – $5,710
Purchase computer hardware/software to set up and operate a free clinic in Kearney.
Institute for Holocaust Education – $250
Provide funding for a Holocaust survivor to share his story at an educators’ conference in Kearney.
Kearney Area Animal Shelter – $1,000
Provide medical supplies for shelter animals so they can be brought up to a healthy state before being adopted.
Kearney Area Storytelling Festival – $500
Assist with the cost to bring two national storytellers to perform at the week-long Storytelling Festival.
Kearney Catholic High School Foundation – $1,000
Support the KCHS music department by providing music stands for band students.
Kearney Community Theatre – $2,000
Aid in remodeling the theatre with new paint and carpet.
Kearney Dawn Rotary Club – Dictionary Project – $1,000
Provide funding to purchase dictionaries for third graders in Buffalo County schools.
Kearney Housing Development Corp. – $1,100
Implement a new safety and wellness program to purchase cell phones for elderly and disabled residents for emergency situations.
Merryman Performing Arts Center – $1,000
Assist in providing four matinee performances for area students teaching art, music and culture.
Tasha Keiter Memorial Youth Golf Fund – $2,000
Purchase a kit for the “Starting New at Golf” (SNAG) program, offered to elementary schools in Kearney which introduces students to the game of golf.
UNK Modern Languages Department – $500
Support an international film series, “UNK@TheWorld”, to show seldom seen international films held at the World Theatre for students and public.
Autism Action Partnership – $500
Aid in teaching social skills to autistic children and provide autism education to staff and fellow students.
Christians for Christian Education – $500
Purchase a salad bar and other supplies to provide fresh and healthy meals.
Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society– St. John $1,500
Obtain new Welch-Allen vital signs monitor for the senior living facility that will enter data electronically into the patient’s file.
Kearney Concert Association – $1,300
Support a talented ensemble to teach an educational workshop for Kearney High School students.
Kearney Outdoor Fitness – $2,480
Purchase one piece of equipment for the outdoor fitness park to be located at Yanney Park.
Kearney Public Schools Foundation – $2,000
Provide the KHS Band with a wrap for their trailer for increased visibility and pride.
Kearney Women’s Club – $2,000
Assist with the kitchen remodel project which will help increase storage space, update work area equipment and repair the ceiling. The building is registered as a historic landmark in Kearney.
Legal Aid of Nebraska – $2,000
Provide civil legal services to six domestic violence victims living in the Kearney/Buffalo County area.
Nebraska Children’s Home Society – $2,040
Expand the Teen Chat program in the Kearney community to help teen girls access formal support systems in their community and increase their understanding of the importance of positive decision making and goal setting.
Skateboard Park for Kearney – $2,000
Support the construction costs for a skateboard park to be located at Apollo Park in Kearney.
2012 Recipients
The Central Health Center, Inc. – $1,350
Provide funding for the removal of entrance wallpaper and the purchase of materials to paint the entrance, hallway, and waiting room.
Community Action Partnership of Mid-NE, Senior Companion Volunteer Program – $1,000
Provide help with volunteer stipend.
Crane River Theater – $1,000
Assist with housing for professional artists for the productions of Two Rooms, A Year with Frog and Toad, and Into the Woods.
Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce – $1,500
Bring in a community training program “Bridges out of Poverty” to address key issues in the community.
Kearney/Buffalo County CASA – $1,200
Provide funding to recruit, screen, and train CASA volunteers to help wards of the state in Buffalo County.
The Kearney Family YMCA – $1,500
Partial funding to purchase a BrainBike to encourage youth to get involved in the exercise.
Kearney Praise Fest – $300
Assist with lighting and sound for an annual community-wide music festival.
Lincoln Highway Centennial Celebration Committee – $500
Support for local rentals and vocal groups for Kearney’s nostalgic downtown main street event.
Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center – $1,000
Aid to bring in the Imago “Zoo Zoo” show.
The Rowe Sanctuary – $1,500
Provide partial funding to reconstruct the strawbale blind to be used in the 2012 crane viewing season.
UNK – English Department – $500
Aid to cover partial costs of travel and honorariums for reading performers at the Sandhill Cranefest Retreat and Festival V.
World Theatre Foundation – $1,000
Assist in the purchase of a digital projection server.
2011 Recipients
American Red Cross – Fort Kearney Chapter – $1,000
Provide partial funding for The Scrubby Bear Story program that teaches children about germs and proper hand washing techniques.
Buffalo County Historical Society/Trails & Rails – $6,452
Aiding in the restoration of a log cabin donated to the museum.
CARE (Child Abuse and Resource Education) – $3,000
Providing training booklets about the prevention of sexual abuse of children to adults and organizations serving children in the Kearney Area.
Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska, Inc. – $1,008
Purchase of two iPads and two programs to use in an educational project for people with disabilities.
Great Plains Paralyzed Veterans of America – $2,500
Partial funding of the Sled Hockey Program for disabled people (not only veterans).
Guardian Angels Life Services – $1,800
Assistance in purchasing three CPU’s and purchase Office XP software.
Kearney Area Arts Council – $1,000
Supporting the funding for an artist/educator to teach pottery in Park, Emerson, and Bryant elementary schools in 2011/2012.
Kearney Area Children’s Museum – $1,000
Providing child-sized tables and chairs to support a new programming classroom.
Kearney Public Schools Foundation – $1,500
Assist in funding the artist fee and installation for a community-wide art competition for the new Kenwood Elementary mural.
Legal Aid of Nebraska – $1,500
Assisting costs to represent domestic violence victims living in Kearney/Buffalo County for low-income community members.
Main Street Kearney, Inc. – $1,000
Assist in funding the Downtown Kearney Harvest Festival promoting producer-to-consumer marketing activity and agri-tourism.
Mid-America Arts Alliance – $2,826
Provide training through supplies, materials, workshop materials, website, and listserv to benefit the Frank House and Buffalo County Historical Society.
Museum of Nebraska Art – $500
Aid with funding for the annual Student Art Exhibition.
Pleasanton Volunteer Fire Department – $4,000
Assist in funding the purchase of community ambulance.
2010 Recipients
Christians for Christian Education – $500
Provide funding for playground equipment at the new Faith Christian School.
Crane River Theater – $587
Provide funding for scripts “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Kearney Area Storytelling Festival – $1,000
Assisting with the cost of bringing Bill Harley to the Merryman Performing Arts Center.
Nebraska Kidney Association – $870
Supporting early detection screening in Kearney for individuals at risk of developing kidney disease.
Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation – $2,000
Supporting a job coach position during the summer months to assist in community outreach to businesses and individual support for graduating students.
Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center – $284
Supporting two educational programs, “Many Moccasins” and “Bill Harley LIVE!”
World Theatre Foundation – $1,800
Provide a new, historically designed ticket booth.