Top Charities in Nebraska (2026)

Food Bank for the Heartland is based at 10525 J Street in Omaha and covers 93 counties across Nebraska and western Iowa through a network of more than 500 food pantries, schools, churches, emergency shelters, and other nonprofit partners. That geographic footprint makes it one of the larger food bank service areas in the country — rural Nebraska has small towns spread across long distances where volunteer-run food pantries are often the only regular food resource for vulnerable residents. Omaha Steaks donated nearly $400,000 worth of food in 2025, one example of the corporate engagement that distinguishes the Omaha philanthropic ecosystem.

The 2025 numbers were alarming: Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap data showed 287,240 Nebraskans facing food insecurity — up from 195,670 just two years earlier, a 47% increase. That spike tracks with what pantries were seeing on the ground, with new visitors arriving who had never needed food assistance before. The rural access gap is stark: Madison County, with food insecurity rates near 12% for children, had just one summer meal site. Douglas County (Omaha) had nearly 80. $1 donated provides approximately 4 meals through the food bank's purchasing power.

The Nebraska Humane Society has operated since 1875 — it's the fifth oldest humane society in the United States. Located on a 13-acre campus in Omaha with five buildings, NHS covers Douglas and Sarpy Counties, handling animal control services for most of the Omaha metro in addition to private shelter operations. In 2025, 8,273 pets were adopted into homes and 2,316 lost pets were reunited with their families. The organization performed 7,223 spay/neuter surgeries, 747 specialty and dental surgeries, and microchipped 6,153 dogs and cats in 2025.

NHS was originally established for the protection of both animals and children — in the 1940s, child welfare moved to state agencies, leaving NHS as the primary animal welfare organization for the Omaha area. Today they provide education, sanctuary, adoptions, animal control, low-cost veterinary services, and foster care programs. The foster program is particularly active, with volunteers providing home-based care for fragile animals including bottle-fed kittens and animals recovering from injury or surgery. In April 2025, an NHS Animal Control Officer rescued a 75-pound dog from a well — the kind of individual rescue story that defines what the organization does every day.

Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is one of the larger Habitat affiliates in the Midwest, with $18 million in annual revenue in 2025 and 84 staff. They build affordable homes in Omaha neighborhoods — North Omaha and South Omaha in particular have older housing stock, concentrated poverty, and significant unmet homeownership needs. Omaha's housing costs have risen significantly with the metro's growth, and the gap between incomes for working-class families and purchase prices for entry-level homes has widened. Habitat's sweat equity model and affordable mortgages provide one of the few remaining paths to homeownership for families earning 30–80% of area median income in Omaha.

Build days run throughout the year and are open to first-timers and corporate groups — Omaha's corporate base (Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific, TD Ameritrade) provides significant volunteer engagement. Nebraska also has Habitat affiliates in Lincoln, Grand Island, Norfolk, and other cities. ReStore accepts furniture, appliances, and building materials.

Food Bank of Lincoln covers southeast Nebraska from the state capital, serving Lancaster County and surrounding counties. The University of Nebraska is in Lincoln, and the food bank has historically worked closely with university resources — including college pantry programs for food-insecure students. In southeast Nebraska, approximately 49,810 people including 14,900 children face food insecurity. In Lancaster County (Lincoln), 12% of children are food insecure — a number that looks manageable until you realize it's roughly one child in eight walking into Lincoln's classrooms every morning without consistent food access.

Food Bank of Lincoln and Food Bank for the Heartland CEOs collaborated on a 2025 joint op-ed opposing proposed SNAP cuts, noting that pantries statewide were already at pandemic-level demand. The Lincoln food bank runs School Pantries, BackPack programs, and summer feeding initiatives from its main facility. Volunteers sort and pack food at the Lincoln location throughout the week.

Nebraska Community Foundation is one of the most distinctive community foundations in the country because of its explicitly rural orientation. Rather than concentrating resources in Omaha or Lincoln, NCF manages nearly 1,500 affiliated funds spread across 250+ Nebraska communities — county foundations, community endowments, and scholarships in small towns like Ainsworth, Gothenburg, and Hartington. The foundation's philosophy is that communities should build and retain their own philanthropic capacity rather than having their wealth extracted toward urban centers.

NCF's "Unleashing Local Philanthropic Capital" model has made it a model nationally for rural community foundation work. They've deployed hundreds of millions in grants to Nebraska communities over the past two decades. For donors with ties to small-town Nebraska, NCF is the most practical vehicle for giving back to specific communities — county foundations within the NCF network can receive designated gifts and deploy them locally for scholarships, community infrastructure, and nonprofits in those communities.

United Way of the Midlands distributes grants to nonprofits across the Greater Omaha metro and manages workplace giving campaigns for major Omaha employers — Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries, Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific, Conagra, and others. They operate 2-1-1 Nebraska, connecting residents to food, housing, utility, and health resources statewide. Omaha's corporate base has historically produced strong United Way campaigns, and the organization's grant-making reaches social services throughout the Douglas, Sarpy, and Pottawattamie County area.

United Way Lincoln and Lancaster County covers the capital city. The Midlands chapter manages the largest campaign in the state. Their annual Campaign for the Community engages hundreds of employers. ShareOmaha.org — a platform they partner with — lists vetted Omaha nonprofits across all cause areas, making it a practical discovery tool for anyone new to giving in Omaha.

The Red Cross Nebraska Region responds to home fires, tornadoes, flooding, and severe weather statewide. Nebraska averages 57 tornadoes per year — more per square mile than almost anywhere in the country — and sits in one of the most active tornado corridors in the world. The Loup and Platte River systems generate spring flooding in rural Nebraska with regularity. Blood collection runs at donor centers statewide; Nebraska's hospital systems depend on this supply for trauma care at the state's level-one trauma centers and regional hospitals.

Blood donation appointments are available within days at most Nebraska chapters. Disaster response volunteers complete several weeks of training. If you were displaced by a tornado or flooding in Nebraska and need immediate help, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. CPR and first aid classes are available at chapter locations across the state.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Omaha covers eastern Nebraska with programs including refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, mental health counseling, food assistance, and emergency financial help. Omaha has received refugees from Myanmar, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, and other countries, and is home to one of the larger African immigrant communities in the Midwest. Catholic Charities manages the complex legal and social integration support that families need in their first years in the state.

Nebraska's meatpacking industry — in cities like Lexington, Schuyler, and South Sioux City — employs significant immigrant and refugee populations who often have limited access to legal services and social support. Catholic Charities of Lincoln covers the southern part of the state separately. Volunteers assist with food pantry operations and English tutoring. Services are available to people of all faiths.

The Salvation Army operates service centers across Nebraska — Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, North Platte, Norfolk, and other communities. Programs include emergency rent and utility assistance, food pantries, overnight shelter, after-school programs, and disaster canteens that deploy after tornadoes and floods. In rural Nebraska communities where other nonprofits are absent, the Salvation Army's local corps often function as the primary organized emergency assistance available. Their utility assistance program is particularly used in Nebraska winters, where heating costs can create genuine hardship for low-income households.

The Red Kettle campaign (November–December) funds a significant portion of annual programs. Thrift stores accept goods year-round. Emergency assistance is available at local corps statewide — call before visiting to confirm current program availability.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands matches children facing adversity with adult mentors across the Omaha metro. North Omaha has significant child poverty — some census tracts have poverty rates above 40% — and educational outcome gaps between North Omaha and west Omaha are among the widest of any city its size in the country. BBBS research shows matched youth are more likely to graduate high school, avoid the juvenile justice system, and find stable employment.

Community-based mentoring requires meeting 2–4 times per month for at least a year. School-based mentoring runs weekly during school hours. Omaha's corporate community provides significant workplace mentoring opportunities through BBBS. BBBS of Lincoln covers the capital city separately. Demand for mentors consistently exceeds available volunteers in Omaha-area chapters.