The Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation

The Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Lincoln, NE.

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation makes grants to qualified public charities operating in Nebraska and Iowa, with particular emphasis on organisations located and operating in Nebraska City and Otoe County. Its highest priorities are education (especially broad-impact programmes in art, agriculture and business), arts, agriculture (particularly horticulture), human services and humanities. It seeks innovative proposals with substantial impact that provide leadership in their field and contribute meaningfully to an organisation’s mission and service to its constituents. It values interdisciplinary approaches, new research and collaboration, and encourages matching grants of equal or greater size. Most awards support programmes; general operating support receives low priority. In human services it favours community-supported responses to significant needs, partnerships and reduced duplication, while in the humanities it values teaching and learning and access for underserved audiences.

Themes

• Education
• Arts
• Agriculture
• Human Services
• Humanities

Geographic Focus

Nebraska; Iowa. Priority: Nebraska City; Otoe County.

What They Don't Fund

• Any other types of organizations
• Supporting organizations exempt from tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 509(a)(3)
• Individuals
• Private foundations (whether operating or non-operating)
• Carrying on of propaganda
• Attempting to influence legislation of any nature
• Attempting to influence the outcome of any specific public election
• Carrying on, directly or indirectly, any voter registration drives
• Travel
• Testing for public safety
• Economic or industrial development
• The promotion of any religion
• Loans
• Organizations which have had proposals approved or declined in the preceding 12 months

Submit a Letter of Inquiry through the Foundation’s online form. Applicants already approved to apply can log in to access the application.

• Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 17% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
• Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 7 grants to organisations were $450,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

• The Foundation favours proposals that offer leadership in their field and contribute substantially to the organisation’s mission and service to its constituents.
• It encourages matching grants of equal or greater size.
• It values interdisciplinary approaches, new research and collaboration.
• Applicants should show experience, expertise and qualifications to undertake the proposed project.
• Applicants should demonstrate financial ability, stability, planning and capacity to sustain the project after the grant period.
• Collaboration generally strengthens an application when appropriate, and the proposal should identify each organisation’s role, commitment and benefit.
• Applicants should present an evaluation strategy with criteria and a way to measure effectiveness during the grant period.
• Applicants should show how the programme can serve as a catalyst or blueprint for others and how it will be sustained beyond the grant period.