Hirschfeld Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 47-0762188 · since 1993hirschfeldfamilyfoundation.org·Nebraska·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$11.1M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $500k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$25,000

Typical grant (median)

60 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Hirschfeld Family Foundation, based in Kearney, NE, prioritises Central and Western Nebraska, though it says this is not a restriction, so organisations elsewhere may still consider applying.
It prefers specific, time-limited projects and programmes that directly benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable people over general budgetary support, and it values community involvement, including working towards the goal and raising money, along with efficient operations and local involvement and impact, so a clearly defined project with community backing fits best.
About 8 in 10 of its 168 grants to organisations fall between $5,000 and $500,000, with a median grant of about $22,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic, even though the largest grant made was $5,500,000.
It accepts applications on a rolling basis: organisations first complete a preliminary application, and only if the Foundation is interested in exploring the request is a full application requested, and only 19% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations also funded in the two previous filings, suggesting it is open to new applicants rather than being limited mainly to existing relationships.
Individuals, for-profit businesses, other private foundations and churches are not funded, so organisations of these kinds should not apply.

Overview

Hirschfeld Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Kearney, NE.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation makes monetary grants, preferring specific, time-limited requests to budgetary programmes. It looks for projects and programmes that directly benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable people. It prioritises organisations in Central and Western Nebraska, though this is not a restriction, and values community involvement in working towards a goal and raising money. Its grants have supported hospitals and health services, education providers, local authorities, social-service and community organisations, and cultural institutions. It also gives preference to organisations that demonstrate efficient operations and applicants showing local involvement and impact.

Themes

Disadvantaged and vulnerable

From its grants, not stated by the foundation:

Capital improvements

Geographic Focus

Priority: Central and Western Nebraska.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
For profit businesses
Other private foundations
Churches

How to apply

Organisations complete the preliminary application. If the Foundation is interested in exploring the request, a full application is requested.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 19% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 168 grants to organisations were about $22,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Foundation prefers specific, time-limited requests rather than budgetary programmes.
It looks for projects and programmes that directly benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable people.
It values community involvement, including working towards the goal and raising money.
It gives preference to organisations that demonstrate efficient operations.
It gives preference to applicants demonstrating local involvement and impact.
The Board considers how the request aligns with the Foundation's mission and what it does.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Nebraska98%

Virginia<1%

Oklahoma<1%

Maine<1%

Maryland<1%

Vermont<1%

1 other state: <1%

The largest single recipient received 17% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 19% of grant dollars went to organisations Hirschfeld Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

60 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $25,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 60 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$1k–$2.5k2%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k13%

$10k–$25k27%

$25k–$50k18%

$50k–$100k13%

$100k–$250k12%

$250k–$500k7%

$500k–$1M3%

$1M and over3%

Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation · Capital Improvements
$5,500,0002024 tax year
Community Hospital Association of McCook · Capital Improvements
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Central Community College Foundation · Capital Improvements
$750,0002024 tax year
City of Kearney · Equipment
$700,0002024 tax year
University of Nebraska Foundation · Programming
$375,0002024 tax year
Kearney Sustainable Housing · Capital Improvements
$300,0002024 tax year
Children's Hospital Foundation · Capital Improvements
$250,0002024 tax year
Westview Boys Home · Capital Improvements
$250,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

David Spencer — Director
Benjamin G Hirschfeld — Treasurer
Letitia A Spencer — Secretary
David J Hirschfeld — Director
Daniel J Hirschfeld — President
Lillian Scherr — Director
Mary Rackley — Director
Hannah Lewis — Director
Tami Hirschfeld — Director
Christie Heacock — Managing Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$12,125,354	$11,283,342	$214,970,825	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$10,445,697	$9,430,584	$241,659,902	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$12,377,033	$11,070,939	$244,302,331	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.