Walter Scott Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 47-1116371 · since 2014walterscottfamilyfdn.org·Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nebraska, Omaha·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$46.3M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $3M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

77 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Walter Scott Family Foundation states its geographic focus as Nebraska, southwest Iowa and the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, with priorities in education, leadership and community, so a small charity should first confirm its work and base sit within those areas and themes.
The filing shows a median grant of $100,000 and half of its grants at $100,000 or less, so a modest request is more likely to fit, and the typical band of $5,000 to $3,000,000 covering about 8 in 10 grants is not a ceiling.
Most grants are made by invitation after a discussion with staff, so contacting staff first to check alignment is sensible; the open routes are The Omaha Award (applications through August 1 each year), the Jack Lewis Safety Fund and Advancing Communities, the last of which favours ready-to-launch projects with at least 60% of funding secured.
Repeat giving is significant, with 66% of its grant dollars to organisations in the most recent filing going to groups it had also funded in one of the two filings before, so relationships matter, though a new organisation can still ask.
Do not apply if your work is support to individuals, fundraising events, annual campaigns, endowment funds or churches other than faith-based organisations providing social services, or if you are an elementary or secondary school, sponsor athletic teams, or have advocacy or lobbying as your core mission.

Overview

Walter Scott Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Omaha, 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’s charitable priorities are education, leadership and community. It supports scholarships, innovative programmes and partnerships that help Nebraska’s best and brightest pursue meaningful careers close to home; develops civic and community leaders; and strengthens communities through infrastructure, systems, services and projects that improve quality of life. Its work includes community spaces and cultural and civic institutions, human services addressing housing, food security and health, and safety and emergency-response improvements in rural communities. It favours long-term impact, strategic alignment, collaboration and lasting community benefit, with a geographic preference for organisations based in or benefiting Omaha and Nebraska. Most grants are made through continuing partnerships or by invitation, alongside open opportunities for eligible organisations.

Themes

Education
Leadership
Community

Geographic Focus

Nebraska; southwest Iowa; Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

What They Don't Fund

Support to individuals
Fundraising events, annual campaigns or endowment funds
Programs that are the fundamental responsibility of government
Social or fraternal organizations
Elementary or secondary schools
Churches or religious organizations (except faith-based organizations providing social services)
Sponsorship of athletic teams
Organizations whose core mission is advocacy or lobbying
Organizations whose work conflicts with the principles of free enterprise that inspired the Foundation’s creation
Advancing Communities only: Standalone childcare centers or early childhood education; Educational institutions or schools; Hospitals and medical centers; Religious organizations or churches; Golf courses; Fundraising events; Support to individuals
Jack Lewis Safety Fund only: requests for reimbursement of past purchases or to retire debt

How to apply

Most grants are by invitation; invited organisations receive a link to begin. The open opportunities for organisations are the Omaha Award, the Jack Lewis Safety Fund and Advancing Communities.

Deadlines: The Omaha Award accepts applications through August 1 each year.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 66% 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 186 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Requests should align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities.
Most grants follow a discussion with Foundation staff to check alignment before an invitation.
For The Omaha Award, the Foundation prefers projects demonstrating creativity, collaboration, impact and sustainability.
Advancing Communities favours ready-to-launch projects with at least 60% of funding secured and clear plans for maintenance, sustainability and measurable community benefit.
The Jack Lewis Safety Fund gives priority to projects demonstrating local fundraising, community collaboration or partnerships that strengthen impact.
The Omaha Award may require site visits or meetings.

Where grants go

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

Grant dollars by state

Nebraska96%

California1%

District of Columbia1%

Alaska<1%

Iowa<1%

Hawaii<1%

6 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 32% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 66% of grant dollars went to organisations Walter Scott Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
33% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

77 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 77 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$2.5k–$5k5%

$5k–$10k16%

$10k–$25k16%

$25k–$50k6%

$50k–$100k16%

$100k–$250k9%

$250k–$500k4%

$500k–$1M8%

$1M and over21%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

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

Brownell Talbot School · Capital campaign
$9,000,0002024 tax year
Community Information Trust · Capital campaign
$5,000,0002024 tax year
Hastings College Foundation · Capital campaign
$3,000,0002024 tax year
Joslyn Art Museum · Capital campaign
$3,000,0002024 tax year
Westside Community Schools Foundation · Capital campaign
$2,510,0002024 tax year
Omaha Zoo Foundation · Capital campaign
$2,500,0002024 tax year
Salvation Army · Capital campaign
$2,500,0002024 tax year
Project Harmony · Program support
$2,000,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Tobin Schropp — Trustee
W David Scott — Treasurer
Amy Scott — Trustee
Sandra Parker — Trustee
Karen Dixon — Trustee
Christi Annin — CFO
Rich Eakin — Vice President
Calvin Sisson — President & CEO
Mickey Anderson — Trustee
Greg Abel — Trustee
Mogens Bay — Chairman

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$104,009,630	$100,990,879	$1,732,237,817	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$157,014,200	$145,640,942	$2,173,892,277	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$51,522,084	$46,261,034	$3,091,944,658	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.