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Peter Kiewit Foundation

Annual Giving
$36.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $5.0M
Decision Time
3mo

Peter Kiewit Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $36 million (FY 2024)
  • Total Assets: $396.1 million
  • Decision Time: Quarterly decisions (March, June, October)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $5,000,000+ (median: $50,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Omaha metro area, Nebraska statewide, and Western Iowa within 100 miles of Omaha
  • Status: Sunsetting in 2030 - Currently only accepting applications from existing grantee partners

Contact Details

Address: 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 500, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone: (402) 344-7890
Website: https://peterkiewitfoundation.org

Overview

Founded in 1979 with a $150 million endowment from construction magnate Peter Kiewit (1900-1979), the Peter Kiewit Foundation has invested over $1 billion in the Omaha metro area, Nebraska, and Western Iowa. The foundation operates as an independent philanthropic trust with approximately $396 million in assets and awards roughly $36 million annually. In a strategic decision aligned with Peter Kiewit's original vision, the foundation's trustees have announced plans to sunset operations by 2030, coinciding with the foundation's 50th anniversary. This spend-down strategy represents what trustees describe as "an evolution" rather than a conclusion, with remaining assets to be fully distributed to strengthen community infrastructure and organizational capacity for sustained impact beyond the foundation's closure. The foundation employs 43 staff members and is led by Executive Director Wendy Boyer, who emphasizes listening-based leadership: "Good leaders don't just lead – they learn by listening to others."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation focuses on five strategic impact areas:

1. College Access and Success

  • Grant Range: Varies significantly by project scope
  • Focus: Programs that improve 2- and 4-year college-going rates, persistence, and completion for underserved students
  • Includes post-secondary institution capacity building initiatives
  • Two signature scholarship programs: Kiewit Vocational Scholarship Program (with Nebraska Community Colleges and Iowa Western) and Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy (University of Nebraska)

2. Youth Development

  • Grant Range: Varies by program scope
  • Focus: High-quality out-of-school time programs for K-12 underserved youth in the Omaha metro area
  • Supports after-school and summer learning, college/career readiness, mentoring, character-building, and STEM learning experiences

3. Economic Development and Opportunities

  • Grant Range: $500,000 - $5,000,000+ for major initiatives
  • Focus: Downtown Omaha revitalization and urban core engagement; East Omaha neighborhood stabilization; workforce development programs in economically disadvantaged communities

4. Quality of Place Amenities

  • Grant Range: Typically large capital grants ($1,000,000+)
  • Focus: Community-wide capital projects supporting civic, recreational, and cultural spaces that foster community connection
  • Note: No longer accepts programming or operating support requests in this category

5. Community Foundation Capacity

  • Focus: Strengthening local community foundation leadership and operational abilities

Priority Areas

The foundation champions Peter Kiewit's "three-legged stool" philosophy: balanced funding from the applicant/immediate supporters, broader community, and philanthropy to ensure local "ownership" and long-term sustainability. Recent funding patterns emphasize:

  • Capital infrastructure projects for lasting community impact
  • Education and workforce development pathways
  • Affordable housing development and access
  • Arts, culture, and recreational amenities
  • STEM education and engineering talent development

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly excludes:

  • Individuals, for-profit businesses, or private foundations
  • Individual K-12 schools, churches, or hospitals
  • Debt retirement or operational deficits
  • Endowments
  • General fund drives or annual appeals
  • Event sponsorships
  • Routine public works projects

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Leslie R. Andersen – Chief Executive Officer, i3 Bank
  • Trent Demulling – Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kiewit Corporation
  • Diane K. Duren – Former Vice President and Corporate Board Secretary, Union Pacific Corporation
  • Jane E. Miller – Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Gallup, Inc.
  • Douglas Oldaker (Corporate Trustee) – Executive Vice President, Security National Bank

Staff Leadership

Wendy Boyer, Executive Director – Emphasizes listening-based leadership and works to strengthen foundation-community relationships.

Rebecca Bode, Director of Grants and Finance – Manages accounting, financial reporting, and grantmaking processes, viewing financial reporting as "storytelling."

Jamie Berglund, Community Investment Officer – Oversees grantmaking and impact investments with 25+ years of community and economic development experience. Shares the principle: "The purpose of life is not to be happy but to matter, to be productive, to be useful."

Paul Ternes, Community Investment Officer – Focuses on arts and culture efforts in Omaha to advance Peter Kiewit's legacy.

Pat Thraen, Community Investment Officer – Specializes in youth development and STEM strategies with 40 years of foundation tenure.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

CRITICAL NOTE: The Peter Kiewit Foundation is currently NOT accepting applications from new organizations. Due to the planned 2030 sunset, only existing grantee partners—organizations that align closely with Peter Kiewit's philanthropic vision, have received multiple multi-year grants, and maintain active relationships with foundation staff—may continue submitting requests.

For Existing Grantee Partners, the application process follows six steps:

  1. Review Strategic Priorities: Identify which Strategic Priority your request aligns with
  2. Connect with Foundation Staff: A representative must contact the appropriate Community Investment Officer to discuss the project, confirm eligibility, and determine alignment with foundation goals
  3. Submit Brief Written Summary: After initial discussion, staff may request a brief written summary to assess alignment and readiness
  4. Receive Online Application Link: If eligibility, alignment, and readiness are confirmed, you'll receive a URL to the online application portal
  5. Complete Online Application: Follow foundation guidelines to complete the application
  6. Board Review: Applications undergo staff review and due diligence before presentation to the Board of Trustees

Matching Funds Requirement

All grants require matching funds. Applicants must have developed at least a portion of the matching funds before submitting a request:

  • 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations: May apply for no more than 50% of total project cost
  • Units of government and tax-supported entities: May apply for no more than 25% of total project cost

Decision Timeline

  • Board Meetings: Three times per year (March, June, October)
  • Decision Process: Staff review and due diligence followed by Board of Trustees approval
  • Decision Criteria: Alignment to strategic impact areas, opportunity for impact, organizational ability to execute and sustain the work, and level of community support

Disbursement Schedule

Capital construction grants disburse only after project completion and facility readiness for intended use.

Reporting Requirements

Grantees must submit customized reports covering:

  • Fundraising progress
  • Project status
  • Outcomes and impact
  • Requirements vary by grant

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities

Alignment with the "Three-Legged Stool" Philosophy: Peter Kiewit championed balanced funding from the applicant/immediate supporters, broader community, and philanthropy. Demonstrating this balance is critical—applications showing strong community buy-in and diverse funding sources reflect the foundation's core values.

Organizational Capacity and Sustainability: The foundation assesses "the organization's ability to execute and sustain the work." Given the 2030 sunset, trustees are focused on building partner capacity for continued success beyond the foundation's closure. Applications should clearly demonstrate organizational strength and long-term sustainability plans.

Community Support as a Success Indicator: The level of community support is explicitly listed as a decision criterion. Projects with documented community backing, broad stakeholder engagement, and evidence of local ownership strengthen applications significantly.

Capital Projects Over Operating Support: Recent grant patterns (8 of 10 visible 2025 grants were capital grants) suggest strong preference for infrastructure and facilities investments that create lasting community impact. Quality of Place Amenities funding explicitly excludes programming/operating support.

Multi-Year Relationship Building: The foundation defines "grantee partners" as organizations with multiple multi-year grants and active staff relationships. Success appears tied to long-term engagement rather than one-time funding requests.

Recent Funding Examples

Recent major grants illustrate funding priorities:

  • Nebraska Philanthropic Trust: $5M (First Responder Education Center)
  • Habitat for Humanity Omaha: $5M (affordable housing mortgages/down payments)
  • Front Porch Investments: $5M (affordable housing development loans)
  • Creighton University: $5M (recreation/fitness facility)
  • Community Information Trust: $5M (Omaha Central Public Library)
  • University of Nebraska: $50M (Project Health, 2024)

These awards demonstrate preference for transformative capital projects, workforce development infrastructure, and affordable housing initiatives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Sunset Status: The foundation is sunsetting in 2030 and only works with existing grantee partners—no new applicants are being accepted at this time
  • Matching Funds are Mandatory: Secure at least partial matching funds before applying; nonprofits can request maximum 50% of project cost, government entities 25%
  • Community Support is Critical: The foundation explicitly evaluates "level of community support" in decision-making; demonstrate broad stakeholder engagement and diverse funding sources reflecting Kiewit's "three-legged stool" philosophy
  • Capital Projects Favored: Recent grant patterns show strong preference for infrastructure and facilities investments that create lasting impact; operating support is generally excluded
  • Pre-Application Discussion Required: Organizations must connect with appropriate Community Investment Officer before receiving application portal access
  • Long-Term Relationship Building: Success correlates with multi-year partnerships and active staff relationships rather than one-time funding requests
  • Quarterly Decision Schedule: Plan submission timing around March, June, and October board meetings; factor in staff review time before board consideration

References

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