The History Nebraska Foundation received an $875,000 grant for operating costs from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 through the City of Lincoln/Lancaster County.
The funds were awarded as part of a nearly $5 million grant program to benefit 15 non-profit tourism organizations. The grant was announced during a City of Lincoln press conference hosted by History Nebraska at the Nebraska History Museum.
“As a community, we recognize that non-profit tourism organizations like History Nebraska do more than just add value to the local economy,” said Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “They provide our residents and visitors with shared experiences and cherished memories that make Lincoln an even stronger community and more attractive destination.“
The funding will be used to cover 6 months of operating expenses, up to $1 million.
Thanks to this grant, the History Nebraska Foundation will be able to move forward with several projects that were sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For many nonprofit organizations in our communities, the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt,” said Tyler Vacha, executive director of the History Nebraska Foundation. “These organizations are still battling with attendance numbers that haven’t fully recovered, budgetary holes that hold them back, or maybe most frustrating, exciting new projects and programs that are still waiting to be picked up, completed, and made available to the public. The funds awarded today will help the History Nebraska Foundation, History Nebraska and our peers move forward.”
The mission of the History Nebraska Foundation is to spread awareness of History Nebraska’s efforts and seek financial support from those with a passion for Nebraska’s rich and diverse history.
“These funds will help History Nebraska continue to offer new and exciting programming,” Vacha said. He cited as an example, the upcoming National Geographic exhibit, Women: A Century of Change, which will be paired with History Nebraska’s own Votes for Women Exhibit. Both offer museum-goers the opportunity to engage with the last 100 years of the Women’s Movement at the local, state, and national level.
The History Nebraska Foundation was established in 2019. For more information, contact Executive Director Tyler Vacha at tyler@historynebraskafoundation.org or 402-853-4282.