>> 2021-2022 IMPACT REPORT >>

ENERGIZED TO BUILD
an even greater Fremont Area

The Fremont area. It is the place we have served for more than 42 years, but it is about a lot more than geography. It is about how we can, together, address our communities' needs and build its assets. How can we help this place continue to recover—and ultimately thrive—through strategic investment and equity-focused action.

This Annual Report is a testament to how our donors continue to build a greater Fremont area. You demonstrate a commitment to charitable giving that is rooted in compassion and delivers hundreds of grants awarded and agencies funded.

In these pages, you'll see the enthusiasm that even newcomers to the Fremont area have for making this place we call home stronger. You'll learn how private investment in our schools improves learning and educational outcomes. And you'll understand how smarter giving can be good for the organizations you value and your financial plan.

The Fremont Forever Fund will continue to support and sustain community-centered grantmaking in the years to come. These funds provide the dollars to address pressing needs in the Fremont area, to build important projects, or to respond to local emergencies, like a pandemic or natural disaster. Its success is powered by our expertise in producing impact, the diligence and knowledge of our nonprofit partners, and by the investment of friends like you.

The Fremont Forever Fund will be the key link in ensuring the vitality of the Fremont area through collective philanthropy. And we hope you'll join us in the months and years ahead to imagine an even greater Fremont area.

Sincerely yours,

Melissa Diers and Terry McClain

Melissa Diers profile image

Melissa Diers

Executive Director

Terry McClain profile image

Terry McClain

Board President

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$32.4
million

Total assets
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582
grants

Totaling $2,618,028
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17
new funds

221 total funds
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79
scholarships

$138,283 awarded

Our New Funds

Group of North Bend Boosters members

North Bend Boosters support students, coaches

The North Bend Booster Club Fund helps pay for improvements that benefit North Bend Central Public Schools' students, coaches, teachers, and sponsors. The club's current major project is raising funds for new digital scoreboards, but it also provides scholarships and equipment such as blocking sleds for football and push carts for the golf team.

The North Bend Booster Club supports NSAA-sanctioned activities including basketball, bowling, cheer and dance, cross country, football, golf, one act, quiz bowl, softball, speech, track, volleyball and wrestling.

Join the Booster Club Today!

Rebels baseball and softball
teach sports, life skills

Baseball player about to throw a baseball

The Fremont Rebels Baseball and Softball program provides athletic opportunities to boys and girls ages 6-19 but also delivers so much more. In addition to developing baseball and softball skills, young athletes experience a team atmosphere, positive role models and important life lessons.

Playing ball and learning to be part of a team also develops character, friendships and respect for others. In addition, participation in a sport contributes to health and fitness and develops positive habits that can serve a young person for a lifetime.

Legion Auxiliary unit provides
scholarships to graduates

Koni Shallberg, FCF Scholarship Committee Chair, and Adam Wiese, 2023 recipient

Pictured are Koni Shallberg, FACF Scholarship Committee Chair and Adam Wiese, 2023 recipient

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 20 Scholarship Fund supports graduating seniors of Fremont High School and Archbishop Bergan High School who are pursuing secondary education at a two-year community college, vocational or trade school.

The fund fits within the Legion Auxiliary’s mission to award scholarships and promote quality education and literacy. The Auxiliary also aims to provide educational and leadership opportunities that uphold the ideals of freedom and democracy and encourage good citizenship and patriotism.

Other new FACF funds include

  • Tom* and Deanna Wolf Endowment Fund
  • Peg and Steve Pribnow Family Fund
  • Tanya and Blake Dillon Family Endowment Fund
  • Scott and Judy Getzschman Donor-Advised Fund
  • Joann Ebers Collins Charitable Fund
  • RVR Bank Giving Fund
  • Empower YOUth Fund
  • Wikert Endowment Fund
  • Brewer Family Foundation
  • Mark C. Johnson Charitable Fund
  • LMH Foundation for Community Betterment
  • Grand Passage Sportsmen Scholarship
  • Krasne Family Foundation
  • Roger and Pam Pannier Family Fund

Grants in Action

Grant helps Archbishop Bergan School Improve literacy

Archbishop Bergan Catholic School used a $10,000 grant from the foundation to upgrade the school’s literacy curriculum. The goal was to create a balanced literacy program that would help students gain critical skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as advanced critical thinking and comprehension.

The new literacy curriculum aims to move seamlessly between grade levels, using consistent language and strategies. School officials hope that it will improve STAR test scores while resulting in fewer interventions outside the classroom.

Group of children reading books

World traveler brings seven wonders to Logan View School

Social media post of 2 groups of middle and high school students

A $1,500 grant funded a visit to Logan View Public Schools by Dean Jacobs, a Fremont native and author who made a two-year, 28-country journey around the world. During a presentation titled “Discover Your Why, Become the Change,” Jacobs spoke about the Seven Wonders of Humanity: dignity, respect, humility, curiosity, generosity, gratitude and kindness.

Speaking to K-12 students in four settings, he said incorporating these seven wonders into their everyday lives will help them become the best version of themselves. Juniors and seniors also participated in a writing workshop with Jacobs to help them identify their life goals.

Grant helps close the gap for underfunded CASA program

Mother reading with her daughter

CASA of the Midlands received a $30,000 grant from FACF for its “Closing the Gap” project. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. And most of them are volunteers tasked with speaking in the best interests of children under the supervision of the court due to abuse or neglect. This grant provides operational funds to continue serving more than 100 children in Dodge and Saunders counties and expanding services to Washington County.

CASA has relied on Victims of Crime Act federal funding through the Nebraska Crime Commission, but reimbursements were delayed nearly a year. Other sources of funding were reduced during the pandemic. With the grant from the foundation, CASA hopes to continue its current services and recruit and train more volunteers.

Group of kids standing underneath a park shelter

Trinity Lutheran School adds accessible play equipment

Trinity Lutheran School was able to benefit not only its 121 students but also the surrounding neighborhood with an improved playground, thanks to a $22,200 grant from the foundation. The grant helped paid for accessible playground equipment, enhancements to existing playground structures and the addition of a shade structure.

Trinity Lutheran has a growing enrollment, and the playground has always been open to the public. Improving the playground allows Trinity Lutheran School to continue its mission of supporting lifelong service to the community.

Why have a community foundation?

The answer is closer than you think.

To have a vibrant community, everyone needs access to the resources, opportunities and relationships that help them achieve their full potential and thrive.

That’s why the Fremont Area Community Foundation exists. With the help of our partners and the community, we turn generosity into lasting change, creating a prosperous Fremont area where we can all thrive and achieve our full potential — including you!

Across four key focus areas, the Fremont Area Community Foundation builds lasting change and supports donors who are committed to impact and change in our community.

Philanthropy

By helping donors connect their passions to purpose, we grow a community of donors committed to transforming their generosity into lasting impact in the Fremont area.

Impact

We support and invest in diverse and collaborative partners and leaders by supporting their ideas to realize lasting change in our community.

Equity

Equitable access to opportunity is at the heart of our vision of a Fremont where all residents have the resources and relationships they need to thrive.

Stewardship

We are committed to being excellent stewards of community resources. We prioritize trust, humility, intentionality, and flexibility.

Legacy Society

Sustaining our future while planning for yours.

You can support the Fremont Area Community Foundation by joining our Legacy Society and making estate gifts that can improve the quality of our community for years to come. Gifts can include cash, securities, life insurance, IRA, memorials or other bequests. Your gift may have tax advantages; please consult your financial advisor.

The Legacy Society

Our Legacy Society recognizes and honors those donors who have made plans through their estate to give back to the Fremont area through the community foundation. We are grateful for their foresight, dedication and philanthropic spirit.

Members of our Legacy Society recognize the importance of making a future gift through the foundation. Your thoughtful planning today will benefit the Fremont area for generations to come and encourage others to follow your lead! Joining can be as simple as informing the community foundation of your intention to make an estate gift.

Our Legacy Society recognizes and forever honors the names and spirit of our donors.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE COMPLETE LIST

Becoming a member of the Legacy Society has many advantages:

Flexibility

Through the foundation you can serve several charitable interests in one place.

Involvement

Donors can choose the level of involvement according to their preferences.

Naming Rights

Funds can be named as desired: for an individual, a family, a purpose or an organization.

Experience

The foundation’s Board of Directors and staff are experienced with philanthropy and the needs of the Fremont area.

Tax Savings

The Fremont Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and qualifies as a public charity under federal tax law.

Permanence

The foundation will continue to respond to the needs and opportunities of the Fremont area as they evolve and emerge.