Your gift can make great things happen.
You already know that we are dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Fremont area. But you may not know exactly how we can use your gift to make that happen.
Your donations make our world better.
When you give back, you help the community move forward. We can help you connect your passion to a purpose. We take great care to use your generous donations to further the community’s best interests in five key areas: arts and culture, civic improvements, education, health and recreation, and social services.
“I am grateful for the benefits my family and I have received due to the past leadership in our community. It is now my turn to repay those benefits and provide for generations to follow.”
—the late Marv Welstead, founder of FACF
Your support helps further our mission.
When you make a planned gift to FACF, your contribution can support us in a variety of ways, including:
- The Fremont Forever Fund, our unrestricted endowment that drives our competitive grantmaking and helps us address area needs and opportunities throughout the Fremont area
- Scholarships for area graduating seniors
- Designated or field-of-interest funds (we currently have over 200 to choose from)
- A new fund you create to fit your own charitable interests
Make your gift more meaningful.
- A dedicated gift. You can make your contribution in honor or memory of someone special.
- A directed gift. You can choose to put your donation toward a particular program or initiative
that resonates with you. - An enduring gift. You can leave a powerful legacy by contributing to or creating an endowment
fund to support your area of greatest interest in perpetuity. Read more about endowment gifts.
Make a gift, make a difference.

“Thank you for being a leader in helping us find solutions to our workforce housing crisis!”
—Megan Skiles, President & CEO, Greater Fremont Development Council

“Thank you for your generous grant to support HETRA’s participants of all ability levels. This will make an immense impact on our organization and help individuals of all socioeconomic backgrounds participate in our Miniature Equine Onsite Learning Program.”
—Lucy Charvat, Grants Manager, Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy
Effort brings new life to old properties
Rundown homes and vacant lots in Fremont could soon become attractive and affordable housing. A grant from the community foundation helped meet the local match requirement for a $1.5 million Nebraska Rural Workforce Housing Fund grant. These revolving funds give local developers and homeowners low-cost incentives to bring new life to old properties. As loans are paid off, the cycle starts again with new projects.


New boats improve water rescue capabilities
In March 2019, the Fremont area was under water following a 500-year flood. For six days, the Fremont Rural Fire Department performed nearly 120 documented flood rescues involving nearly 300 individuals despite having improper rescue suits and less than ideal water-rescue boats. Five years later and thanks to a grant from FACF, the FRFD and other area rescue departments have improved water safety equipment, including a 16-foot flat-bottom boat, motor and accessories; an inflatable boat; and a boat trailer. The FRFD has a fund at the community foundation, so donations to the all-volunteer department are tax deductible.
Grants in Action

Camp Invention brings wonder of learning to kids
A grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation provided the Camp Invention experience to underserved children in the Fremont area for the 20th year. The 2023 Camp Invention curriculum, Wonder, included four modules — Catching Air™, Invention Celebration™, Pop-Up Venture™ and MimicBot™. It guided children as they explored hands-on applications of physics, biology, engineering, entrepreneurship and the arts. In Wonder, participants also practiced teamwork, communication and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills as they worked together to bring their ideas to life.
Students in grades K-6 were hosted at area schools, and their parents had this to share about the program:
“Every day, when my daughter came home from camp, she was excited to tell us about her experiences and what she was working on. After the program concluded, she was beaming with joy and loved sharing her new inventions with her siblings.”
“My kids look forward to this every year. They know there are no limits to their creativity in this program.”

Youth Philanthropy Grant benefits pet rescue group
The Fremont Kiwanis Builders Club received a $1,000 grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Grants Program to aid FurEver Home Inc., a pet rescue in Fremont. The club includes more than 30 students from Johnson Crossing Academic Center and Fremont Middle School.
The club made 56 tie-blankets for cat cages and assembled cleaning supplies including laundry detergent (enough for 432 loads), dish soap, hand soap, trash bags, paper towels, bleach, vinegar and OdoBan disinfectant. The club also donated 200 pounds of cat litter, 48 cans of cat food and four slip-lead dog leashes.