University of Nebraska Foundation

What University of Nebraska Foundation does

The University of Nebraska Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1936 to manage private philanthropic resources for the University of Nebraska system. Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, with offices in Omaha and Kearney, the foundation serves all four University of Nebraska campuses (UNK, UNL, UNMC, UNO), the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, and Nebraska Medicine. The foundation manages more than 11,000 donor funds and an endowment ranked in the top 25 among U.S. public universities, valued at over $2 billion. Its core purpose is to cultivate donor relationships and channel private gifts toward scholarships, faculty support, research, capital projects, and student hardship assistance, supplementing state appropriations that have historically constrained public higher education funding.

The foundation's product surface comprises an online giving platform, the Nebraska Grow crowdfunding portal, a gift planning service suite (wills, trusts, donor-advised funds, IRA QCDs), campus-specific annual funds (UNK Fund, N Fund, UNMC Innovation Funds, UNO Fund), athletics fundraising programs, and endowment management services. Its underlying technology stack is an ALI CRM system and the NU Funds Online platform supporting donor management and fund administration. The foundation operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining self-serve online giving, direct fundraising staff (development officers assigned per campus), an ambassador network of approximately 900 volunteer trustees, and roughly 90 alumni chapters globally. Revenue mechanics center on charitable contributions (one-time, recurring, and planned gifts) and endowment investment returns; the foundation reports more than $7 in gifts for every $1 spent on fundraising, indicating efficient fundraising operations.

Distribution spans online, mail, payroll deduction, and direct engagement channels, supported by content marketing (Nebraska Quarterly magazine), social media, and earned media. Customer segments include alumni and donors (primary), university students receiving scholarship and emergency aid, faculty and research units, and university system administration. The foundation operates with no parent company, governed by an independent board of directors with the foundation CEO as an ex officio voting member; Brian F. Hastings has led the organization as President and CEO since 2012.

Name

University of Nebraska Foundation

Legal name

University of Nebraska Foundation

Website

https://nufoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The University of Nebraska Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1936 that manages over $2 billion in endowment and 11,000+ donor funds to channel private philanthropy to the four-campus University of Nebraska system and Nebraska Medicine, with a current $3 billion campaign target from 150,000 benefactors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising and Endowment Management

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Higher education fundraising
• Endowment management
• Planned giving services
• Donor fund administration
• Alumni philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Giving and Donations: The foundation receives charitable gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations including outright gifts, pledges, and qualifying planned gifts. Manage more than 11,000 donor funds.
2. Endowment Investment Returns: Endowment ranked in top 25 among public universities with over $2 billion in assets generating investment returns distributed to support university priorities.
3. Planned Giving and Bequests: Includes wills, living trusts, donor-advised funds, IRA QCD, retained life estates, and other planned giving vehicles. First bequest received in 1937.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Nebraska Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that solicits, receives, and manages charitable gifts and endowment funds on behalf of the University of Nebraska system, including UNK, UNL, UNMC, UNO, NCTA, and Nebraska Medicine. It manages more than 11,000 donor funds and an endowment exceeding $2 billion, distributing private philanthropic support through scholarships, faculty positions, research funding, capital projects, and planned giving vehicles such as donor-advised funds, wills, and IRA qualified charitable distributions.

Product overview

The University of Nebraska Foundation operates as a unified fundraising platform with multiple integrated products and services. The core offering consists of an Online Giving Platform and Nebraska Grow Crowdfunding portal that enable donors to contribute to various university causes. The platform supports four main campus fund brands (UNK Fund, N Fund, UNMC Innovation Funds, and UNO Fund) for annual giving, each with sub-accounts for scholarships, faculty support, and campus priorities. Athletics fundraising is managed separately through three branded programs (Loper, Husker, and Maverick Athletics). The Gift Planning Services division handles planned giving vehicles including donor-advised funds, wills/trusts, and IRA QCD options. Additional offerings include Women Investing in Nebraska (collective giving), endowment management for over 11,000 donor funds, alumni association integration services, and institute-specific funds for the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. The platform also facilitates corporate and foundation relations. The entire ecosystem is unified under the Foundation's mission to grow relationships and resources for the University of Nebraska system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University's Future - current campaign with goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska

Products and services

• Online Giving Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Record $416.6 million committed in fiscal year 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Strategic Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three university-wide interdisciplinary institutes operating across the University of Nebraska system. Operates with support from government agencies.
• Buffett Early Childhood InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforms lives of young children by improving learning and development. Uses interdisciplinary resources across four NU campuses, works with schools, agencies, community partners and policymakers.
• Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2010, leverages university expertise with strong state, national and international partnerships. Focuses on increasing water and agricultural productivity through research, policy development, education and communication.
• Women Investing in NebraskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on collective giving by women who want to impact the state through philanthropy. Carey Hamilton is a founding member.
• University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated with the foundation in 2010 to advance UNK mission and maintain link between graduates and university.
• University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated with the foundation in 2016 to advance UNO mission and connect alumni dreams with university mission.
• Nebraska Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartially integrated with foundation in 2008. Builds connections between Huskers past, present and future. Includes nearly 90 alumni chapters and approximately 25,000 members.
• UNMC Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegration announced July 1, 2026. Nearly 20 years of partnership with foundation. Staff to join foundation as employees at Aksarben Office in Omaha.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indiana University Foundation: Indiana University Foundation is the primary fundraising and endowment-management entity for Indiana University, a large public research university system. Closely comparable to the University of Nebraska Foundation in mission, multi-campus structure, alumni-integration model, and public-university donor dynamics.
• Purdue Research Foundation: Purdue Research Foundation manages endowment and philanthropic assets for Purdue University, a flagship public research institution. Directly comparable as a multi-decade public-university foundation with integrated alumni engagement, athletics fundraising, and large-scale capital campaigns.
• University of Wisconsin Foundation: The University of Wisconsin Foundation raises and invests private gifts for the UW–Madison and broader UW System, operating a large alumni network and multi-billion-dollar endowment. Directly comparable in serving a flagship public-university system with deep alumni-donor integration.
• Iowa State University Foundation: Iowa State University Foundation is the philanthropic and endowment arm of Iowa State University, a fellow Big Ten public institution. Highly comparable in scale, multi-campus coordination, agricultural- and health-science funding verticals, and regional Nebraska-adjacent donor base.
• Michigan State University Advancement: Michigan State University Advancement (including the MSU Foundation) handles private giving, donor relations, and endowment management for Michigan State University. Closely comparable in multi-campus public-university fundraising, alumni engagement, and large-scale campaign execution.
• Ohio State University Foundation: The Ohio State University Foundation manages endowed and current-use gifts for Ohio State University, one of the largest US public research universities. Comparable in managing multi-billion-dollar endowment, athletics fundraising, healthcare philanthropy (e.g., Wexner Medical Center), and large capital campaigns.
• University of Kansas Endowment: The University of Kansas Endowment Association is the private fundraising arm of the University of Kansas. Comparable as a regional public-university foundation with integrated alumni relations, athletics development, and capital campaign execution in a single Midwestern state donor market.
• University of Colorado Foundation: The University of Colorado Foundation manages private philanthropy and endowment assets across the CU System campuses. Comparable in multi-campus public-university structure, healthcare-campus philanthropy (CU Anschutz), and integrated alumni-foundation development model.
• Texas A&M Foundation: Texas A&M Foundation is the primary philanthropic and endowment-management entity for Texas A&M University, a large public research university. Comparable in scale, system-wide multi-campus coordination, large alumni base, and athletics-affiliated giving infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: Fidelity Charitable is the largest US donor-advised fund sponsor, offering donors a giving vehicle similar to the University of Nebraska Foundation's DAF and gift-planning services. Comparable as a donor-advised fund and planned-giving intermediary competing for the same HNW donor mindshare, though not a university foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7JMPYsUIfrVYCQjOM6uLHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/universityofnebraskafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-nebraska-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nugiving

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles34 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Nebraska Foundation