Weitz Family Foundation

What Weitz Family Foundation does

The Weitz Family Foundation is a private, family-governed philanthropic foundation established in 2000 by Barbara and Wally Weitz in Omaha, Nebraska. The foundation's primary function is to distribute fiscal resources — operating grants and capacity-building dollars — to nonprofit organizations working in the Omaha metro area toward systemic equity, with explicit exclusion of agencies primarily located in Council Bluffs or outside Omaha. Its product surface comprises two grant tracks: Beloved Community Grants (up to $20,000, first-time-applicant eligible) and Capacity Building Grants (starting at $21,000, multi-year-eligible for organizations with 5+ years of WFF funding), supplemented by the Weitz Fellows program (placing Carleton College graduates in Omaha nonprofits), the Lobby School advocacy-training pipeline (co-developed with Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, Lozier Foundation, and Institute for Public Leadership), and the recently launched Equity Institute (an equity incubator co-created with All of Us Together Co., 2025-2026 pilot cohort of 12 leaders).

All grants are disbursed as general operating support rather than restricted funding, and applicants interact with the foundation through an annual GivingData-powered portal that opens in mid-July and closes in late August, supplemented by program-associate outreach (Robia Qasimyar for A-M applicants; Diana Martinez for N-Z). The foundation also influences the local supplier ecosystem through a 2019 capital-project policy requiring 10% of grantee capital budgets to flow to small and emerging businesses, operationalized with REACH (Omaha Chamber).

Governance rests with a family board (founders Barbara and Wally Weitz, their three children Katie, Roger and Drew, and spouses Meredith Weitz and Kate Noble Weitz). Day-to-day operations are run by a 5-person staff headed by Executive Director Emily Nguyen (since 2023) with founder-daughter Katie Weitz serving as President. The foundation has cumulatively distributed approximately $197 million to Omaha-area organizations through 2020, with named single gifts including a record $25 million pledge to Carleton College in 2005 and $1.6 million to the Joslyn Art Museum.

Name

Weitz Family Foundation

Legal name

Weitz Family Foundation

Website

https://weitzfamilyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Weitz Family Foundation is a private, family-governed philanthropic foundation established in 2000 by Barbara and Wally Weitz in Omaha, Nebraska. It distributes general operating grants and runs capacity-building programs for Omaha-metro nonprofit organizations working toward racial equity and systemic change.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Family Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Community foundation grants
• Nonprofit funding programs
• Capacity building grants
• Equity focused philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Giving / Grant Disbursement: The foundation operates as a private grant-making organization, distributing fiscal resources to partner nonprofit organizations. Founded by Barbara and Wally Weitz in 2000, the primary function is to fund community organizations that support systemic change toward equity. Funding comes from the Weitz family's endowment and ongoing contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Weitz Family Foundation is a private family foundation that distributes grants to nonprofit organizations working toward equity and systemic change in the Omaha metro area. Its primary offerings include the Beloved Community Grants (up to $20,000 for relief, recovery, and re-imagining work) and Capacity Building Grants (starting at $21,000 for higher-impact initiatives), alongside programmatic support through the Weitz Fellows Program, Lobby School, and Equity Institute.

Product overview

The Weitz Family Foundation operates as a philanthropy organization providing grant funding and programmatic support to nonprofit organizations in the Omaha area. Its core offerings include two grant programs: Beloved Community Grants (funding up to $20,000 for relief and recovery) and Capacity Building Grants (starting at $21,000 for higher-impact initiatives). The Foundation also supports professional development through the Weitz Fellows Program for Carleton College graduates, the Lobby School training program in partnership with Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, and the Equity Institute technical assistance program for nonprofit leadership. All funding is disbursed as general operating support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beloved Community Grants Grant funding of up to $20,000 for nonprofit organizations in the Omaha metro area focused on relief, recovery, and re-imagining work toward equity. Features a shorter application and is open to first-time applicants.
• Capacity Building Grants Grant funding starting at $21,000 for nonprofit organizations facilitating the success of a project, program, or agency at a higher impact level. Requires a longer application; first-time applicants are not eligible. Supports capital campaigns and multi-year requests for established grantees.
• Weitz Fellows Program Fellowship program for recent Carleton College graduates that places them in nonprofit organizations in Omaha and Lincoln, including a pre-professional development fund of $1,500 for career exploration.
• Lobby School Practical training program operated with Nebraska Civic Engagement Table that helps nonprofit organizations build confidence, skills, and strategy around public policy and lobbying in Nebraska.
• Equity Institute Equity incubator program for nonprofit leadership across Nebraska, providing technical assistance to Weitz Family Foundation grantee organizations seeking to deepen their equity work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contributed nearly $200 million to Omaha-area organizations over 20 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Nebraska Civic Engagement TablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in operating Lobby School, a practical training program designed to help organizations build confidence, skills, and strategy around public policy in Nebraska. The foundation's Policy Consultant Renee Fry serves as co-founder and mentor.
• Summer Policy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrerequisite program for Lobby School, co-hosted by Weitz Family Foundation, Lozier Foundation, and Institute for Public Leadership. Participants must complete this before applying to Lobby School.
• Lozier FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Summer Policy Institute alongside Weitz Family Foundation and Institute for Public Leadership.
• Institute for Public LeadershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Summer Policy Institute alongside Weitz Family Foundation and Lozier Foundation.
• All of Us Together Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of the Equity Institute, a transformative equity incubator for nonprofit leadership across Nebraska. The Weitz Family Foundation sponsors this program which brought together 12 visionary leaders in the 2025-2026 pilot cohort.
• REACH (Omaha Chamber)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerREACH helps organizations find small and emerging businesses for capital projects. The foundation requires grantees to spend 10% of capital project budgets with small and emerging businesses, and REACH assists in identifying these firms.
• Joslyn Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for Weitz Fellow Maya Keeney. The foundation funds the museum ($1,600,000 grant) and places fellows there as part of the Weitz Fellows program.
• IBBG (Initiative for Black Women)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmaha-based reproductive justice organization that centers Black women, femmes, and girls. Hosts Weitz Fellow Grace Bassekle. The foundation supports the organization through grants and the fellowship program.
• Carleton CollegeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation's largest single gift ($25 million in 2005) and ongoing partnership. The Weitz Fellows program was launched with Carleton. Foundation supports Weitz Fellows program placing recent graduates in Omaha nonprofits. Drew Weitz serves on alumni board, Wally Weitz chairs Board of Trustees.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heinz Family Foundation: National family foundation funding advocacy, equity, and policy work across the U.S. Comparable to Weitz as a wealthy family foundation that pairs grantmaking with advocacy and leadership development.
• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations with deep focus on racial equity, civic engagement, and economic justice - directly aligned with Weitz Family Foundation's mission though at vastly different scale.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: National foundation funding racial equity, community leadership, and place-based work, including programs for children and families in Nebraska. Comparable in focus on equity-driven, multi-program support for nonprofits.
• Open Society Foundations: Global foundation heavily investing in racial justice, advocacy training, and grantee power-sharing - overlapping with Weitz's equity-oriented, advocacy-focused grantmaking approach at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Omaha Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the greater Omaha area; comparable as a regional grantmaking entity serving nonprofit capacity and equity programs, though structured as a community foundation rather than a single-family foundation.
• Lozier Foundation: Omaha-based private family foundation that is an explicit co-funder of the Weitz Family Foundation's Summer Policy Institute and shares a focus on Nebraska-based advocacy, education, and community initiatives. Directly comparable as a place-based family grantmaker in Omaha.
• Sherwood Foundation: Omaha-based private foundation founded by Susan Buffett that invests heavily in education, early childhood, and community change in Nebraska - directly comparable in mission, geography, and operating model to the Weitz Family Foundation.
• Peter Kiewit Foundation: One of Nebraska's largest private family foundations, focused on education, workforce, and community vitality in the Omaha metro. Direct peer in terms of family foundation structure and Omaha-centric grantmaking.

Others

• Nebraska Civic Engagement Table: Direct nonprofit partner of the Weitz Family Foundation, co-creator of Lobby School, and a leading Nebraska civic engagement organization with overlapping grant recipient and policy advocacy profile.

Regional players

• Mutual of Omaha Foundation: Omaha-based corporate foundation funding community health, education, and human services in Nebraska. Comparable as a regional place-based funder with similar nonprofit partners, though corporate- rather than family-sponsored.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weitz-family-foundation
• Xx.com/WeitzFamFound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Weitz Family Foundation