Grow Omaha
Non-Profit News

The NonProfit Times has named Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in 2026. The Omaha chapter of the organization placed #7 out of 50 top organizations nationwide while employing 44 individuals.

The Bellevue Food Pantry last Friday broke ground on its facility in the former Bellevue Public Library at 1003 Lincoln Road. The future location is 20 times the size of the 1,000 sq. ft. space Bellevue Food Pantry has occupied for more than 15 years. After renovations, the new space will include a 3,000 sq. ft. pantry, walk-in coolers and freezers, community meeting areas and a community garden. The facility is expected to open this December.

The American Heart Association is hosting the 2026 Greater Omaha Heart & Stroke Walk this Saturday at Gene Leahy Mall. So far, the event has raised more than $250,000 which will go toward research and CPR training efforts.

Generation Diamond, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults aged 19 and older overcome barriers to stability, safety and self‐sufficiency, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. Home to Omaha’s only free Tattoo Removal Program, the organization also announced that Founder Blanca Mejia will be stepping down as executive director, and Marina Rosado will take on the role.

Big Grove For Good, an independent nonprofit inspired and founded by the values of Big Grove Brewery, has hit a milestone in its Neighborhood Micro-Grant Program, distributing more than $36,000 in one year. This unique initiative is funded through sales of Big Grove Brewery’s Neighborhood Beer in order to support projects in areas where Big Grove is sold. These Micro-Grants range from $250-$1,000, and have been awarded to 68 individuals and organizations, including Albany and Avers and the Omaha Parks Foundation. Applications are open at the Big Grove For Good website, here.

Orel Alliance, an Omaha nonprofit organization founded in 2024 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, celebrated the opening of its first community center at the Bel Air Plaza near 120th and West Center on May 3. So far, Orel Alliance has provided more than $1.5 million in direct financial support to 2,500 Ukrainian families across the Omaha area. The community center will house the program’s offices as well as community programming.

In April, the Omaha Venture Group – a giving circle facilitated by the Omaha Community Foundation – awarded its largest total grant amount to date, with each recipient receiving $10,000. This year’s grant recipients include:

• Arts & Culture: Creative Reuse Omaha, Inc.
• Health: African Immigrant Family Services
• Neighborhoods, Civic Engagement & Safety: Latino Economic Development Council (LEDC)
• Workforce & Education: CareerLadder
• Youth Sports: JSSA: James Scurlock Sports Academy

Collective for Hope is hosting a Remembrance Day Celebration on May 23 at Miller’s Landing. The free, family-friendly outdoor event is designed to help individuals and families honor loved ones through meaningful, hands-on experiences and community connection. It will feature food trucks, memorial banners, remembrance activities and crafts.

Ooh De Lally, a nonprofit restaurant in Dundee, which employs formerly incarcerated individuals, is preparing a home at 49th & Underwood Avenue to house employees who otherwise would have trouble finding a place to live. The sober-living house opens May 2, with participants initially living three months free before paying rent of $600 a month.

Metropolitan Community College is hosting a ribbon cutting and open house celebrating its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) designation by the U.S. Small Business Administration on Wednesday, May 6. Metro’s center is located at The Ashton building in Millwork Commons and will be the second federally designated SBDC in Nebraska.

The City of Omaha last week awarded grants totaling $54,520 to 16 neighborhood groups, with more than half supporting food pantries and community gardens. Awarded organizations include City Sprouts, No More Empty Pots and more.

Last week was National Volunteer Week, during which SHARE Omaha hosted its annual Do Good Days and invited hundreds of volunteers to donate time supporting nonprofits across Omaha. During the four-day campaign, volunteers served in over 100 different ways, including reading for Radio Talking Book Service, packing menstrual pad kits for Access Period and collecting litter at Standing Bear Lake with The Blue Bucket Project.