LINCOLN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
COVER story ALEC GORYNSKI, CEO OF LINCOLN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
EMPOWERING, HELPING, impacting LINCOLN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FACILITATES PHILANTHROPY AND UNITES COMMUNITY Serving as a connector and philanthropic partner to the Lincoln community since 1955, Lincoln Community Foundation continues to facilitate collaboration and philanthropy efforts across the city while focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities that exist for the future success of Lincoln.
A Faithful Steward
As the oldest community foundation in Nebraska, Lincoln Community Foundation defines its areas of work in three categories — the first being a philanthropic partner that works with donors to manage philanthropic interest by offering various tools such as donor advised funds and assistance with establishing endowment funds. In its second role as a community investor, Lincoln Community Foundation awards discretionary community grants, as well as scholarship programs on behalf of donors. Currently, Lincoln Community Foundation supports 90 scholarship funds across the state of Nebraska.
In 2021, the organization had a record-breaking year, generating $46 million in contributions. Alec Gorynski, CEO of Lincoln Community Foundation, said this amount represents funds that will be, or have been, reinvested in the Lincoln community. “On our grant making side and charitable program expenses into the community, we granted more than $23 million last year,” Gorynski said. “Some of that money represents our discretionary dollars, whether that is open door grants, which meet existing needs or address challenges and opportunities of nonprofit organizations, or it might be areas of affordable housing and early childhood education.” Finally, in its third role, Lincoln Community Foundation focuses on community leadership, which involves identifying and organizing efforts around the community’s unique needs. “Our responsibility goes well beyond just holding and deploying philanthropic resources in partnership with charitably-minded individuals in our community,” Gorynski said. “We also have the responsibility of truly knowing our community.”
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