New Approach to Supporting Our Communities

As the Osborne County Community Foundation (OCCF) prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2027, we're looking ahead to the next decade of strengthening our communities through charitable giving and grantmaking.

Over the past several months, OCCF has been evaluating our successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. One area we've focused on is our grantmaking process and how we can better serve the nonprofit organizations, schools, municipalities, and community groups working to make a difference throughout Osborne County.

Beginning in 2027, OCCF is introducing a new grant cycle schedule designed to provide more frequent opportunities to apply for funding.

From Four Grant Cycles to 10

For the past several years, OCCF has operated on a quarterly grantmaking schedule, offering four application periods annually. In 2027, we're moving from four quarterly grant cycles to 10 grant periods throughout the year.

This change is intended to make our grantmaking process more responsive to the needs of our communities by providing additional opportunities for eligible organizations to seek funding throughout the year.

Rather than waiting for the next quarterly application period, organizations will have more frequent opportunities to submit requests as projects and needs arise.

Important Dates to Remember

As we transition to the new schedule, we want to make sure organizations are aware of two important dates:

November 30, 2026 — Final 2026 Grant Deadline

OCCF's fourth-quarter grant cycle is currently open and will close November 30. Organizations with projects ready for consideration are encouraged to submit their applications before this deadline.

February 1, 2027 — First Grant Cycle of 2027 Opens

Our first grant application period under the new schedule will begin February 1, 2027.

Please note, there will be no open grant application period during December 2026 or January 2027. Organizations should plan accordingly as they prepare upcoming projects and funding requests.

Turning Ideas Into Action

More frequent grant opportunities are exciting, but successful projects begin long before a grant application is submitted.

As OCCF prepares for its next decade, we've spent considerable time evaluating our own successes, challenges, and future goals. We encourage the organizations we support to do the same.

What does your organization want to accomplish in 2027? What challenges are you facing? What opportunities could make a meaningful difference in your community?

One resource available to help organizations answer these questions is Strategic Doing, a practical approach to turning ideas into action through collaboration, clear priorities, and achievable steps.

Strategic Doing encourages organizations to focus on what they can accomplish with the people, resources and connections they already have, while identifying opportunities to work together toward shared goals.

Whether you're planning a new community project, strengthening an existing program, or thinking about your organization's long-term sustainability, taking time to establish a clear direction can make your efforts — and your grant applications — more effective.

We encourage local organizations to explore OCCF's Strategic Doing resources as they prepare for 2027. Learn more about Strategic Doing and OCCF's community resources at www.osborneccf.org.

Get Ready to Apply

We encourage all current and prospective grant applicants to familiarize themselves with OCCF's new grantmaking schedule, explore our Strategic Doing resources, and begin planning for 2027.

Download a 2027 OCCF Grant Guide at www.osborneccf.org.