Richard Brooke Foundation

The Richard Brooke Foundation is a tightly family-controlled private foundation, operationally driven by Melinda Drickey (Executive Director and Treasurer, compensated at $158,900 in 2024), while three unpaid family members — Anne Drickey (President), Robert Drickey (Vice President), and Neal Drickey (Secretary) — govern the board. All four bear the Drickey surname, indicating this is a family foundation honoring a namesake (Richard Brooke) rather than one managed by a Brooke family.

The single most critical fact for any prospective grantee: the foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." There is no public RFP, no open grant portal, and no LOI submission pathway. The only route to a grant is through a prior relationship or a warm introduction to the Drickey family.

The foundation's mission — "nourishment for the body, mind, and spirit" — maps to three stated pillars: quality education, the arts, and support for vulnerable populations. These are honored consistently across the portfolio. Organizations bridging two or more pillars tend to receive the most generous, sustained support: Omaha Theater Company (arts + youth), One World Community Health Centers (health + education + vulnerable populations), and College Possible Omaha (education + vulnerable youth) each exemplify this cross-pillar strength.

Geographic eligibility is de facto rather than formally stated. Approximately 80% of grants go to Omaha, Nebraska organizations, with a secondary cluster (16%) in the California desert — Coachella Valley, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Springs. Iowa organizations (4%) cluster around the YMCA of the Okobojis, suggesting northern Iowa ties. Organizations outside these three geographies have essentially no track record with this funder.

Once a relationship is established, grantees are typically supported across multiple cycles. Of the top 50 grantees in the IRS filing data, virtually all show two or more grants, confirming long-term partnership over one-time awards. First-time grantees should expect relationship cultivation to take months to a year or more before a grant materializes. The foundation can be reached at info@richardbrooke.org or (402) 973-3030 at 17310 Wright St, Suite 202, Omaha, NE 68130.

The Richard Brooke Foundation distributed $5.4M across 68 grants in 2024 — its highest giving in at least three years. Over the 2019–2023 period, annual grants paid ranged from $3.5M (2020) to $6.7M (2021), averaging approximately $4.7M per year. Total giving (grants plus management fees and other charitable expenses) tracks approximately $250,000–$350,000 above grants paid each year.

Median grant: $75,000. Average grant: $86,018–$91,184 (depending on the tracking period). Range: $8,000 (minimum tracked) to $825,000 (single largest reported award). The highest cumulative recipient, Animal Samaritans, received $905,602 across two grants, suggesting that capital campaign support layered on top of operating grants can push individual relationships well above $400,000 per award.

Geographic breakdown of 99 tracked grants across the top 50 grantees: Nebraska 80% (79 grants), California 16% (16 grants), Iowa 4% (4 grants).

By focus area, based on grantee purposes and organizational sectors: - Health and human services (~35%): Anchored by One World Community Health Centers ($525K, 6 grants), Planned Parenthood of the Heartland ($430K), Child Saving Institute ($294K), Hospice House ($150K), and Women's Fund of Omaha ($120K). - Arts and culture (~25%): Led by Omaha Theater Company ($225K), Omaha Performing Arts ($200K), American Midwest Ballet ($200K), Gallery 1516 ($200K), and Omaha Conservatory of Music ($170K). - Education and youth development (~22%): Includes College of the Desert Foundation ($400K), Avenue Scholars Foundation ($250K), College Possible Omaha ($170K), Nebraska Children and Families Foundation ($160K), and Girls Inc. of Omaha ($160K). - Food security (~8%): Food Bank for the Heartland ($600K), Find Food Bank ($300K), No More Empty Pots ($60K). - Animal welfare (~7%): Animal Samaritans ($905K cumulative), Animal Action League ($144K), Nebraska Humane Society ($60K).

General operating support is the dominant grant type, appearing in approximately 20 of the top 50 award descriptions. Capital campaign grants are a consistent secondary category. Project-specific grants (drone workshops, exhibit funding, field trip programming) appear primarily in the California portfolio.

The Grantmakers database identifies five foundations with assets nearest to Richard Brooke Foundation's $36.9M (2024), all classified in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category (T). These asset-matched peers provide context for the foundation's relative generosity and operational approach.

Richard Brooke Foundation stands out for its unusually high payout rate: at $5.4M distributed from $36.9M in assets, the foundation disburses approximately 14.7% of assets annually — nearly triple the 5% minimum required of private foundations and well above the 5–7% typical of similarly-sized family foundations. Most asset-matched peers in this peer group have no public websites and limited public filings, suggesting they are far less active grantmakers. The peer data underscores that Richard Brooke Foundation is both operationally active and meaningfully transparent for its asset class. Its above-minimum payout reflects a deliberate spend-down strategy rather than a perpetuity model — a distinction with long-term implications for the stability of multi-year grantee relationships.

The most current public data covers fiscal year 2024 (IRS Form 990-PF, published April 2025): 68 grants totaling $5.4M, with a median of $75,000 per award. This represents a slight uptick from 2023 ($4.55M grants paid, $4.86M total giving) and 2022 ($4.47M grants paid, $4.78M total giving), though still below the 2021 peak of $6.7M in grants paid — a year that likely reflected expanded COVID-era community need concentrated in the Omaha area.

Assets have declined steadily from $60.8M at founding in 2015 to approximately $36.9M in 2024, a net reduction of nearly $24M over nine years. Annual investment income consistently falls short of annual distributions: net investment income of $3.1M (2022) and $2.4M (2021) versus grants of $4.5M–$6.7M in those same years. In 2020, investment income collapsed to $275,000 (reflecting market conditions), while grants paid that year were $3.5M.

Executive Director Melinda Drickey's compensation has increased from $127,083 (2019) to $158,900 (2024), the foundation's sole paid staff role.

No public press releases, leadership transitions, new program announcements, or major grantee shifts were identified for 2025 or 2026. The foundation's Director's Blog shows active posting through March 9, 2026, with 10 new entries in just the two-week window of February 25–March 9 alone — but all content is password-protected. The 50-page blog archive suggests years of continuous internal communication with the grantee community, none of it accessible publicly. No GrantAdvisor reviews exist, leaving no crowdsourced applicant intelligence to draw from for this foundation.

Do not submit an unsolicited application. The Richard Brooke Foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Submitting a cold proposal, mailing materials, or calling with a pitch will not result in a grant — and may mark your organization as one that failed to research the funder.

Build relationships with current grantees first. The most effective path to consideration is a warm introduction from an organization the foundation already funds. Strong connector organizations in Omaha include Food Bank for the Heartland, One World Community Health Centers, Omaha Performing Arts, College Possible Omaha, Avenue Scholars Foundation, and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation — all long-term, multi-grant grantees. In California, College of the Desert Foundation and Boys and Girls Club of the Coachella Valley are established relationship anchors.

Align with multiple pillars. Education, arts, and vulnerable populations are not siloed in this portfolio. The most generously funded grantees serve two or more pillars simultaneously. If your mission bridges categories — performing arts for at-risk youth, health clinics providing education services, scholarship programs for underserved students — lead with that intersection in any outreach.

General operating support is the correct ask. Approximately 20 of the top 50 grant descriptions list "General Operating Support" as the stated purpose. Do not open with a project-specific ask. Frame your full organizational budget, staffing model, and mission delivery as the fundable item.

Capital campaigns are viable — after the relationship exists. At least 8 top grantees (Camp Foster YMCA, Animal Samaritans, One World, Food Bank for the Heartland, Child Saving Institute, Hospice House, Planned Parenthood) received capital campaign funding. Have your infrastructure case ready, but introduce it only once a grant relationship is underway.

Geographic fit is non-negotiable. Your organization must primarily serve Omaha/Nebraska, the Coachella Valley/California desert, or northern Iowa. Out-of-geography introductions will not gain traction regardless of mission quality.

Initial contact protocol: Email info@richardbrooke.org or call (402) 973-3030. Limit your first message to 2–3 sentences — who you are, which pillar you serve, and that you are reaching out to introduce your organization. Do not attach a proposal, budget, or annual report on first contact.