Weitz Family Foundation

The Weitz Family Foundation is a trust-based, relationship-centered private funder that has distributed nearly $200 million to Omaha-area organizations across 25 years. Founded by the Weitz family — with Wallace R. Weitz serving as uncompensated President & Treasurer and Kathryn A. Weitz as paid Executive Director ($209,333 in FY2022) — the foundation prizes long-term partnerships over transactional grantmaking, a philosophy made explicit through its formal adoption of trust-based philanthropy principles.

The giving philosophy centers on systemic change and racial equity. Organizations that advance equitable community transformation, particularly those serving or led by communities of color, occupy the foundation's core priority. The grantee portfolio confirms this orientation: the Immigrant Legal Center ($900,000 across two grants), Nebraska Civic Engagement Table ($667,000), Urban League of Nebraska ($350,000), I Be Black Girl ($270,000), Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim ($230,000), and the African American Empowerment Network ($250,000) all represent sustained, multi-year relationships rooted in equity and systemic change work.

The foundation operates two distinct grant tracks. First-time applicants are limited to the Beloved Community Grant (up to $20,000), which functions as the relationship entry point — a deliberate screening mechanism before committing larger resources. The Capacity Building Grant ($21,000 and above, with documented awards up to $500,000) is reserved for organizations with existing Weitz funding history. One exception exists: advocacy organizations or those providing culturally competent direct services while advancing racial equity may access Capacity Building grants without prior history; prospective applicants should contact foundation staff to explore this pathway before the application window opens.

General operating support is the overwhelming norm — 100% of recorded grants in the database list "general operating" as the purpose. The 86% unrestricted funding rate (compared to a 25% median among peer funders per CEP survey data) and 48% multi-year grant rate (versus 11% median) reflect a deliberate philosophy of organizational trust and autonomy that distinguishes Weitz sharply from the broader philanthropic landscape.

First-time applicants should understand that the Beloved Community Grant is the gateway, not the destination. Patient relationship-building, demonstrated community roots in Omaha, and clear alignment with racial equity and systemic change are prerequisites for eventually accessing the larger Capacity Building tier. The foundation's 25th anniversary in 2025 signals institutional confidence — this is not an organization experimenting with its identity, but one doubling down on a proven, values-grounded approach.

Across 333 recorded grants totaling $30,073,407 in the database, the Weitz Family Foundation's giving reflects a tiered, relationship-deepening model. The median grant size is $30,000 — driven largely by Beloved Community-level awards — while the average rises to $81,473 (range: $2,500–$500,000). This divergence reveals the portfolio structure: many modest entry-level grants anchor the median, while a smaller cohort of transformative multi-year commitments (University of Nebraska Foundation at $2.24 million, Opera Omaha at $780,646) inflate the average significantly.

Annual grantmaking has grown substantially over time. From $10.9 million in grants paid in FY2019, the foundation expanded to $13.5 million (FY2020), $14.5 million (FY2021), and $15.6 million (FY2022). Instrumentl data confirms approximately $15.6 million distributed in 2024 — essentially flat versus FY2022, suggesting stabilization around a $15–16 million annual pace. These totals are sustained by periodic large family contributions — $20 million in new contributions in FY2020 and $15 million in FY2022 — supplemented by investment income averaging $3.8–5.1 million annually.

Geographic concentration is extreme: 314 of 333 grants (94.3%) flow to Nebraska-based organizations, with virtually all serving the Omaha metro. The remaining 5.7% flows to institutions with Omaha connections — Columbia University Teachers College ($1.1 million across two grants) and DePaul University ($540,000) represent the largest exceptions.

By program cluster, four dominant areas emerge from the grantee data:

• Human Services & Racial Equity: The largest cluster by grant count, spanning immigration legal services (Immigrant Legal Center, $900,000), community health (OneWorld Community Health Centers, $535,000), food access (No More Empty Pots, $500,000), and neighborhood revitalization (Seventy-Five North, $800,000 combined).
• Education: University of Nebraska Foundation ($2.24 million across seven grants — the single largest grantee relationship), Avenue Scholars ($700,000), College Possible ($225,000), UNO Service Learning ($506,000).
• Arts & Culture: Opera Omaha ($780,646), Union for Contemporary Art ($967,000 combined), Joslyn Art Museum ($200,000), Film Streams ($197,563).
• Civic Engagement & Advocacy: Nebraska Civic Engagement Table ($667,000), Nebraska Appleseed ($686,100 combined), ACLU of Nebraska ($200,000), Nebraska Journalism Trust ($650,000).

The database peer set groups the Weitz Family Foundation with five similarly sized foundations by current reported asset value (all approximately $19.5–19.6 million). However, this comparison understates Weitz's actual operating scale: the foundation held $37–41 million in assets in FY2020–FY2022, and with ongoing family contributions funding $15+ million in annual grants, it operates at a payout ratio far exceeding typical private foundations. Peer annual giving estimates below reflect standard 5% payout modeling on reported assets.

The Weitz Family Foundation is exceptional among its asset-class peers in two respects. First, its annual giving-to-assets ratio exceeds 70% — far above the standard 5% payout — because the family actively replenishes the endowment with large infusions rather than operating a purely investment-funded model. Second, Weitz operates a fully open, structured application process with formal deadlines, a dedicated GivingData portal, and virtual applicant support sessions — unusual for a family foundation in this asset tier, where invitation-only grantmaking is the norm. This open process makes Weitz meaningfully accessible to new organizations, provided they enter through the Beloved Community Grant pathway.

The foundation's most significant 2025 development was a dramatic increase in out-of-cycle grantmaking. In its annual "Steadfast Amidst Surprises" reflection, the foundation reported providing four times its typical out-of-cycle responsive grantmaking to support partner organizations facing acute financial stress from federal budget cuts and policy uncertainty — a departure from the standard annual July–August application cadence that signals genuine responsiveness to grantee need outside the formal grant cycle.

The foundation also marked its 25th anniversary in 2025, hosting a Grantee Gathering during the summer that brought together partner organizations. The year saw completions and groundbreakings for North and South Omaha Recovery Grant projects funded in prior cycles, representing multi-year capital-plus-operating investments in those communities.

On the organizational side, the foundation has been actively hiring, including a Program Associate and Grants Administrator, suggesting staff-level expansion beyond the long-serving Executive Director Kathryn A. Weitz. Her compensation rose from $147,337 in FY2019 to $209,333 in FY2022 — a 42% increase over three years reflecting organizational growth.

A CEP (Center for Effective Philanthropy) grantee perception survey — referenced publicly by the foundation — documented standout results: 86% of grantees received unrestricted funds (vs. 25% median), and 48% received multi-year grants (vs. 11% median). The foundation published these findings as a statement of its trust-based approach, signaling they plan to sustain these practices.

The 2022 brand relaunch — new identity and website at weitzfamilyfoundation.org — established the foundation's current public profile and migrated all applications to the GivingData portal. No leadership changes among the Weitz family board have been publicly announced; Wallace and Barbara Weitz continue as President/Treasurer and Vice President/Secretary, respectively.

Timing is non-negotiable. The Weitz Family Foundation operates on a single fixed annual application window: mid-July through late August. The 2026 grant cycle opened July 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM CST and closed August 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM CST. The 2027 cycle will open in July 2026 — monitor weitzfamilyfoundation.org/opportunities/important-dates/ for the precise date. Applications received outside this window are not considered; there is no rolling review.

Start with the Beloved Community Grant. First-time applicants cannot access Capacity Building grants ($21,000+). The Beloved Community Grant (up to $20,000) is the prescribed entry point. Organizations doing advocacy work or providing culturally competent direct services advancing racial equity may petition for Capacity Building access without prior Weitz history — contact foundation staff before the application window opens to explore this pathway. Do not assume eligibility; ask directly.

Frame everything through racial equity and systemic change. This is not a funder that rewards service delivery statistics alone. The foundation's language consistently references "structural change," "equitable community transformation," and work "led by or serving communities of color." Proposals should articulate how the work shifts conditions, power, or policy — not only how many people are served.

Use the virtual sessions. The foundation hosts Virtual Application Sessions in late July and drop-in office hours throughout August. These are the closest equivalent to a pre-application conversation with program staff. The 2025 cycle offered sessions on July 31, August 5, August 7, and multiple drop-in hours from August 12–21. Register by contacting Rose@WeitzFamilyFoundation.org.

Portal setup: Create a new GivingData account each cycle. Prior accounts do not carry over. The foundation requires fresh account creation even for returning grantees.

Budget discipline: The foundation will not fund more than 50% of a specific position's salary or more than 20% of your total program budget. Build these limits into your budget narrative and explicitly identify other revenue sources.

Never contact family board members. The FAQ explicitly warns against soliciting Wallace, Barbara, Roger, Andrew, Kathleen, or Meredith Weitz individually unless you have a pre-existing personal relationship. All organizational inquiries go through the foundation office at 402-384-5309 or Rose@WeitzFamilyFoundation.org.

Invest in site visits. Site visits occur January–June with current and prospective grantees. If funded, treat the site visit as your most important relationship-building moment — multi-year Capacity Building support in subsequent cycles flows directly from trust built through these interactions.