RoamNebraska Grants is sponsored by Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation. Provides grants to museums, historical societies, libraries, and community partners in Nebraska to deliver education, preservation, and interpretive programs that bring community history to life.

RoamNebraska - Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation Photo Courtesy of Durham Museum RoamNebraska Impact Program Applications for the RoamNebraska Impact Program are now open. Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded. Applications must be received by March 31, 2026 and grantees will be notified in May 2026.

The focus of RoamNebraska grants is education and access .

Milestone Events or Festivals Historically Focused Youth and Family Programming Funding Support for Traveling Exhibits and Speakers Publication Support for Historically Focused Materials School Field Trips including Transportation Costs and Admission Fees Professional Development and Conference Registrations Omaha Firefighter’s Historical Society Nebraska City Historical Society RoamNebraska (formerly the NSHSF Statewide Grants Program) was developed in July 2020, with the guidance of Michael J.

Smith, former CEO of the Nebraska State Historical Society, to address a critical funding need for local historical and educational organizations across Nebraska. Through this program, grants support museums, historical societies, libraries, and community partners in delivering core education, preservation, and interpretive programs that bring community history to life.

Since 2021, RoamNebraska has awarded 266 grants totaling more than $295,000 to museums, libraries, and local historical organizations across the state. These investments have strengthened communities by funding technology upgrades, supporting festivals and public programs, purchasing exhibit cases, facilitating classroom visits, and expanding access to Nebraska’s shared heritage.

The Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation is committed to advancing efforts that build respect, dignity, fairness, equality, and self-esteem. We value diverse life experiences and are devoted to fostering inclusive and equitable environments where all Nebraskans can see their stories reflected and honored. Help us continue this momentum.

Your support fuels local preservation, empowers community storytellers, and ensures that Nebraska’s history remains vibrant in every corner of the state. Make a gift to RoamNebraska today and be part of strengthening Nebraska’s communities — one story at a time.

“Since 2020, the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation has awarded over $295,000 to organizations across the state, helping them upgrade technology, inspire students, improve exhibits, support festivals, and much more. Nebraska has never had a statewide grants program to assist local history organizations—including museums, archives, libraries, and historical societies.

While states such as Florida, Montana, and Minnesota have long provided such support, Nebraska’s local historical efforts have operated without similar resources. Our grants program fills this longstanding gap and invests directly in the preservation of local stories and community identity. We believe history belongs to everyone.

The Foundation is committed to promoting dignity, respect, and fairness, and to creating inclusive and equitable opportunities for all Nebraskans to engage with their history.

” Leslie Fattig, NSHSF Executive Director Congratulations to our 2026 Spring recipients: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Arnold Area Historical Society Buffalo County Historical Society and Trails and Rails Museum Dixon County Historical Society Florence Historical Foundation Friends of the Axtell Public Library Friends of the Historic Midwest Theater Front Street Cowboy Museum, Inc Gage County Historical Society and Museum Gering Public Library Foundation Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project Hastings Memorial Library Hitchcock County Historical Society Holt County Historical Society Legacy of the Plains (Japanese Hall) Madison County Historical Socity National Willa Cather Center Nebraska Game and Parks with Ash Hollow State Historical Park North Platte Public Library Operation Christmas Card: North Platte PowWow Pierce County 4-H Council (NE 4-H Foundation) Polk County Historical Society Saint Edward Library Foundation Saline County Historical Society Saunders County Historical Society and Museum Seward Library Foundation Sherman County Historical Society Silver Creek Historical Committee Steinauer Community Heritage House Strategic Air Command and Space Museum The House of Afros, Capes and Curls York County Historical Association Click Here To Learn More About The 2024 Grant Recipients Click Here To Learn More About The 2023 Grant Recipients Click Here To Learn More About The 2022 Grant Recipients Click Here To Learn More About The 2021 Grant Recipients Our Resources page includes more information for local historical societies, museums and libraries to find other means of funding.