About Us

What is the Howells Community Fund?

The Howells Community Fund is a charitable organization working to improve the quality of life and create opportunities for prosperity in Howells and the surrounding area. We have created an endowment to support community projects, programs, and people.

What does the Howells Community Fund do?

We address the needs of our community and invest in its future by providing a way for our people to give back to their community. We encourage people from all walks of life to make tax-deductible contributions, both large and small. We collaborate with other organizations to identify and support projects, programs and people who are helping to build the kind of community where our children can choose to live, work and raise their families. We are using philanthropy today as a tool for building a prosperous future for Howells.

Why is this important?

The greatest threat we face is the loss of local resources that helped to build our community from the start: capital investments, businesses, jobs, young people who are tomorrow’s leaders, and importantly, intergenerational wealth. Many of today’s senior citizens no longer have heirs who live in the area. This means that when the older generation passes on, the wealth they have built through a lifetime of work—in the form of land, retirement funds and other assets—often passes to heirs who no longer are connected to our community. The Howells Community Fund provides a way for our people to give back to the community that has been an important part of their lives. It is an opportunity for them to consider their community as another child when planning their estate.

What is the Howells Community Fund doing to achieve its goals?

We are encouraging everyone to make a “habit of giving back” to the community. We invite everyone, current residents and people who have moved away, to make gifts to our community, both large and small. Each year, a portion of those contributions are placed in a permanent endowment, which is invested to create a source of funding for annual grants to improve the community. The endowment will be held and invested in perpetuity, creating an asset for the community that remains forever.

How did Howells Community Fund get started?

Howells Community Fund was formed in 2013 by a group of citizens who were committed to building a bright future for Howells. The endowment fund was started with a significant donation from the Q125 organizing committee along with additional contributions from area citizens.

Why should people contribute to Howells Community Fund?

With today’s technology, our young people can choose to live and work almost anywhere in the world, including right here in Howells. According to surveys conducted by the Nebraska Community Fund, more than half of the young people who live in small towns would prefer to return home to work and raise their families if career opportunities were available. And more than 40% would like to own their own business someday. It is our job to make this possible. We must invest in Howells in ways that make it a place where the next generation can rediscover the good life we have always enjoyed.

How is the Howells Community Fund governed?

The Howells Community Fund is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) and is governed by an all-volunteer group of local Fund Advisory Committee members. NCF serves over 200 similar affiliated funds located across the state. Working with NCF enables us to reduce administrative costs and provides access to financial and legal services, training and education, marketing services and gift planning assistance. This means that more of every dollar received in donations benefits the Howells community. More information about NCF and its family of affiliated funds is available at   www. nebcommfound.org.

How can people support our community through the Howells Community Fund?

There are many ways to contribute, and all gifts are tax-deductible: We can accept gifts of cash or pledges over a multi-year period, appreciated property, life insurance, bequests in wills. Our affiliation with the Nebraska Community Foundation makes it possible to give gifts of real estate, grain, livestock and more. You can even give a gift that provides a guaranteed income and tax savings through a gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust. We would be happy to visit with you and your financial advisor if you are interested in planning a gift to our community.