Opportunity Overview
Open for the 2026 cycle. The Ted Baldwin Donor Advised Fund (TBDAF), administered by the Kearney Area Community Foundation, supports nonprofit projects and programs intended to enhance quality of life in the Kearney area and surrounding communities.
Funding
The current official program page and guidelines do not publish a fixed award minimum, maximum, or total annual funding pool. Applicants should request only a project amount supported by the current application budget and confirm any award-size expectations directly with KACF if material to project planning.
Deadline and Submission
The online application opens August 1 and must be submitted by September 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. If September 30 falls on a weekend, the deadline moves to 11:59 p.m. the following Monday. The deadline is firm. The current official materials do not state a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Applications must be submitted online through the KACF application portal; proposals without the online application are not considered. Awards are announced in early December.
Eligibility
The fund typically supports projects and programs in the Kearney area and surrounding communities. Eligible recipients are nonprofit, federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, or organizations delivering a project or program through a fiscal relationship with a qualified nonprofit.
Required Supporting Materials
The guidelines require the applicant or fiscal agent’s federal tax-exemption letter, leadership information, a current operating budget with principal income sources, recent year-end financial statements including audited statements when available, a project or program grant budget showing funding sources and in-kind support, and the applicant organization’s latest IRS Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N.
Restrictions
As a general practice, TBDAF does not fund agencies serving populations outside KACF’s service area, annual fund drives or special-event fundraising, debt reduction, dissertations or student/faculty research, emergency or disaster relief, indirect or administrative costs, grants to individuals, political or lobbying activity, travel or trips, or redistribution of awarded funds to other nonprofits. Profit-making enterprises are generally excluded unless permitted under applicable federal Treasury rules.
Match and Cost Share
The current guidelines do not state a mandatory applicant cash match or cost-share percentage. The project budget must identify project funding sources and may include in-kind donations. Atlas does not treat that budget disclosure requirement as a mandatory match.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 80/100. This is a current, locally administered Nebraska opportunity with a clear application process and meaningful nonprofit/community relevance. The score is moderated by the narrow local geography and the absence of a published award range.
N9+ Fit: 20/100 conditional. The program is broad and does not specifically solicit healthcare technology, telehealth, diagnostic devices, or medical equipment. Any N9+ role would require an eligible applicant-controlled project, verified allowability, credible community need, and compliant procurement. N9+ should not be introduced in ordinary initial outreach.
QC Healthcare / Dr. Miltie direct fit: 0/100. Current public materials establish nonprofit or fiscally sponsored eligibility and do not establish Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare as a direct eligible applicant.
Next Action
Eligible Kearney-area nonprofits should review the current TBDAF guidelines, assemble the required organization and financial documentation, and submit the complete online application by September 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Because the official materials do not publish a time zone, Atlas should not infer one for last-day planning or outreach.
Official sources: Kearney Area Community Foundation — Ted Baldwin Donor Advised Fund and the current TBDAF Grant Program & Guidelines linked from that page.