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Mission
Engaged Citizens. Thriving Communities.
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Vision
To create opportunities for people to live in and help build strong and vibrant communities, achieve economic success, and enjoy a high quality of life.
Peter Kiewit Foundation opened its doors in 1979 with a $150 million endowment. The foundation is a private, independent, philanthropic trust that is not legally or administratively affiliated with the operating companies that also bear Mr. Kiewit’s name.
About Peter Kiewit Foundation
Mr. Kiewit believed that there was no better place to live in the United States than Omaha. He attributed his success to the hardworking people of Nebraska and was determined to return his wealth and good fortune to its communities. Before he died, Mr. Kiewit directed that his personal estate be used to establish Peter Kiewit Foundation.
The foundation supports efforts that align with our strategic impact areas, primarily in the Omaha metro area and across the state of Nebraska. We also make grants in that portion of Western Iowa within 100 miles of Omaha, as well as other geographies of interest to Mr. Kiewit.
Mr. Kiewit wanted to invest in organizations and communities that demonstrate the ability and desire to help themselves. Mr. Kiewit frequently referred to a three-legged stool metaphor, with funds from the applicant and its immediate support group as one leg, funds from the larger community as the second leg, and funds from philanthropy as the third leg. He believed that this balanced support ensured “ownership” of the project by those who would need to sustain it into the future.