This Mission Grant has been established through an endowment fund by Dr. Dean and Mrs. Keitha Thomson. Grants will be awarded annually to a member of a United Methodist church or a member of a recently disaffiliated UM church who is in need of funding for a mission trip. Mission trips may be located locally, nationally, or internationally with a focus on global health, including but not limited to medical needs, or disaster and recovery efforts. The mission trip work must be considered to be of a beneficial nature to the larger community and an integral part of a long-range plan for growth and outreach. 

The mission grant programs opens January 1st and the deadline to apply is March 31st.

Dean & Keitha Thomson Mission Grant Guidelines & Application

Course of Study scholarships and Church Leadership Education & Support scholarships are administered on a reimbursement basis and are subject to approval from the Stewardship Committee and the Board of Directors at the April, July or October meetings.

Church Leadership (Clergy & Lay Leaders) Education & Support Scholarship

Course of Study Scholarship Guidelines
Course of Study Scholarship Application

Other scholarship application materials are available each year from April 1 to June 30 and are reviewed by the Stewardship Committee and voted on by the Board of Directors during the July meeting.  Recipients are notified by mid August and a check is mailed directly to the recipient's college.  

The Seminary Scholarship Application will be available April 1, 2026.

Thank you to those who have made the sacrifice to establish the following undergraduate, seminary and course of study scholarships: 

Gifts from the Heart Course of Study Scholarship

Good Steward Scholarship
Harlan & Mabelle Wyrick Memorial Scholarship

Hughes-Morris-Schroeder Seminary Scholarship

Joe Meehan UMM 100 Club Global Methodist Scholarship

Merv Schleifert UMM 100 Club Scholarship
Murdock Ebenezer UMC Professional Church Leader Scholarship
Myrtle Williams Seminary Scholarship 

Palmyra UMC - Mary Bachman-Harris Scholarship

Rev. Albert W. Winseman Scholarship 
Rev. George & Mrs. Wilma Clay Course of Study Scholarship
Rev. Robert E. & Lily A. Berlie Scholarship
Scahill Family Scholarship
Tither's  Scholarship

United Methodist Men's 100 Club Scholarship (for UM & Global Methodist applicants)
Veryl & Sylvia Miller Memorial Scholarship
Women in Ministry Scholarship (available to both Kansas and Nebraska women)

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation awards a limited number of ministry grants to Nebraska Methodist churches and affiliated agencies of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference twice a year. 

Through these awards of grant dollars, we seek to enhance and expand ministries of the United Methodist Church. These grants are made only for programs and activities (including operating expenses and supplies). They are not made for building repair, replacement, salaries, church operations or expansion. The grants come from the Foundation’s “Gifts From the Heart” Endowment Fund.  Applications are reviewed by the Foundation's Stewardship Committee and voted on by the Board of Directors at the April and October board meetings. 

The ministry grant program runs twice a year: January 1st with a deadline of March 31st and July 1st with a deadline of September 30th.   To apply, please complete the application and mail it to us or submit via email to Sharon Schmidt, Director of Stewardship, at sschmidt [at] numf.org.  Please contact us at 402-323-8844 if you have any questions about the grant application process. 

It is the mission of the Foundation to be a catalyst that strengthens Nebraska ministries and churches. We support innovative ideas that meet the needs of a diverse and rapidly changing society. Part of the way in which we do this is through our New Start New Faith Community Grants. 

If you are a new church start and are interested in applying for these grants, please review the information provided at the link below. Grants are awarded on a semi-annual basis. The Spring program runs January 1 - March 31 and the Fall program runs July 1 - September 30.

The Nebraska United Methodist Foundation Gifts From The Heart (GFTH) – Facility Upgrades Matching Grant is available to Nebraska United Methodist Churches within the Great Plains Conference. The goal of this grant is to assist United Methodist Churches in need of financial support for their building, remodel, or maintenance and repairs projects. Common examples of supported projects could be accessibility improvements, safety upgrades, or emergency repairs. By providing support for the building projects of churches, it allows them to grow current or begin new ministries.

GFTH - Facilities Upgrade Matching Grant

It is the mission of the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation to be a catalyst that strengthens existing mission ministries and supports and develops innovative mission ministries meeting the needs of a diverse and rapidly changing society. The Foundation offers two mission grant opportunites, and the program runs from January 1 - March 31.

The Dean & Keitha Thomson Mission Grants are for individuals who are in need of financial assistance in order to participate on a mission trip.

Dean & Keitha Thomson Mission Grant Guidelines & Application

The Gifts from the Heart (GFTH) Mission Grants are for Nebraska United Methodist Churches who are planning mission trips within their congregation.

Gifts From The Heart Mission Grant Guidelines & Application

Mission trips may be located locally, nationally, or internationally with a focus on global health, including but not limited to medical needs, or disaster and recovery efforts. The mission trip work must be considered to be of a beneficial nature to the larger community and an integral part of a long-range plan for growth and outreach.