Clarkson Future Fund

07/23/2026

The Clarkson Future Fund campaign is still going strong, and thanks to the generosity of Jeannette and Ron Vavrina, we have been given a second challenge of a 2:1 match!

When you invest in the Clarkson Future Fund, you’re investing in the people, projects, and possibilities that will help Clarkson thrive for generations to come. Every gift, no matter the size, helps strengthen our community and create opportunities for future generations.

Whether your contribution is large or small, it truly makes a difference.

Want to learn more about the vision for Clarkson’s future? Be sure to read Glen Cada’s article:

https://clarksonhistory.wordpress.com/2025/12/27/the-future-of-our-town/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATOachwZG9mAWZkaWQWULHr5mlFrTOCU69hB7pM1vYkgLyc5WV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6S7LUwnJK0UBZoUAdx1RK0a5fIO4mLewWNhUHhR_M9uYOzIucDD6FOcmqQrA_aem_NTyGfpNFRX21DwyZ6FYFbQ -5843

Community Vision Meeting, Clarkson Opera House, July 8, 2024 For well over a decade I have had the pleasure of digging up and relating stories about the history of my hometown – Clarkson, Neb…

07/23/2026

Clarkson Future Fund Match Grant Applications Are Now Open!

As an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, the Clarkson Future Fund is committed to investing in projects that strengthen our community and improve the quality of life in Clarkson.

If you’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a project that will make a positive impact, we encourage you to apply! Through this matching grant opportunity, qualifying projects have the chance to maximize their impact with additional funding.

We believe the best ideas come from our community, and we’re excited to partner with organizations that are making a difference. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more vibrant Clarkson for generations to come.

We can’t wait to see your ideas!

07/10/2026

What do you love about Clarkson?

Thank you to B&B Productions and the Nebraska Community Foundation for capturing such a special place so many of us call home. This video highlights so many of the reasons we love our community and why the Clarkson Future Fund Advisory Committee is proud to be building a forever endowment to support generations to come!

Do you want to be a helping hand in Clarkson's future?

07/08/2026

"Czeching" Out the Possibilities with the Clarkson Future Fund🇨🇿

What an incredible evening! Thank you to the nearly 100 community members who joined us for our annual Clarkson Future Fund Community Meeting. Your passion for Clarkson continues to inspire us.
This year's theme was Possibilities, celebrating how far we've come and looking ahead to what's next.

Some of the night's biggest highlights included:
- Celebrating an incredible milestone of $1 million raised in just 10 months!
- Recognizing Dale & Holly Svehla, whose donation pushed us over the $1 million mark.
- Honoring 8-year-old Peytyn Struebing, our 100th donor, whose generosity inspired other kids in our community to give back.
- Celebrating grants awarded to the Clarkson Opera House and Clarkson Christian Daycare.

Joe Brabec shared how generations of his family have lived, worked, and built businesses here. His hope is that his children will one day continue that legacy. His message was simple: get involved, be part of the change, and help make a difference.

One of the most exciting announcements came from Jeannette Vavrina, who shared that she and the late Ron Vavrina are challenging our community once again. Through a generous 2:1 matching challenge, if our community raises an additional $300,000, they will contribute $150,000, bringing our unrestricted endowment to an incredible $1.5 million!

We also heard inspiring stories from community members about why they chose to invest in Clarkson and were reminded by Jeff Yost of the Nebraska Community Foundation that Clarkson is truly something special. As he said:
"People don't invest like this for no reason."
The conversations didn't end when the meeting did. Neighbors stayed afterward sharing ideas, building connections, and dreaming about what's possible for our community.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered, encouraged others, or simply believed in Clarkson's future. Every gift matters, and every person is helping write the next chapter of our story.

If you haven't donated yet, your time is now. Let's meet this challenge together and continue building opportunities for generations to come.

The future of Clarkson is bright, and the possibilities are endless!

07/07/2026

The doors are open at the Clarkson Opera House! Come Czech Out the Possibilities for Clarkson’s Future!

Nebraska Community Foundation

07/06/2026

Hey Clarkson, see you tomorrow night @7:00pm! The possibilities await…

06/29/2026

Riding on the Clarkson Future Find float are some of the volunteer committee members helping build a stronger future for our community, along with the miniature Clarkson water tower, handcrafted by Adam Cerv.

Halfway through its Homegrown Challenge Campaign with the Nebraska Community Foundation, the Clarkson Future Fund has already secured more than $1 million in endowment pledges, an incredible investment in Clarkson’s future!

But the work isn’t finished. The Future Fund is now taking on its second challenge, made possible through the generous support of Ron and Jeanette Vavrina.

Want to be a helping hand in shaping Clarkson’s future? Come Czech out the possibilities on Tuesday, July 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Clarkson Opera House. Learn how, together, we’re building a stronger future for generations to come!