WIN grants support trauma training for schools, child care center licensing toolkit
Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN) announced grants totaling $295,818 for two Nebraska programs during its annual awards ceremony Oct. 9 in Lincoln. Grants were awarded to expand the Trauma-Capable Schools training program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and to launch the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative’s Child Care Center Licensing Toolkit.
Each organization will receive a $147,909 grant, made possible by the personal contributions of WIN’s 387 members. WIN is comprised of women in and outside Nebraska who, through their collective giving, address issues of importance to Nebraskans.
“We greatly appreciate the commitment of our WIN members whose generosity has made these grants possible,” said WIN Co-Chairs Lisa Smith and Karen Linder. “Over the past 14 years, we have awarded $2.5 million in grants to Nebraska projects. That is a bold statement about the power of collective philanthropy.”
WIN Grants Chair Halley Kruse noted that there were many excellent ideas among the 150 applications submitted for this year’s grants.
“We are thrilled to support these two outstanding initiatives,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful to WIN that both recipients are launching efforts to uplift Nebraska’s children and families. This is an investment we believe will have a lasting impact on children across the state.”
UNL Trauma-Capable Schools
With the WIN grant, the Trauma-Capable Schools program will expand to serve rural Nebraska school districts. The program began in 2019 through a partnership between the Lincoln Public Schools and UNL’s Center on Children, Families, and the Law, offering online trauma-informed training for school district personnel.
Adverse experiences such as abuse, neglect, poverty, family instability and traumatic events can undermine student learning and development. The six-course, self-paced online training program equips school personnel with effective interventions to reduce classroom behavioral challenges. Research has shown that equipping teachers with consistent, effective interventions reduces classroom behavioral challenges, improves student outcomes and reduces workplace stress, thus improving teacher retention.
“Receiving the Women Investing in Nebraska grant is a transformative moment for our Building Trauma-Capable Schools initiative,” said Cheryl Turner, training specialist and project lead for Trauma-Capable Schools. “The UNL Center on Children, Families, and the Law is deeply grateful for WIN’s investment in strengthening educator resilience and student well-being. WIN’s belief and partnership empower us to create sustainable, trauma-capable learning environments that will positively impact thousands of students and educators across Nebraska for years to come.”
Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative (NECC), Child Care Center Licensing Toolkit
The WIN grant will enable the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative (NECC) to develop Nebraska’s first comprehensive licensing toolkit and mentoring program for individuals interested in opening child care centers. The initiative will provide step-by-step guidance on navigating licensing requirements.
Nebraska communities are developing solutions to improve access to child care, recognizing it’s an important priority to support the local workforce. In a 2025 report, the Buffett Early Childhood Institute identified a gap of 17,568 child care spaces between potential need and current capacity in Nebraska.
“The message this sends to child care providers throughout Nebraska is incredible: Women investors in Nebraska believe the business of child care matters,” said Sarah Ann Kotchian, the collaborative’s chief executive officer. “NECC will be able to support Nebraska’s urgent need for more child care centers through start-up resources and one-on-one support from a team of experienced professionals. This WIN-funded project will clarify the complexities of opening new child care centers by creating a simple, yet robust process that can serve as a national blueprint for other states to follow.”
WIN, which was formed in 2011, has grown from 20 members to 387 members. Since its inception, WIN has awarded 28 grants, totaling $2.5 million, to University of Nebraska projects and Nebraska nonprofits. For information about joining WIN, go to womeninvestinginnebraska.org.
About Women Investing in Nebraska
WIN operates in partnership with the University of Nebraska Foundation and the UNF Charitable Gift Fund to support women philanthropists. The UNF Charitable Gift Fund is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of Nebraska Foundation. It provides options for donors to support the University of Nebraska as well as other worthwhile charitable causes addressing important issues in Nebraska. For information on becoming a WIN member, contact WIN Director Reyna Asheim at 402-502-4720 or 800-432-3216, or visit womeninvestinginnebraska.org.