Barbara Bartle Selected as Local Partner Champion by the Bob Woodruff Foundation 

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has selected Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF) President, Barbara Bartle, as a Local Partner Champion. BWF partners with community and national programs, organizations, and the military community & advocates to create healthy positive futures for our service members and their families. Local Partners are community-based groups of stakeholders from all sectors, collaborating in support of veteran well-being. Barbara was selected as a Local Partner Champion for her leadership in LCF’s Veteran Support Initiative.  

“Serving veterans and their families has become a fundamental part of our work at the Foundation,” said Barbara. “Through implementation of the Veteran Support Initiative, we have the opportunity to work with and support a broad range of community organizations who provide direct services to these exceptional men and women and their families. We are honored to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation on this important work.”  

The Lincoln Community Foundation created the Veteran Support Initiative to support areas of need for military members and their families transitioning home from their service. Since 2011, LCF has awarded more than $343,000 to 50 organizations and initiatives that support veterans in our community. In addition, LCF received a grant from the Council on Foundations to convene seven community foundations from across the country to develop a blueprint to assist other community foundations develop veteran support initiatives in their communities.      

In Lincoln, task force committees were created around the greatest needs of returning veterans: Employment, Education, Basic Needs, Mental Health, Legal, Faith and Arts & Culture. Barbara was invited along with three other organizations to present at the Pentagon to the spouses of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. LCF in partnership with the Council on Foundations and three other foundations in the country launched the Veteran’s Philanthropy Exchange to connect foundations around the country with needs in communities. In 2014, philanthropists participating in the Exchange, including LCF, were honored at the White House Joining Forces celebration.   

The Lincoln Community Foundation, established in 1955, strives to continually enrich the Lincoln community by promoting and achieving perpetual philanthropic support. For more than 11 years, LCF has shown through collaboration and leadership that Lincoln is committed to helping create positive futures for veterans returning home. If you are interested in supporting LCF’s Veteran Initiative, contact Chuck Williams at 402-474-2345 or chuckw@lcf.org.