A shared agenda for Lincoln’s future

When I think about what makes Lincoln special, it’s not just our vibrant neighborhoods or quality of life—it’s how we show up for one another. We’re a community where people ask, “How can I help?” and then roll up their sleeves to do the work. That spirit is exactly what fuels Prosper Lincoln.

More than a decade ago, Lincoln Community Foundation convened civic, nonprofit and business leaders to commission Lincoln Vital Signs, a data-driven snapshot of our city’s strengths and challenges. What followed wasn’t just a report—it launched a movement. From that shared understanding emerged Prosper Lincoln, a community-wide effort grounded in listening, learning, and acting together.

Since then, Prosper Lincoln has united thousands of residents, organizations, and businesses around common priorities—from early childhood education to housing to building strong neighborhoods. The results speak for themselves.

In Belmont, parents, families, educators, city leaders, and students gather monthly to plan community events, elevate resident voices, and solve problems together. That’s what Connection looks like: neighbors coming together to create opportunities, whether it’s expanding access to the local pool or planning a “Summer of Fun” shaped entirely by resident feedback.

In the newly completed Foxtail Meadows neighborhood, families are now living in safe, stable homes built through a coordinated housing initiative supported by multiple public and private organizations. It's a model for what happens when we invest in Housing that meets real needs.

And at Northeast Family Center, Lincoln Littles is helping families overcome the high cost of childcare while strengthening the early childhood workforce. That’s the power of Early Childhood—when family well-being and education are supported together.

These stories remind us: change doesn’t happen in silos. It happens when we align around a shared vision, pool our resources, and keep showing up.

That’s why we’ve launched Prosper Lincoln 3.0—a renewed call to action guided by fresh insights from the 2025 Lincoln Vital Signs report and the voices of people across our city. Over the next five years, we’ll focus on:

• Connections: All people thrive through community engagement and social bonds.
• Housing: All residents live in quality housing they can afford.
• Early Childhood: All children flourish socially, emotionally, physically and educationally.

These priorities are deeply interconnected and essential to building a more vibrant, equitable Lincoln. From increasing access to affordable child care to fostering neighborhood resilience and belonging, Prosper Lincoln 3.0 challenges us to move forward together.

At Lincoln Community Foundation, our role is to convene, connect and catalyze. We don’t run every program, but we invest in the infrastructure and relationships that allow good ideas to grow—and we support the people closest to the work.

As Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas, a Foundation board member and leader within the Prosper Lincoln visioning team, said: “Hope increases with imagination.” We invite you to imagine a Lincoln where every child gets a strong start, every resident finds connection, and every household and family has a place to call home.

That vision starts with all of us. Let’s rise, shine, and Prosper—together.