Today is an important day for the city of Omaha, because it’s Omaha Gives!: A 24-hour giveathon in which citizens of Omaha can donate funds to support their favorite local nonprofits.

In order to even be considered for this giveathon, organizations must be a legitimate and registered nonprofit and must create a profile on the Omaha Gives! website. Throughout the day, you can track which of your nonprofits are making money, and who is winning prizes. It’s an important day for many of these nonprofits, and truly is a celebration of the giving spirit from citizens of Omaha.

If you haven’t heard about it in the news, we want to be the first to let you know that no matter how large or small the donation, your money and time matters immensely.

There are some nonprofits working to support education, STEM learning, and future manufacturers in the state of Nebraska, all worth your time and money. Here are some of our favorite organizations (if it’s even possible to pick a nonprofit you love more than another?)

If you saw our post the other week on how to use your local library for STEM, then you’re aware of all the ways public libraries can truly change the face of how we educate people about STEM careers. Supporting the Bellevue Library Foundation provides funds for the Summer Reading Programs, the Adult Reading Program, the Seussathon, puppet shows, and other events. It also provides the funds for print and online collections, and most recently funded the music source Freegal.

Help inspire future engineers with the model railroad club! Their goal is to assist boys and girls with learning model railroading operations as a fun hobby using basic electricity, woodworking, train table design/table scenery, as well as giving them lifelong skills. As they say, “you can learn valuable lessons from model railroading: time management, teamwork, and a chance to use artistic talents. It’s a hobby for the long haul.”

: This amazing center connects out-of-school and disengaged youth ages 15-21 into an educational pathway. It helps them achieve a high school diploma, and is a voluntary program for youth who are currently not in school, in an alternative program, or in a traditional high school and are exhibiting risk factors indicating that they may drop out of school or not graduate on time. Many of these students can go on to be successful in future careers or paths, even STEM or manufacturing careers.

These are just a few of the outstanding nonprofits, but there are hundreds that need time and resources. Visit the for more information and a full list of nonprofits participating! You can give up until midnight tonight.