On December 19, 2025 our speakers at Lincoln South Rotary Club were Natalia Wiita, President and Molly Oglesby, Development Specialist for the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools.
We learned about the history, current status and challenges that the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools addresses daily from Natalia and Molly.
Natalia Molly
Mission: We exist to support students, empower educators, and strengthen our schools.
Lincoln Public Schools delivers high-quality education for all, thanks to our community's dedication and taxpayer support. But public funding can’t cover every enrichment program, tool, or experience our students and educators deserve. Together, we can make the extraordinary possible.
They provided these 10 Takeaways About FLPS and Follow Up Answers
- The Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) founded in 1987 to support all Lincoln Public Schools and programs. We act to fill gaps in the district budget to ensure all students, staff and schools have what they need to continue to strengthen Lincoln Public Schools.
- Our mission is to support students, empower educators, strengthen schools through philanthropy—and to remove barriers to learning and opportunity.
- The Foundation serves the entire LPS community: nearly 42,000 students and more than 6,600 teachers/staff across 77 schools and programs. Additionally, we help support LPS families through a variety of funds intended to support them when they need it most.
- More than 400 individual funds are actively managed to support students, staff, and district priorities. These funds are broken up into several categories (operating funds, pass-through funds, temp restricted and permanently restricted). Each fund has a fund agreement with specific criteria identified for fund use. Currently 35% of our funds our endowed funds with 11% of these endowed funds being scholarships.
- Nearly $4 million was distributed from the Foundation to LPS this school year, supporting emergency needs, scholarships, enrichment, equipment, field trips, and priority projects.
- Student Lunch Debt continues to rise:
- School lunch debt has already surpassed $109,000 this year
- LPS students will never be denied a meal. The district works to provide meals for all students, using programs like the LPS Foundation School Lunch Fund and Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to cover costs
- LPS has 24 CEP schools in the district. CEP is a special USDA option for schools with a high percentage of free lunch enrollment. Students enrolled in CEP schools will receive free breakfast and free lunch
- Student Emergency funds continue to grow:
- Over $68,000 in Student Emergency funds have already been distributed this year and the need here continues to grow
- Student Emergency funds are provided to LPS families, via direct requests from LPS social workers, to provide 24 hour quick-turn support.
- Every barrier lifted is a learning impact—from preventing eviction to replacing broken refrigerators. These aren’t abstract needs; they are real families and students right here in Lincoln.
- FY 25-26 priorities are focused on strengthening the safety net and expanding opportunity, including the Student Emergency Fund, School Lunch Fund, Fund-a-Need, focus programs, and activity facilities improvements.
- The Foundation is the vehicle that turns community generosity into immediate and meaningful long-term support for LPS students, staff and families.
- When identifying gifted students, LPS uses multiple assessment sources — achievement tests, cognitive scores, observations, teacher input, and work samples to consider overall high ability profile, not just one test result.
Read more about their presentation:
Through the Foundation the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools is able to:
- Empower Students: narrow the opportunity gap for students by providing access to resources such as scholarships, classroom field trips, and short-term emergency aid, becoming a champion for equality in education where all means all.
- Support Educators: provide special classroom materials, access to professional development opportunities, and recognition for teachers and staff members. Great educators inspire a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.
- Enrich Programs: education goes beyond textbooks and traditional classroom instruction and donations support art, music, and technical and special education programs that nurture creativity, critical thinking, and career and college readiness.
- Strengthen the Community: The success of Lincoln Public Schools directly affects the families, local businesses, and quality of life in Lincoln.
They explained that for these activities there are about 400 different funds. For students, for example, they have an emergency fund that can help when students need services - food, transportation and even eyeglasses. They talked about working with other organizations to make sure that all of the needs of the family are met. They also help with some extracurricular activities. While supporting the educators, they often provide support for special programs as well as professional growth for the educators. They also cited examples of District Initiatives and how they ensure Community Engagement.
The Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools has been in place since 1987 to manage and distribute private gifts and contributions. Gifts come from individuals, organizations and corporations. They created a bridge to connect Lincoln Public Schools with the Community.
They are governed by a volunteer board of 26 and supported by a professional staff. They are separate from the Board of Education but there are members from the Board of Education on the Foundation Board as well as LPS and the community.
The Foundation supports all 77 Lincoln Public Schools and Programs. They are currently serving 41,940 students and 6642 staff members.
There is a focus on equity, opportunity and removing barriers to learning.
The need continues to grow. There are more families living in poverty - more students needing the free or reduced lunch program - more students that need emergency services to survive.
Natalia and Molly shared some stats:
53.1% of students are on Free or Reduced Lunch Program
8.7% are English Language Learner Students - 120 Different Languages
15.5% are on Gift Education
16.2% of students are in Special Education
Read these testimonials provided by Natalia and Molly:
BIO Natalia Wiita:
Natalia Wiita, President of the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools, is a seasoned executive and dedicated community advocate with more than 26 years of experience in Lincoln.
As President, Wiita leads the Foundation’s efforts to support students, educators, and schools across the district through strategic fundraising, community partnerships, and impactful programming. She brings deep expertise in leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development, informed by a career spanning media, marketing, business development, and nonprofit governance.
Prior to stepping into her role at the Foundation, Wiita founded Fractional Business Solutions, where she advised organizations on strategic planning, marketing innovation, and operational excellence. Her consulting work followed nearly two decades at the Lincoln Journal Star, where she ultimately served as President and Publisher. In that role, she guided the organization through ambitious performance goals, oversaw key strategic initiatives, and helped launch the widely recognized Inspire Awards and Inspire Girls program, celebrating women’s leadership and empowering future female leaders.
Wiita’s long-standing commitment to education and community engagement is also rooted in her service on the Foundation’s Board of Directors, where she gained a deep appreciation for the mission and impact of the organization.
Through her leadership, Wiita is guiding the Foundation into its next chapter—strengthening partnerships, expanding support for critical student needs, and championing a future where every LPS student has access to extraordinary opportunities.
BIO Molly Oglesby:
Molly Oglesby is currently the Development Specialist for the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. She spent the majority of her career in the insurance industry, honing skills in project management and client relations before pivoting to the nonprofit sector, where she discovered a profound passion for community service and advocacy. As a parent of three children attending Lincoln Public Schools, she deeply values the work of the Foundation for LPS and actively contributes to its mission. Outside of work, she’s probably wrangling dogs, juggling kids activities, doing old house projects, cooking, reading or enjoying a craft beer- sometimes all of the above!