The Ryan Foundation donates over $2.8 million to the Archdiocese of Omaha

 
The Ryan Foundation donated $2.8 million to the Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha in March 2025, contributing to the Eileen and Wayne Ryan Memorial Scholarship Fund. Since 2020, the foundation has contributed a total of $6.1 million in donations.

These contributions have supported programs across 10 Nebraska elementary schools where students qualify for free or reduced lunch, including Sacred Heart School, All Saints Catholic School, St. Peter and Paul, Holy Name School, Jesuit Academy, St. Philip Neri, Our Lady of Lourdes St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette, and St. Augustine Indian Mission School. In addition, funding has provided scholarships for more than 12 students to attend Omaha-area Catholic high schools over a four-year period from 2022 to 2025. The Ryan Foundation awarded a total of 46 Catholic high school students scholarships from the Eileen and Wayne Ryan Memorial Fund.

In 2024, the Archdiocese expanded the Latino Student Enrollment Office, with the majority of donation funding directed toward hiring a High School Transition and Retention Assistant. Additional scholarship funds also became available for Latino students. Over 2024-2025 there was a total of 136 students who received Latino Catholic Scholarship funds.

Ana Vargas, High School Transition and Retention Assistant, explained: “As a mother of three children currently in Catholic school, I can relate to how parents feel—not only with the stress of the process and daily homework that students may have, but also with the challenge of feeling unable to help their own children. On top of that, there is the language barrier when trying to communicate with the school. I truly value the opportunity to serve as a bridge of connection between parents and the school.” (Archdiocese of Omaha Impact Report 2023–2024).

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Photos from Archdiocese of Omaha Impart Report 2023-2024 and Thank You cards mailed to the Ryan Foundation.