HALT Human Trafficking Fund

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of individuals using force, fraud, or coercion to perform labor, sex acts, or other services against their will. Trafficking affects people of all ages, genders, income levels, and sexual orientations. Human trafficking happen across the state of Nebraska—in small towns and large cities.

The mission of the HALT Human Trafficking Fund is to make impactful investments in local and regional human trafficking prevention projects across the state of Nebraska. Our vision is to eliminate human trafficking in the state. Twice per year, HALT invites Nebraska-based nonprofit organizations to apply for grant funding to support well defined, prevention-focused projects that can be executed within the one-year funding period.

Funding for HALT is provided by a statewide network of generous individuals, corporate, and private donors who believe in the power of collaboration and community to solve complex societal problems.

Add your support to the HALT Fund

Grant Recipients

2025 First Round Grant Recipients

2025 Second Round Grant Recipients

Partnership with Nebraska Bankers Association

The HALT Fund’s goal is to stop human trafficking before it starts. Recognizing the banking industry is uniquely positioned in the fight against human trafficking, members of the Nebraska Bankers Association launched the HALT Fund in 2024.

Grant Opportunities

The HALT Fund will accept grant applications from eligible organizations during two grant cycles per year. Applicants must present a prevention-focused project to be considered for funding. Priority is given to projects with clear goals and objectives that will reach large numbers of Nebraskans or that have potential to impact entire communities or regions of the state. Applicant entities must be able to provide proof of IRS designation as a not-for-profit organization.

Projects must fall within one of the two focus areas detailed below.

Spring Cycle – Education

Projects focused on increasing awareness and educating vulnerable populations, communities, or professionals about the risks and indicators of human trafficking for the purpose of prevention.

Fall Cycle- Technology and Innovation

Projects for the development and implementation of technology-driven solutions designed to prevent human trafficking.

The HALT Fund will accept grant applications from eligible organizations during two grant cycles each year. Applicants must present a prevention-focused project to be considered for funding. Proposed projects must fall within one of the three focus areas.

The Spring grant cycle is accepting applications from April 11 – May 3, 2026

As a first step, please complete the eligibility quiz.

2025 First Round Grant Recipients

2025 Second Round Grant Recipients

(Project examples: educational workshops, specialized training for professionals, and public awareness campaigns, online platforms to report human trafficking, data analytics tools for identifying trafficking patterns, technology designed to increase student safety and prevention efforts in schools, and mobile applications that improve access to trafficking information.)

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, municipality, school, law enforcement entity, or local or state government agency. For-profit ventures are excluded from this opportunity.
  • Applicants must be Nebraska-based organizations directly serving local communities. National organizations with local Nebraska chapters are not eligible.
  • Organization has been in operation for at least one full year.

Proposed Project Requirements

  • Projects must demonstrate potential to prevent human trafficking in Nebraska communities through education, technology and innovation.
  • Preference will be given to projects demonstrating potential for broad impact—those that serve large numbers of people, impact multiple schools, communities, or agencies, or have a statewide reach.
  • Preference will be given to projects demonstrating partnerships or collaboration (or the potential for future collaboration) across communities or the state.

Eligible Expenses

  • Direct costs for the purchase of equipment, technology, software, tools, services, materials, or supplies needed to execute the prevention-focused project.
  • Costs associated with educational workshops, materials, or training to educate or increase competencies for communities or organizational staff. May include travel expenses directly related to the training opportunity.

Ineligible Expenses

  • Operating costs (examples- salaries and benefits, occupancy costs, insurance, or any other organizational overhead expenses not directly related to the proposed project)
  • Travel expenses not specifically required to execute the project.
  • Costs for the purchase of food or beverages.
  • Costs to support religious programming, political action committees, political groups or parties, lobbying activities, or any similar activities generally intended to push a certain ideology are not eligible.

Contact

Nebraska Bankers Association
233 South 13th Street, Suite 700
Lincoln, NE 68508
halt@nebankers.org
​402.474.1555

Additional Resources

Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force

Nebraska Human Trafficking Hotline – 1.833.PLS.LOOK

 

The HALT Fund is an affiliated fund at the Nebraska Community Foundation. Donations to the HALT Fund are tax-deductible. For more information visit: http://nebcommfound.org

© HALT Human Trafficking Fund