The Ellsworth Family Foundation is a private foundation established to provide charitable grants to worthy tax-exempt organizations with significant ties to the State of Nebraska and whose charitable activities involve one or more of the following: family services; education with an emphasis on disabled children; art collection; protection of upland bird or waterfowl habitat; protection of scenic views; land or wetland conservation; and river or stream restoration and conservation.
John started his passion for hunting and fishing early in his teenage years. That passion has never abated. In fact, it expanded into a strong commitment to protect, promote and conserve wildlife and its natural habitat. To help further this objective John has been a long time member of Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever among others. He founded the Nebraska Land Trust some 20 years ago. His family foundation is therefore focused in large part on providing financial assistance to non-profit organizations that seek to conserve the wild outdoors and its creatures.
John grew up in Omaha, attended Benson High School and went on to graduate from Carleton College (B.A. ’66), Harvard Law School (J.D. ‘69) and Georgetown Law School (L. L. M. ’74). John practiced securities law for several decades in Omaha and also served as President and CEO of Briggs, Inc., a wholesale plumbing company previously owned by his father and grandfather. John is now retired and “tries” to play golf with family and friends, not to mention doing his fishing and hunting!
Jane Porteous married John Ellsworth in 1975. Jane was a native of Cincinnati and graduated from Hollins University in Virginia. She worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senators Robert Taft, Jr. and John Tower. After Jane and John moved to Omaha in the early 1980s, Jane led or helped manage campaigns for city council, state legislature and U.S. Senate. Jane later served as Director of Development at Heartland Family Service in Omaha.
Jane is an outdoorswoman, who enjoys hunting quail with her husband. She walks daily and has served on the Boards of the Girl Scouts of America, Junior League of Omaha, and Joslyn Art Museum, among others. Her hobbies include playing golf and bridge.
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