Free broadband internet for Mourning Hope will mean the grief services nonprofit's new building is as updated and upgraded as it can be, Executive Director Carly Runestad said.
At Lighthouse, staff can ensure speedy internet for students working on their homework after school, Executive Director Bill Michener said.
And at The Bay, this gift will keep wireless internet from crashing in the coffee shop where students study and support the video projects and gaming teenagers do there, said Mike Smith of Rabble Mill.
They were among 77 nonprofits selected to receive free internet service with speeds of 1 gigabit per second from Allo for the next 10 years, a promise the Nelnet company made to the city of Lincoln.
For nonprofits, every dollar matters, and with this gift, they can direct more money into their programs and better serve the community, several organization leaders said.
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"We want to take a little bit of the pressure off these nonprofits and let them do what they do,†Allo President Brad Moline said at a news conference Thursday.
The Imperial-based company committed to providing free service to Lincoln nonprofits in its franchise agreement, which allowed it access to the city's right-of-way to install the company's fiber optic cable network.
Allo crews finished the company's three-year fiber optic cable installation effort in April 2019.
Recipients included the People's City Mission, Voices of Hope, Civic Nebraska, the Clyde Malone Community Center and the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra.
Nonprofits selected in the program needed to agree to buy Allo's telephone and video services if they use those services, according to the application.
Initially Allo planned to offer it to 75 nonprofits, with 40 being selected via a lottery, but 77 of the 99 organizations that applied met the criteria.
So Allo agreed to extend the service to all 77, a commitment Moline valued at $3.5 million.
The remaining 22 applicants didn't meet some of the criteria including how long they had been a registered nonprofit or their work was primarily religious or political, Moline said.