LINCOLN – A new crowdfunding website from the Nebraska State Department of Revenue aims to help people with disabilities in Nebraska lead full and active lives in their community.
State Treasurer Tom Briese, State Senator Dave Murman of Glenvil and a dozen other lawmakers announced Wednesday morning GiveToEnable.com. Deputy State Treasurer Stacy Pfeifer, Director of Activate Savings Plansaid that unlike other crowdfunding sites, the new government-run website does not consider any benefits to anyone.
Nebraska residents with disabilities cannot earn more than a certain amount of income or risk losing state or federal benefits.
Account holders pay no fees or taxes on the account, and Briese said donations are tax-deductible — up to $10,000 (or $5,000 for married taxpayers filing separate returns).
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Briese.
Qualifications and requirements
Eligible persons can open an ABLE account at any time if their disability exists at the time of account opening and the disability occurred before their 26th birthday (or 46th birthday as of January 1, 2026).
The Enable Savings Plan is Nebraska’s qualified ABLE program and is related to the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014.
The program can be used to pay qualified disability expenses, including housing, transportation, job training and assistance, health and wellness, financial management, legal expenses, supervision and monitoring expenses, funeral and burial expenses, and other costs to improve an account holder’s quality of life.
Pfeifer said growing up alongside her brother, who has special needs, taught her patience, compassion and a different worldview while experiencing an “unparalleled, contagious joy.” At the same time, people with disabilities face higher costs — on average about 28% for people with disabilities compared to people without disabilities, just to go about their daily lives.
“I’m just saving”
Josh Swanson, who grew up in Meadow Grove, Nebraska, said Wednesday he worked at Home Depot and with pigs and cattle and dreams of owning a large piece of land in the country.
“I’m just saving,” Swanson told the Nebraska Examiner, adding that he would also like to travel and see the world.
Kathy Rohwedder of Lincoln is Swanson’s legal guardian. She is also the livelihood provider for Josh Whitfield, who started a dog waste removal company, PooPatrol, about 13 or 14 years ago.
PooPatrol now has a handful of employees and serves 125 clients in Lincoln, Waverly, Ceresco, Valparaiso and Eagle, in addition to Whitfield. Whitfield said he is saving up for a “shiny blue patrol car.”
Whitfield already has a crowdfunding profile where people have donated to another goal: He wants to raise at least $7,000 to support the training of his service dog, Albert Noah Pooper. The total cost of five training modules, conducted in Iowa, for Whitfield and his service dog could be $7,500, according to Rohwedder.
“He thinks about the future”
Edison McDonald, executive director of The Arc of Nebraska, an organization that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said Enable Savings and the new crowdfunding website will help thousands of people in Nebraska live fulfilling lives in their community.
He reiterated the fears that “A few cents” could mean the difference between receiving or losing benefits. McDonald said that makes it difficult to be financially responsible or plan for the future.
“It prevents them from saving wisely and instead forces them to spend rashly,” McDonald said.
Murman said the crowdfunding website is another step to give people the opportunity to provide support, as people with disabilities face economic hurdles.
“That’s why the Enable program is not just another benefit for some Nebraska families, but an economic lifeline,” Murman said. “And as the name suggests, an opportunity to help Nebraskans improve their lives.”
For Whitfield, Swanson and Rohwedder, Enable Savings has helped them develop a sense of what it means to save.
“For the first time in these last few years, he’s thinking about the future,” Rohwedder said of Swanson. “Not about the past and what he doesn’t have, but about what he can get.”
How to create an Enable account and donate
To create an account under Nebraska’s Enable Savings Plan or to donate through the new crowdfunding website givetoenable.com, go to the website and follow these steps.
To create an account:
- Click “Register” at the top of the screen, fill in all fields and click “Login” at the bottom.
- An administrator will review the registration and explain what changes may be needed. The administrator will notify the applicant when the account is approved and activated.
How to donate:
- Click on “Members” to read stories, learn more about the need, and decide which member you would like to donate to.
- Copy the member’s “Ugift Code” located in the member’s profile and click on the link for ugiftable.com.
- Paste the code into the new website and follow the instructions. A confirmation page can be printed for documentation purposes.
- The Ugift code allows donors to deduct the amount of the gift from federal income taxes – up to $10,000 annually, or $5,000 for married taxpayers filing separate returns.
Source: Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office
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