History

It all began in when Brad Bryan, a young successful advertising sales executive, led a prayer team for a group of church friends going on a mission trip to Los Angeles, California in 1993.  Brad would have gone on that trip, but his work schedule kept him in Lincoln.  Little did he know what God had in store for him!

While his friends were in L.A., a teacher friend in Lincoln told Brad about a single mom from Nigeria who had three boys who were struggling in school.  Brad visited that family in a low-income apartment complex near 25^th & U, began tutoring the boys, and quickly realized the challenges facing America’s largest cities were just as apparent in smaller metropolises like Lincoln, NE.

When his friends returned to Lincoln, their excitement about returning to L.A. was redirected when Brad shared his experiences of serving right here, in their own backyard.

He gathered several of the mission trip group—one of whom would eventually become his wife, Carma—and began to lead a weekly Bible Club for the local kids. Their hunger for God and for adult mentorship touched Brad and Carma. Eventually, it would inspire the creation of City Impact.

Founded in 1997, City Impact has become a beacon of hope in Lincoln's urban neighborhoods.  Through our faith-based programs for children and teens, we have been able to touch entire families, impacting Lincoln’s urban neighborhoods. Further, by working with local schools and by organizing numerous volunteers, we have orchestrated a successful reading program, the Impact Reading Center, which has helped improve the reading scores of hundreds of under-resourced kids in Lincoln’s public schools.

As our logo shows, the ripple effect of a single event reaches far and wide. We at City Impact strive to partner with you to transform our city and world, from the inside out.