Pam Abbott
Understanding Fundraising Basics
Pam Abbott’s life and career involve varied education
experiences, including teaching in public schools, preschool,
middle management at an educational and employment testing
corporation in Illinois, and a school board treasurer. Abbott is
currently a member and chair of the Keith County Foundation Fund
(KCFF) in Ogallala, a regent for Mid Plains Community College, a
member of both the administrative and planned giving and future
needs committees at the Ogallala United Methodist Church, the
International Literacy Association, the Keith County Communities
for Kids, and Keith/Perkins Counties Early Childhood Development
steering committee. Abbott grew up in central Nebraska, in the
Lexington area. After graduating from the University of Nebraska
at Kearney with a bachelor’s degree in education, she met her
future husband while teaching in Alliance. The couple moved to
his family’s cow/calf ranching operation in Cherry County.
Abbott and her husband, Mike, have three grown children,
Harrison (Omaha), Maggie (Chicago), and Emily (Denver). Abbott
returned to rural Nebraska 20 years ago, following 10 years in
Lincoln and central Illinois. She appreciates and values the
quality of life and experiences that Ogallala has afforded her
family, and her passion lies in unleashing talents that lie
within communities through charitable giving, engagement, and
partnerships, together creating a greater Nebraska. Abbott has
been involved with her local affiliated fund (KCFF) since 2011.