Search Through Corporate Grants for Nonprofits in Houston, Texas in the U.S.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Social Service Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Funding Priorities in Social Service

In the recent past, 15% of total funding has been allocated to Social Service. Organizations with budgets over $5 million have received 60% of funding in Social Service.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted for new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and general support

Funding

Minimum grant size is $100,000.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Background

At Lubrizol, the communities where we work and live have long been valued stakeholders in the sustainability of our organization. In 1952, Lubrizol established The Lubrizol Foundation (Foundation), which provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and charities in our local home communities.

Grants will be awarded to organizations with missions consistent with Lubrizol's community engagement priorities and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, focused on advancing health and wellbeing, quality education, climate action and life under water and on land. 

Lubrizol’s Corporate Community Engagement Priorities

Grants will be awarded to organizations with a mission that is consistent with Lubrizol's Corporate Community Engagement Priorities, which are to improve lives and also align with the United Nations Strategic Development Goals (UN SDG) through:  

• Good Health and Well-Being – aligned with UN SDG 3
• Quality Education – aligned with UN SDG 4
• Protecting, preserving and enriching the natural environment – aligned with:
  • UN SDG 13 – Climate Change
  • UN SDG 14 –Life under Water
  • UN SDG 15 –Life on Land

The McKesson Foundation 

Founded in 1943, the McKesson Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation dedicated to advancing health outcomes for all. The Foundation’s mission is to remove barriers to quality healthcare across North America, especially for vulnerable and underserved communities.

Strategic Giving Pillars and Areas of Focus

The McKesson Foundation champions health equity by partnering with nonprofit organizations to advance efforts aligned with three strategic giving pillars and corresponding areas of focus:

Reducing the Burden of Cancer

The American Cancer Society states that one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. These cancer diagnoses often create both a health and financial crisis for patients and their families. Studies show factors including race/ethnicity, health insurance status and income can affect the timing of a patient’s diagnosis and treatment, as well as their survival and financial impact. Working with our partners, we aim to reduce the risk of getting cancer and address socioeconomic barriers to care.

• Prevention
  • provide education and services to encourage people to adopt healthy diets, exercise regularly, avoid tobacco, and protect their skin.
• Screening and Treatment
  • increase awareness of the importance of screenings, early detection and timely treatment among vulnerable populations; provide free health screenings for patients and connect them to care.
• Financial/Logistical Assistance
  • connect uninsured and underinsured patients to programs providing low or no-cost co-pays and social determinants of health (SDOH) interventions, e.g., transportation, childcare, healthy food, home meal delivery; reduce the economic burden of low-income patients with emergency funds for rent, utilities and other household expenses.

Preparing Tomorrow's Healthcare Workforce

• Patients report that they feel more heard and are more compliant with medical guidance when they share race/ethnicity with their healthcare practitioner. Nearly a third of the U.S. population is Black or Hispanic, yet the combined Black and Hispanic representation among oncologists is 8 percent and the combined Black, Indigenous and Hispanic representation among pharmacists is 10.7 percent. Closing the gap between diverse representation among the general population and among healthcare practitioners will improve health equity and patient outcomes.
• Oncology Professionals
  • increase underrepresented in medicine (URiM) student recruitment and retention;
  • increase all health professionals’ cultural competency to better serve a diverse patient population.
• Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians 
  • increase URiM recruitment and retention;
  • prepare students for broader pharmacist roles;
  • leverage pharmacists’ extensive training, community presence and public trust to serve vulnerable and rural patient populations.
• Student Engagement
  • increase students’ awareness of STEM careers;
  • support students’ financial literacy;
  • help prepare middle and high school students for higher education.

Accelerating Crisis Response

With the increased frequency and intensity of climate events, more people across North America need temporary or extended shelter, as well as food and medications, during and in the aftermath of crises. And with 10 percent of the population in both Canada and the U.S. living in food insecure households, programs to provide regular, nutritious meals to children, families and seniors can reduce chronic disease and improve long-term health.

• Preparedness
  • support relief agencies’ efforts to prepare for forecasted as well as unforeseen emergencies;
  • support relief agencies’ efforts to help people become Red Cross Ready.
• Disaster Relief and Recovery
  • mobilize resources to provide acute services, such as water, food, shelter, comfort kits, medicines, and healthcare for people affected by natural disasters or crises;
  • help families return to normalcy after a disaster.
• Medicine and Food
  • assist vulnerable individuals and communities by supporting acute and chronic care services that provide medicines and food.

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Valero Energy Foundation 

Valero, its employees and the Valero Energy Foundation are committed to improving the quality of life in communities where we work and live, fulfilling a mission that was set from the beginning. We set the standard for corporate citizenship and promotes prosperity in our communities. 

The Valero Energy Foundation -- a public charity and Valero's philanthropic arm -- funds nonprofit agencies that serve predominantly disadvantaged children and families. In 2019, the Foundation contributed appoximately $40 million in assistance in the communities where Valero has major operations.

Four Pillars of Support

Our funding focuses on our four pillars of giving in communities where we have major operations.

• Basic Needs:  Valero gives assistance to agencies that provide basic needs of life, including shelter, food and clothing necessary for the development of a strong and safe community. 
• Health Care: We invest in the development of strategic community health resources and facilities that will support the needs of all members of our nearby communities, with major gifts going to children’s hospitals, university medical centers and service providers that offer specialized health care services and programs.
• Education: Valero is a strong advocate of education as it creates a necessary foundation for all children to thrive and for adults to lead productive lives. 
• Civic: We support civic and environmental initiatives directly related to the success of the communities where we live and work.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Scanlan Foundation Grant

We believe that the most impactful way to carry out our mission of furthering the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Texas is to build a culture of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families.

This culture of vocations will be foundational in all that we do as we move forward with making decisions, strategic giving, and forming relationships. This cornerstone supports four main mission-furthering pillars of funding:

• Marriage & Holy Families,
• Catholic Education,
• Evangelization & Discipleship,
• and Life & Human Dignity.

Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

At the center of our faith is the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324) Only a validly ordained priest can validly consecrate the Eucharist, so without priests, we lack access to the “sum and summary of our faith.” (CCC 1327) It is vital to the health of our Church that it continues to produce the fruit of new vocations to the priesthood to provide access to the sacraments.

It is similarly vital to the health of the Church to promote vocations to religious life, as religious sisters are dedicated to a wide range of forms of supporting the Church, whether it be through cloistered prayer or through apostolic works such as providing education, caring for the sick, and engaging in missionary work.

• Goal: Increase the number of men answering their vocation to join the priesthood and of women answering their vocation to join religious life.
  • Strategy: Scanlan Foundation seeks to support dioceses, organizations and ministries that would like to develop or execute a plan for vocations and a strong desire to increase the fruits of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This includes, but is not limited to, education at the seminary level, support and community for discerners, ministries that directly engage and equip parish vocation committees, school-wide Catholic education curricula, campus ministry programs that strengthen faith and evangelize, vocation-focused retreats, and youth programming aimed at building awareness and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Marriage & Holy Families

The Scanlan Foundation recognizes the importance of strong holy marriages and families in building a culture of vocations. “In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith.” (CCC 1656) Not only do vocations to the priesthood and the religious life come out of holy, strong families, but also future generations of the domestic church because “the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’” (CCC 1657)

• Goal: Encourage couples discerning marriage to choose sacramental marriage and be well-prepared for their upcoming marriage.
  • Strategy: We wish to target funding and support to ministries that support dating and engaged couples. This includes college campus ministry and marriage preparation courses that enhance the current requirements.
• Goal: Strengthen and bolster existing marriages for their important role as the domestic church.
  • Strategy: We wish to target married couples, young families, and sacrament preparation. This effort can be done through faith-formation groups for men/husbands/fathers, faith-formation groups for women/wives/mothers, marriage support groups and mentorship programs, RCIA programs, and other sacrament preparation programs that incorporate the family in the catechesis of the youth.

Catholic Education

Scanlan Foundation has always considered Catholic Education to be critical to strengthening the fabric of our society. In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the primary vehicles for impact that we have identified are Campus Ministry & Culture, Faculty Faith Formation, and Scanlan Scholar Tuition Assistance. In other dioceses, we believe the individual Bishops understand best the needs of their respective schools. Therefore, we will begin to provide grant funding directly to the dioceses outside of Galveston-Houston for their Catholic schools, as opposed to making grants directly to those schools.

• Goal: Enhance access to Catholic education for families who value the faith-based educational environment but would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition.
  • Strategy: Outside of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, provide funds for Catholic high school tuition assistance directly to the dioceses, for the Bishops to distribute where they see the greatest need. Within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, tuition assistance will be funded through the Scanlan Scholar program. Schools will select students with demonstrated financial need who also fit a profile of a Scanlan Scholar: a practicing Catholic or someone actively converting to the faith through RCIA, a strong academic achiever, and an active member of the campus ministry and service community.
• Goal: Improve teacher faith-formation.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to enhance their faculty’s knowledge and appreciation of the doctrine and history of the Catholic faith are encouraged to share their proposed faith-formation program. Overall grant-giving to high schools will shrink in order to meet the needs of the many ministries we support. Therefore, schools may find it more impactful to invest Scanlan Foundation grants into forming their faculty so as to better represent Christ to their students and to uphold the doctrine of the Catholic faith.
• Goal: Develop strong campus ministries.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to develop robust programs through their school’s campus ministry that have a special focus on increasing vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families should apply for grant funding to further their efforts. We wish to support regular occurring ministry events, Bible studies, access to sacraments, school-wide activities, and retreats that encourage students to begin taking serious consideration to the vocation God calls them to.

Evangelization & Discipleship

“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness, freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life…He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church.” (CCC1) To further the Roman Catholic faith in Texas, it must grow. This can be done through evangelization and discipleship, sharing the hope and joy of the Gospel to encourage others to live a life centered on Christ. We share in God’s desire to encourage people to know and love God, and we support those who similarly wish to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

• Goal: Form Missionary Disciples, especially on the college campuses in Texas.
  • Strategy: Campus Ministries will be formed and strengthened across the state of Texas in an effort to ensure that all college students have access to a strong Catholic environment. We are looking for organizations that can carry this out, providing a priest offering sacraments, adoration, sacred music, Bible studies, and retreats for the continued formation of this critical young adult age group.
• Goal: Foster personal holiness and promote individual faith formation.
  • Strategy: Our target programs that we wish to strengthen and expand include youth ministries, RCIA, family faith formation programs, men’s and women’s groups, adult faith formation activities, and parish community-building.

Life & Human Dignity

A major component of the Roman Catholic faith is carrying out the social teachings of the Catholic Church, as laid out in the Beatitudes and defined through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Scanlan Foundation is committed to support those organizations that are dedicated to the social teachings of the Catholic Church who see that ”social justice can only be obtained in respecting the transcendent dignity of man.” (CCC 1929) We recognize that people are most able to reach their God-given vocation when they are healthy, safe, and financially secure from conception to natural death.

• Goal: Assist the poor, sick, and vulnerable. 
  • Strategy: We fund and strengthen those Catholic organizations that provide ministries and programs that provide essential services to the poor, sick, and vulnerable.
• Goal: Promote faith-based therapy.
  • Strategy: We support organizations that assist with mental illnesses, addictions, family and marriage issues, and other spiritual, mental, and emotional distress in ways that are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Goal: Strengthen the culture of life.
  • Strategy: Promote organizations that have a proven track record for protecting life at all stages from conception to natural death. This includes ministries focused on ending the culture of abortion, that promote natural family planning, that support families in crisis, that teach medical ethics and advocate for end-of-life care.

Campus Ministry

This application form is for Catholic campus ministries at institutions of higher education in the State of Texas only. Qualified applicants may submit one application per year. If you are a campus ministry for high school students, please do not use this form.

Scanlan Foundation Grant

We believe that the most impactful way to carry out our mission of furthering the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Texas is to build a culture of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families.

This culture of vocations will be foundational in all that we do as we move forward with making decisions, strategic giving, and forming relationships. This cornerstone supports four main mission-furthering pillars of funding:

• Marriage & Holy Families,
• Catholic Education,
• Evangelization & Discipleship,
• and Life & Human Dignity.

Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

At the center of our faith is the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324) Only a validly ordained priest can validly consecrate the Eucharist, so without priests, we lack access to the “sum and summary of our faith.” (CCC 1327) It is vital to the health of our Church that it continues to produce the fruit of new vocations to the priesthood to provide access to the sacraments.

It is similarly vital to the health of the Church to promote vocations to religious life, as religious sisters are dedicated to a wide range of forms of supporting the Church, whether it be through cloistered prayer or through apostolic works such as providing education, caring for the sick, and engaging in missionary work.

• Goal: Increase the number of men answering their vocation to join the priesthood and of women answering their vocation to join religious life.
  • Strategy: Scanlan Foundation seeks to support dioceses, organizations and ministries that would like to develop or execute a plan for vocations and a strong desire to increase the fruits of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This includes, but is not limited to, education at the seminary level, support and community for discerners, ministries that directly engage and equip parish vocation committees, school-wide Catholic education curricula, campus ministry programs that strengthen faith and evangelize, vocation-focused retreats, and youth programming aimed at building awareness and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Marriage & Holy Families

The Scanlan Foundation recognizes the importance of strong holy marriages and families in building a culture of vocations. “In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith.” (CCC 1656) Not only do vocations to the priesthood and the religious life come out of holy, strong families, but also future generations of the domestic church because “the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’” (CCC 1657)

• Goal: Encourage couples discerning marriage to choose sacramental marriage and be well-prepared for their upcoming marriage.
  • Strategy: We wish to target funding and support to ministries that support dating and engaged couples. This includes college campus ministry and marriage preparation courses that enhance the current requirements.
• Goal: Strengthen and bolster existing marriages for their important role as the domestic church.
  • Strategy: We wish to target married couples, young families, and sacrament preparation. This effort can be done through faith-formation groups for men/husbands/fathers, faith-formation groups for women/wives/mothers, marriage support groups and mentorship programs, RCIA programs, and other sacrament preparation programs that incorporate the family in the catechesis of the youth.

Catholic Education

Scanlan Foundation has always considered Catholic Education to be critical to strengthening the fabric of our society. In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the primary vehicles for impact that we have identified are Campus Ministry & Culture, Faculty Faith Formation, and Scanlan Scholar Tuition Assistance. In other dioceses, we believe the individual Bishops understand best the needs of their respective schools. Therefore, we will begin to provide grant funding directly to the dioceses outside of Galveston-Houston for their Catholic schools, as opposed to making grants directly to those schools.

• Goal: Enhance access to Catholic education for families who value the faith-based educational environment but would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition.
  • Strategy: Outside of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, provide funds for Catholic high school tuition assistance directly to the dioceses, for the Bishops to distribute where they see the greatest need. Within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, tuition assistance will be funded through the Scanlan Scholar program. Schools will select students with demonstrated financial need who also fit a profile of a Scanlan Scholar: a practicing Catholic or someone actively converting to the faith through RCIA, a strong academic achiever, and an active member of the campus ministry and service community.
• Goal: Improve teacher faith-formation.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to enhance their faculty’s knowledge and appreciation of the doctrine and history of the Catholic faith are encouraged to share their proposed faith-formation program. Overall grant-giving to high schools will shrink in order to meet the needs of the many ministries we support. Therefore, schools may find it more impactful to invest Scanlan Foundation grants into forming their faculty so as to better represent Christ to their students and to uphold the doctrine of the Catholic faith.
• Goal: Develop strong campus ministries.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to develop robust programs through their school’s campus ministry that have a special focus on increasing vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families should apply for grant funding to further their efforts. We wish to support regular occurring ministry events, Bible studies, access to sacraments, school-wide activities, and retreats that encourage students to begin taking serious consideration to the vocation God calls them to.

Evangelization & Discipleship

“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness, freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life…He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church.” (CCC1) To further the Roman Catholic faith in Texas, it must grow. This can be done through evangelization and discipleship, sharing the hope and joy of the Gospel to encourage others to live a life centered on Christ. We share in God’s desire to encourage people to know and love God, and we support those who similarly wish to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

• Goal: Form Missionary Disciples, especially on the college campuses in Texas.
  • Strategy: Campus Ministries will be formed and strengthened across the state of Texas in an effort to ensure that all college students have access to a strong Catholic environment. We are looking for organizations that can carry this out, providing a priest offering sacraments, adoration, sacred music, Bible studies, and retreats for the continued formation of this critical young adult age group.
• Goal: Foster personal holiness and promote individual faith formation.
  • Strategy: Our target programs that we wish to strengthen and expand include youth ministries, RCIA, family faith formation programs, men’s and women’s groups, adult faith formation activities, and parish community-building.

Life & Human Dignity

A major component of the Roman Catholic faith is carrying out the social teachings of the Catholic Church, as laid out in the Beatitudes and defined through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Scanlan Foundation is committed to support those organizations that are dedicated to the social teachings of the Catholic Church who see that ”social justice can only be obtained in respecting the transcendent dignity of man.” (CCC 1929) We recognize that people are most able to reach their God-given vocation when they are healthy, safe, and financially secure from conception to natural death.

• Goal: Assist the poor, sick, and vulnerable. 
  • Strategy: We fund and strengthen those Catholic organizations that provide ministries and programs that provide essential services to the poor, sick, and vulnerable.
• Goal: Promote faith-based therapy.
  • Strategy: We support organizations that assist with mental illnesses, addictions, family and marriage issues, and other spiritual, mental, and emotional distress in ways that are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Goal: Strengthen the culture of life.
  • Strategy: Promote organizations that have a proven track record for protecting life at all stages from conception to natural death. This includes ministries focused on ending the culture of abortion, that promote natural family planning, that support families in crisis, that teach medical ethics and advocate for end-of-life care.

Higher Education

This application form is for Catholic institutions of higher education in the State of Texas only. Qualified applicants may submit one application per year. If you are a campus ministry or a ministry that does not confer degrees, please download the application for the corresponding category and do not use this form.

Scanlan Foundation Grant

We believe that the most impactful way to carry out our mission of furthering the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Texas is to build a culture of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families.

This culture of vocations will be foundational in all that we do as we move forward with making decisions, strategic giving, and forming relationships. This cornerstone supports four main mission-furthering pillars of funding:

• Marriage & Holy Families,
• Catholic Education,
• Evangelization & Discipleship,
• and Life & Human Dignity.

Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

At the center of our faith is the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324) Only a validly ordained priest can validly consecrate the Eucharist, so without priests, we lack access to the “sum and summary of our faith.” (CCC 1327) It is vital to the health of our Church that it continues to produce the fruit of new vocations to the priesthood to provide access to the sacraments.

It is similarly vital to the health of the Church to promote vocations to religious life, as religious sisters are dedicated to a wide range of forms of supporting the Church, whether it be through cloistered prayer or through apostolic works such as providing education, caring for the sick, and engaging in missionary work.

• Goal: Increase the number of men answering their vocation to join the priesthood and of women answering their vocation to join religious life.
  • Strategy: Scanlan Foundation seeks to support dioceses, organizations and ministries that would like to develop or execute a plan for vocations and a strong desire to increase the fruits of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This includes, but is not limited to, education at the seminary level, support and community for discerners, ministries that directly engage and equip parish vocation committees, school-wide Catholic education curricula, campus ministry programs that strengthen faith and evangelize, vocation-focused retreats, and youth programming aimed at building awareness and encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Marriage & Holy Families

The Scanlan Foundation recognizes the importance of strong holy marriages and families in building a culture of vocations. “In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith.” (CCC 1656) Not only do vocations to the priesthood and the religious life come out of holy, strong families, but also future generations of the domestic church because “the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’” (CCC 1657)

• Goal: Encourage couples discerning marriage to choose sacramental marriage and be well-prepared for their upcoming marriage.
  • Strategy: We wish to target funding and support to ministries that support dating and engaged couples. This includes college campus ministry and marriage preparation courses that enhance the current requirements.
• Goal: Strengthen and bolster existing marriages for their important role as the domestic church.
  • Strategy: We wish to target married couples, young families, and sacrament preparation. This effort can be done through faith-formation groups for men/husbands/fathers, faith-formation groups for women/wives/mothers, marriage support groups and mentorship programs, RCIA programs, and other sacrament preparation programs that incorporate the family in the catechesis of the youth.

Catholic Education

Scanlan Foundation has always considered Catholic Education to be critical to strengthening the fabric of our society. In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the primary vehicles for impact that we have identified are Campus Ministry & Culture, Faculty Faith Formation, and Scanlan Scholar Tuition Assistance. In other dioceses, we believe the individual Bishops understand best the needs of their respective schools. Therefore, we will begin to provide grant funding directly to the dioceses outside of Galveston-Houston for their Catholic schools, as opposed to making grants directly to those schools.

• Goal: Enhance access to Catholic education for families who value the faith-based educational environment but would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition.
  • Strategy: Outside of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, provide funds for Catholic high school tuition assistance directly to the dioceses, for the Bishops to distribute where they see the greatest need. Within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, tuition assistance will be funded through the Scanlan Scholar program. Schools will select students with demonstrated financial need who also fit a profile of a Scanlan Scholar: a practicing Catholic or someone actively converting to the faith through RCIA, a strong academic achiever, and an active member of the campus ministry and service community.
• Goal: Improve teacher faith-formation.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to enhance their faculty’s knowledge and appreciation of the doctrine and history of the Catholic faith are encouraged to share their proposed faith-formation program. Overall grant-giving to high schools will shrink in order to meet the needs of the many ministries we support. Therefore, schools may find it more impactful to invest Scanlan Foundation grants into forming their faculty so as to better represent Christ to their students and to uphold the doctrine of the Catholic faith.
• Goal: Develop strong campus ministries.
  • Strategy: Schools that wish to develop robust programs through their school’s campus ministry that have a special focus on increasing vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy families should apply for grant funding to further their efforts. We wish to support regular occurring ministry events, Bible studies, access to sacraments, school-wide activities, and retreats that encourage students to begin taking serious consideration to the vocation God calls them to.

Evangelization & Discipleship

“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness, freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life…He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church.” (CCC1) To further the Roman Catholic faith in Texas, it must grow. This can be done through evangelization and discipleship, sharing the hope and joy of the Gospel to encourage others to live a life centered on Christ. We share in God’s desire to encourage people to know and love God, and we support those who similarly wish to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

• Goal: Form Missionary Disciples, especially on the college campuses in Texas.
  • Strategy: Campus Ministries will be formed and strengthened across the state of Texas in an effort to ensure that all college students have access to a strong Catholic environment. We are looking for organizations that can carry this out, providing a priest offering sacraments, adoration, sacred music, Bible studies, and retreats for the continued formation of this critical young adult age group.
• Goal: Foster personal holiness and promote individual faith formation.
  • Strategy: Our target programs that we wish to strengthen and expand include youth ministries, RCIA, family faith formation programs, men’s and women’s groups, adult faith formation activities, and parish community-building.

Life & Human Dignity

A major component of the Roman Catholic faith is carrying out the social teachings of the Catholic Church, as laid out in the Beatitudes and defined through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Scanlan Foundation is committed to support those organizations that are dedicated to the social teachings of the Catholic Church who see that ”social justice can only be obtained in respecting the transcendent dignity of man.” (CCC 1929) We recognize that people are most able to reach their God-given vocation when they are healthy, safe, and financially secure from conception to natural death.

• Goal: Assist the poor, sick, and vulnerable. 
  • Strategy: We fund and strengthen those Catholic organizations that provide ministries and programs that provide essential services to the poor, sick, and vulnerable.
• Goal: Promote faith-based therapy.
  • Strategy: We support organizations that assist with mental illnesses, addictions, family and marriage issues, and other spiritual, mental, and emotional distress in ways that are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Goal: Strengthen the culture of life.
  • Strategy: Promote organizations that have a proven track record for protecting life at all stages from conception to natural death. This includes ministries focused on ending the culture of abortion, that promote natural family planning, that support families in crisis, that teach medical ethics and advocate for end-of-life care.

Ministry

This application form is for Catholic ministries in the State of Texas only. Qualified applicants may submit one application per year. If you are a campus ministry, high school or institution of higher education, please download the corresponding application form for your category and do not use this form.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

Mission

Founded in 1943, the McKesson Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporate foundation dedicated to advancing health outcomes for all. The Foundation’s mission is to remove barriers to quality healthcare across North America, especially for vulnerable and underserved communities.

Strategic Giving Pillars and Areas of Focus

The McKesson Foundation champions health equity by partnering with nonprofit organizations to advance efforts aligned with three strategic giving pillars and corresponding areas of focus:

Reducing the Burden of Cancer

The American Cancer Society estimates 1.9M people will receive a cancer diagnosis in 2022 and two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. These cancer diagnoses often create both a health and financial crisis for patients and their families. Studies show factors including race/ethnicity, health insurance status and income can affect the timing of a patient’s diagnosis and treatment, as well as their survival and financial impact. Working with our partners, we aim to reduce the risk of getting cancer and address socioeconomic barriers to care.

• Prevention
  • provide education and services to encourage people to adopt healthy diets, exercise regularly, avoid tobacco, and protect their skin.
• Screening and Treatment
  • increase awareness of the importance of screenings, early detection and timely treatment among vulnerable populations; provide free health screenings for patients and connect them to care.
• Financial/Logistical Assistance
  • connect uninsured and underinsured patients to programs providing low or no-cost co-pays and social determinants of health (SDOH) interventions, e.g., transportation, childcare, healthy food, home meal delivery; reduce the economic burden of low-income patients with emergency funds for rent, utilities and other household expenses.

Preparing Tomorrow's Healthcare Workforce

Patients report that they feel more heard and are more compliant with medical guidance when they share race/ethnicity with their healthcare practitioner. Nearly a third of the U.S. population is Black or Hispanic, yet the combined Black and Hispanic representation among oncologists is 8 percent and the combined Black, Indigenous and Hispanic representation among pharmacists is 10.7 percent. Closing the gap between diverse representation among the general population and among healthcare practitioners will improve health equity and patient outcomes.

• Oncology Professionals
  • increase underrepresented in medicine (URiM) student recruitment and retention;
  • increase all health professionals’ cultural competency to better serve a diverse patient population.
• Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians 
  • increase URiM recruitment and retention;
  • prepare students for broader pharmacist roles;
  • leverage pharmacists’ extensive training, community presence and public trust to serve vulnerable and rural patient populations.
• Student Engagement
  • increase students’ awareness of STEM careers;
  • support students’ financial literacy;
  • help prepare middle and high school students for higher education.

Accelerating Crisis Response

With the increased frequency and intensity of climate events, more people across North America need temporary or extended shelter, as well as food and medications, during and in the aftermath of crises. And with 10 percent of the population in both Canada and the U.S. living in food insecure households, programs to provide regular, nutritious meals to children, families and seniors can reduce chronic disease and improve long-term health.

• Preparedness
  • support relief agencies’ efforts to prepare for forecasted as well as unforeseen emergencies;
  • support relief agencies’ efforts to help people become Red Cross Ready.
• Disaster Relief and Recovery
  • mobilize resources to provide acute services, such as water, food, shelter, comfort kits, medicines, and healthcare for people affected by natural disasters or crises;
  • help families return to normalcy after a disaster.
• Medicine and Food
  • assist vulnerable individuals and communities by supporting acute and chronic care services that provide medicines and food.

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.