Search Through Grants for Religious Nonprofits in Texas in the U.S.

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation was established to provide support for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational organizations and programs serving the people of the State of Texas.

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. 

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Inspired to make contributions with a wide-ranging yet personal impact, Carl and Marilynn Thoma founded the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in 2014 to distinguish their initiatives in and support of the visual arts. In 2021, the Foundation was renamed the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation to more broadly reflect its expanded philanthropic efforts and initiatives, including the Thoma Scholars Program, which aims to strengthen community, leadership, and education initiatives in under-resourced and rural areas.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation recognizes that the arts and education enhance lives and communities. We make art collection-related grants, as well as lending and exhibiting our own collection. We focus our education funding on the rural Southwest, primarily offering scholarships to students in the greater Texas panhandle. Through these giving programs, we strive to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity.

Nonprofit Organizations

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will advance scholarship in our collection areas. We accept Letters of Inquiry on a rolling basis for bold proposals that provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect:

• Art of the Spanish Americas

The Foundation’s Art of the Spanish Americas collection numbers more than 200 works from the 17th to 19th centuries—principally paintings from South America. The collection includes works on religious themes and portraits from the Viceroyalty of Peru (and the smaller entities such as the Kingdom of Nueva Granada into which it was divided in the eighteenth century), as well as a small selection of portraits from the Spanish Caribbean.

•  Digital & Media Art

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation began supporting the field of Digital Art in 2009. Our collection has grown to include over 400 artworks by more than 138 artists, representing a global history of the medium from 1959 to the present. The Thoma Foundation’s core collection of Digital Art highlights the specific achievements of modern computers—their processing speed, infinite data capacity, imaging precision, and virtual networking—to aid artists. Media Art signifies our support of art created with both pioneering and emerging time-based technologies, especially in relation to electronic mass media—the news and photojournalism, film and television, video games, social media, and other cultural experiences produced by communications technology.

• Japanese Bamboo

The Japanese Bamboo collection includes contemporary Japanese Bamboo baskets representing both independent artists and bamboo artists from the two professional associations devoted to the field, Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and the Nihon Kogeikai (Japan Craft Arts Association).

• Post-War Painting & Sculpture

The Foundation’s collection of mid-century global abstract art is centered around the years 1950–79 and the major movements of that period including Color Field, Hard Edge, Op, Washington Color School, Light & Space, and shaped canvas.

We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest. The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

• Exhibitions

We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include development, scholarship, construction, outreach, traveling costs, admissions subsidies, and more. The Thoma Foundation also loans pieces from its collections in support of exhibitions.

• Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

• Academic 

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article.

Individual Fellowships and Awards

In addition to our nonprofit grants, the Foundation runs several fellowship programs for individuals related to our Art of the Spanish Americas collections. This includes two annual fellowship programs geared towards postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. candidates: the Marilynn Thoma Fellowship in Art of the Spanish Americas and the Thoma Foundation Research and Travel Awards in Art of the Spanish Americas. Biannually, we offer the Exploratory Travel Award to early career Ph.D. students. 

Thoma Foundation Special Project Funding

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation offers a Special Project Funding Grant as part of its broader grant programs described above. Through the above programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history. For the Special Project Funding, the Foundation takes a proactive and personal approach to giving. Rather than making grants based on a call for applications, we work collaboratively to make challenging projects happen. We support people and their bright futures instead of endowments or capital improvements. Our interests here include:

• Significant art exhibitions and programs supporting artists and the areas of our collection.
• Innovative high school projects and college scholarships that build leaders and communities in the greater Texas Panhandle.

If you have a project you would like to partner with us on, we are interested. We value long-term relationships with grantees and encourage you to connect with us at any stage of the application process. 

Best Life Community Awards

Nominate a nonprofit that you support with your time, talents, or money to receive a grant.

Funding

The winner will be awarded $10,000!

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

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.

About Us

The Ryan Foundation was founded by Helen McKee Ryan and her son, John P. Ryan in 1983. Helen Ryan was the widow of Thomas M. Ryan, a prominent businessman in Fort Worth. The Ryan family owned several businesses including Waples Platter Company, Ranch Style, Inc., White Swan Foods, Ryan Mortgage Company, and First Life Insurance Company. John P. Ryan served as President and CEO for most of these companies at one time or another.

The Foundation received its initial funding from the Estate of Helen Ryan upon her death in 1983. The Foundation received additional funding from John Ryan during his lifetime and from his Estate upon his death in 2003. The name of the Foundation was changed to The Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation, Inc. to adequately reflect all the names of the significant donors to the Foundation.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors with 5 members all from Fort Worth. The mission of the Foundation is to support a wide variety of public charities in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, as this is the lifelong home of the donors of the Foundation. Areas of interest include health care, human and social services, education, children services, and the arts.

Our grants range in size from $5,000 to $1,000,000. The median or typical size grant is around $30,000. 

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.

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.

Martha Sue Parr Trust Grant

Program Area: Religious

Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organizations or institutions in Texas.

Web Maddox Trust

Charitable organizations and charitable purposes in Tarrant County, Texas that do not receive funding from United Way.

Program Areas: Animal Welfare, Arts and Culture, Civic Activities, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health and Medical Research, Human and Social Services, Religious, Scientific.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Adeline & George McQueen Foundation

Support of charitable, educational, religious, or hospital organizations or undertakings in the State of Texas.

Program Areas

• Education,
• Religious,
• Scientific,
• Arts and Culture

Leo Potishman Foundation

For the support of charitable purposes with preference to Fort Worth, Texas.

Program Areas

Animal Welfare, Arts and Culture, Civic Activities, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health and Medical Research, Human and Social Services, Religious, Scientific

Joyce Peugh Pate Capper was a prominent philanthropist and actively involved in the Fort Worth, Texas nonprofit community. The Capper Charitable Trust was established exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes. More specifically, the purpose of the foundation is to support charitable endeavors in the Tarrant County, Texas area with an emphasis on performing and visual arts, libraries, churches, and hospitals.

Elias & Hanna Regensburger Foundation

Charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational purposes preference to Grayson County, Texas area.

Program Areas

• Religious,
• Scientific,
• Arts and Culture,
• Education

T. Patrick Carr Charitable Trust

Charitable organizations which operate in Tarrant County, Texas.

Program Areas

• Animal Welfare,
• Arts and Culture,
• Civic Activities,
• Community Development,
• Education,
• Environment,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Human and Social Services,
• Religious,
• Scientific

Forever Austin Fund

About this grant opportunity

The Forever Austin Fund is a permanent community resource that enables ACF to invest in Austin’s most pressing needs and greatest opportunities. The Forever Austin Fund supports the giving of a collection of field-of-interest funds, unrestricted funds, and donor advised funds at the Foundation. The ACF team manages grantmaking from these funds, thoughtfully balancing the intent of each fund with the evolving needs of Central Texas.

Funding areas

Every year, ACF will make Forever Austin Fund grants to address both urgent and systemic needs in Central Texas. The issues prioritized in Forever Austin Fund grantmaking will shift over time to reflect the evolving needs of our region and the interests of our legacy donors. In 2025, the grants will focus on the following areas:

Economic Mobility: Ensuring paths to economic mobility for Central Texans is a critical strategy in ACF’s focus on closing the opportunity gap. By partnering with and funding organizations that tackle immediate and systemic economic challenges, we aim to eliminate wealth disparities and create lasting change. Grants in this category will focus on four key areas:

Health and Humanities: The future of our region is inextricably linked to the health of our people and the growth of our creative community. Grants in this category will focus on:

Nurturing Our Region: Preserving and protecting our rich ecosystem ensures generations of Central Texans can live and thrive. Grants in this category will focus on:

Funding amounts

Through the Forever Austin Fund grant cycle, we anticipate awarding 50-75 grants between $5,000 – $50,000 each. Award amounts will be determined by application scores, donor priorities, and individual endowment budgets. Grants may be approved for full or partial funding of the requested amount, which cannot exceed 30% of the organization’s budget.

Additional information per funding area:

• Economic Mobility: 20-30 grants, up to $1,250,000
• Health and Humanities: 15-20 grants up to $550,000
• Nurturing Our Region: 10-15 grants up to $200,000

John T. Shea Foundation

The John T. Shea Foundation provides support for religious, charitable, scientific, public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals. 

Grants are made to charitable organizations in Houston, Texas, with preference given to organizations working to prevent cruelty to children or animals.

Program Areas

• Arts and Culture,
• Civic Activities,
• Scientific,
• Human and Social Services,
• Environment,
• Health and Medical Research

Charlotte B. Proehl Foundation

For the support of charitable organizations in the Greater Houston, Texas area.

Program Areas

• Animal Welfare
• Arts and Culture
• Civic Activities
• Community Development
• Education
• Environment
• Human and Social Services
• Religious
• Health and Medical Research
• Scientific

John Reagan Harris was devoted to the Center, Texas community, his church, and education. The John Harris Community Fund was established to support worthy civic, religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational projects which benefit the Center, Texas community. 

Our Mission

The Mission of the Foundation is to assist in and/or create, equip or provide for the maintenance or expansion of Exempt Organizations or programs within Exempt Organizations which, to the extent deemed appropriate by the directors of the Foundation, operate in a manner that is consistent with historic Judeo-Christian principles, and consistent with protecting and enhancing the rights of private property, free enterprise and minimizing the role of government in the affairs of individuals.

The Allen Lovelace Moore and Blanche Davis Moore Foundation (which does business as The Blanche Davis Moore Foundation) was incorporated in 1993 as a Texas nonprofit corporation by virtue of the Last Will and Testament of Blanche Davis Moore, which called for the establishment of a charitable foundation from the assets of her estate to primarily benefit children under the age of 18 years of age in Nueces County and the immediately surrounding counties. The development by the executors of her estate of Mrs. Moore's farmland located along SPID (much of which today is known as Moore Plaza) led to the initial funding of the Foundation, which today contributes to more than 85 charities that benefit children of the Coastal Bend.

Birdie Hartsough Frey Memorial Fund

For the support of charitable organizations in Stephenville, Texas.

Program Areas

• Arts and Culture,
• Human and Social Services,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Education,
• Animal Welfare,
• Religious,
• Scientific,
• Community Development,
• Civic Activities,
• Environment 

Edith Winter Grace Trust

Funds are to be given to charitable organizations located in Tarrant County, Texas

Program Areas

• Animal Welfare,
• Arts and Culture,
• Civic Activities,
• Community Development,
• Education,
• Environment,
• Human and Social Services,
• Religious,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Scientific

The Black Fund of Central Texas

The Black Fund of Central Texas exists to help harness the power of Black-led organizations and elevate solutions that strengthen the Black community, creating ripple effects that benefit the broader community and economy of Central Texas. Guided by data and community voices, we are committed to fostering a society that prioritizes fairness, opportunity, and well-being, empowering Black-led organizations to drive more growth that uplifts everyone. Our community-centered approach embraces abundance and collaboration to create transformative, lasting change. Since only 2022, we’ve granted more than $850,000 to the community. 

We Invest in the following Impact Areas:

Arts, Culture & Preservation

The Black Fund will support programs and organizations that directly invest in the creative and cultural contributions of Black artists of all kinds as a means of expressing, celebrating, preserving and advancing their legacy while enriching the broader community.

Education

The Black Fund of Central Texas will invest in educational initiatives and spaces that promote lifelong learning, personal growth, and successful outcomes for Black Central Texans.

Health & Wellness

The Black Fund of Central Texas will support initiatives and organizations that enhance the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of Black Central Texans, fostering healthier individuals and stronger communities.

Power Building, Organizing & Advocacy

The Black Fund will invest in urgent, emergent, and ongoing initiatives and organizations that harness the collective power of Black communities as a means to redesigning systems and driving meaningful change to ensure fairness and opportunity for all.

Wealth Building

The Black Fund of Central Texas will invest in initiatives and organizations that expand economic opportunities for Black Central Texans by fostering an ecosystem of support, resulting in increased individual and community growth and prosperity.

The Black Fund of Central Texas Grant

A total of $250,000 distributed into 20 grants will be awarded to Black-led organizations.