Search Through Human and Social Service Grants in Houston, Texas in the U.S.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

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. 

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.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

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 toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Background

Our Community Investment Program contributes to nonprofit organizations that operate within the immediate H-E-B service area. Depending on the need we may contribute in-kind product, volunteers, or monetary funding towards activities, projects, and causes that make a visible and possible difference. Our Community Investment Program primarily supports organizations focused on arts and humanities, disaster relief, diversity and inclusion, education and literacy, environmental and sustainability, health and wellness, hunger relief, military and veteran support, and general social services.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

The H-E-B Tournament of Champions was established in 1986 when DeckerFood Company asked H-E-B Grocery Co. to invite a few of their market vendors to play in a golf tournament and donate the proceeds to Special OlympicsTexas. The President of Decker Foods was the Chairman of the Board for Special Olympics Texas at that time. The event raised $38,500 and the proceeds made it possible to hire a Special OlympicsTexas Games Coordinator for Area 20 which included San Antonio. Chuck Hendryx(H-E-B V.P.) and Kathy Ashwin (Admin Asst.) organized the event in six weeks and concluded, if they had a year to plan the event, more money would be raised. The following year the event raised $78,000 and the rest is history!

Over the past 37 years, this event has raised over $145 million dollars benefiting Special OlympicsTexas and other worthwhile organizations that focus on children and educational initiatives throughout the State of Texas.

In 2003, the H-E-B Tournament of Champions Charitable Trust was established and the event became a 501(c)3 tax exempt private foundation under the Internal Revenue codes.

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.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

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. 

T.L.L. Temple Foundation

The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside rural communities to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all.

Focus Areas

In support of its mission to build a thriving Deep East Texas and to alleviate poverty, the foundation makes grants in the areas of education, economic development and community revitalization, health, human services, arts and culture, and conservation and the environment. Central to the foundation’s work is the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty, and the foundation prioritizes support for residents and communities that most lack access to opportunities they need to succeed

Health

America’s Health Rankings, an independent health measure that combines more than 30 health-related metrics, ranks Texas 34th out of 50 states in resident health. Texans show comparatively high rates of obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes. Disparities in health status–by race and ethnicity, geography and income–are also higher in Texas than in many states: Texas ranks 44th in the prevalence of health disparities in the nation.

Access to health care providers is also a challenge in Texas, particularly in rural areas of the state. This is partly a function of insurance coverage. According to the U.S. Census, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation: in 2016, 17.1% of Texas residents do not have health insurance coverage, compared to 9.4% nationally. It ranks second in lack of health insurance coverage for children: 9.5% of children in Texas have no health insurance, compared to 4.8% nationally. In our region, insured rates are even lower: in 2014, 21.3% of residents had no health insurance coverage, compared to 19.1% for the state in 2014. 

Given these challenges, our goal is simple: to improve the health of residents of Deep East Texas. The barriers of poverty, geographic isolation, and a lack of access to health care services make it particularly difficult for many residents in our region to improve and maintain their health. Yet poor health status often limits residents’ ability to get a high quality education, hold down a sustaining job, and stay out of poverty.

Education

Educational attainment is a significant challenge in our region. Based on U.S. Census data, Texas ranks 49th out of the 50 states for having the lowest percentage of adults with a high school diploma, with 18.5% of people 25 and older not having earned a high school degree or equivalent. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the problem is even more pronounced in our region. In the most recent 8th grade cohort available, there were 24,639 students in upper and southeast Texas counties we serve. Five years later, only 72.0% completed high school, meaning that almost 7,000 young people did not complete the most basic education.

The counties in our region lag even further behind when it comes to college completion: according to the U.S. Census’s 2015 American Community Survey, only 14.0% of people 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 27.1% in Texas and 29.3% nationally. This is particularly problematic considering that many of the region’s fastest growing occupations require at least an associate’s degree, if not a four-year degree. 

Education has always been a top priority for the T.L.L. Temple Foundation because it is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty and build a thriving region. Addressing the region’s low rates of educational attainment—particularly for low-income students—is critical to improving outcomes in poverty, health and economic development. We aim to increase access to high quality educational opportunities for residents in Deep East Texas. We invest in programs that measurably improve education outcomes in the region, including: early childhood education, out-of-school-time programs, and programs dedicated to increasing postsecondary preparation, access and success. We also support efforts to ensure that Deep East Texans have the skills needed to obtain and retain high quality jobs.

Economic Development and Community Revitalization

The 24 counties in our service region have very high rates of unemployment: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, 52.9% of the population 16 and older was in the labor force, compared to 64.4% in Texas and 63.5% nationally. In the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, the unemployment rate was 7% in 2016. While this decreased from 10% in 2011, it is significantly higher than the state unemployment rate of 4.7% and the national unemployment rate of 4.9% during the same period.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, between 2012 and 2022, jobs are expected to increase by 13.1% in the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, compared to 21.3% for Texas, and 10.8% for the U.S. The fastest growing occupations correspond to the region’s aging population: home health and personal care aides, nursing, medical secretaries, and medical assistants. Most of these jobs require a two or four-year degree. 

We aim to improve economic opportunities and help develop and sustain thriving communities in the most economically challenged places in our service area. Vibrant communities and a robust regional economy are central to creating and sustaining a thriving Deep East Texas. We invest in efforts to transform disinvested communities into places with economic opportunities and equitable access to the essential community resources needed to help families thrive. Impact Lufkin, a foundation-initiated program, is an example of the foundation’s approach to holistic, resident-engaged community revitalization. Because engaged citizens are central to fostering strong communities, we also fund programs to increase civic participation. Finally, we invest in programs that strengthen the regional economy and improve economic opportunities for residents of Deep East Texas.

Human Services

Too many residents of Deep East Texas live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census, in 2015 in the 24 counties that we serve, 19.3% of residents live in poverty, compared to 15.9% of Texans and 13.5% of people in the U.S. The median household income (2010-2014) is 21% lower than the state of Texas, and 22% lower than the U.S. For these residents, poverty can become a vicious cycle, limiting access to the quality education, self-sustaining employment, and health care needed to rise above poverty.

The foundation works to ensure the most vulnerable residents in our service region have their basic needs met. By helping provide access to food, shelter, social services and other programs, we strive to make sure that there is a strong safety net to support the region’s low-income and vulnerable residents.

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture are critical for healthy communities and a thriving region. The foundation has long supported efforts to celebrate the region’s cultural heritage and document its important history. We will continue to help enrich the lives of Deep East Texans by investing in programs that provide access to artistic and cultural experiences.

Conservation and the Environment

Beginning with the first timber harvested in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Temple family has had a special bond with the forests, wetlands, and open spaces across our region. We believe that the health of our natural environment is closely connected to the health of our residents, our communities, and our region and so seek to protect our important natural resources.

The primary emphasis of the foundation’s conservation and environmental efforts is the Boggy Slough Conservation Area  - a Temple Foundation-managed program.

The aim of the Boggy Slough Conservation Area is to:

• serve as a model for conservation and land management;
• serve as a catalyst for creating a stewardship ethic and connection to nature in our communities; and
• bridge critical research gaps regarding the forest and bottomland ecosystems of the Neches River basin and the Southeast.

Type of Support

The foundation awards funding for multiple purposes, including: general operating support, project support, capital improvements, and organizational development and capacity building.

Size and Duration of Grants

The size and duration of grants is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and typically follow these guidelines:

• We provide one-year funding for initial grants
• We rarely make grants that exceed 30% of a project or organizational budget

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

Diocese

This grant application form is for Catholic dioceses in the State of Texas only. Please use only one application form to submit all (arch)diocesan requests except for campus ministries at institutions of higher education and independent ministries that have their own tax exempt letter and by-laws. For these organizations, please use the campus ministry or ministry grant application form and submit one application form per organization.

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.

High School

This application form is for Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston only. Qualified applicants may submit one application per year.

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

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

Mission

Mrs. Evelyn Mullen and her husband Boyd owned a car dealership in Pasadena, Texas. Throughout their lives, the Mullens were involved in their community and strove to meet its changing needs. Mrs. Mullen dreamed of going to college to study nursing, but while she did not have an opportunity to do so, she became a strong advocate for education during her lifetime.

The Boyd & Evelyn Mullen Foundation was established to support charitable organizations in Texas, with a priority for the Houston area, endeavoring to advance education, literary studies, science, and religion, thereby improving the welfare of those in need. Specific areas of funding interest include education via college scholarships; disaster relief; enriching the lives of the blind and visually impaired; meeting the needs of homeless men, women and children; and Medical Research with a focus on nutrition.

Areas of Focus

While continuing Mrs. Mullen's important work by supporting organizations fitting the mission she outlined, she also wanted the Foundation to adapt to the demands of the present day, therefore Trustees established the priorities noted on this page. These areas of focus may be adjusted from time to time to address the most pressing challenges facing residents of Houston and surrounding areas.

Education

The Foundation is devoted to encouraging the pursuit of higher education among the less fortunate. To accomplish this goal, the Foundation will:

• Support organizations that provide scholarships to deserving students attending Texas colleges and universities
• Support programs that help deserving students succeed in high school so that they can go on to college
• Support programs that seek to increase college graduation rates of deserving students attending Texas colleges

Literary studies

The Foundation seeks to fund programs in fields such as classics, history, history of art, musicology, philosophy, religious studies and all areas of literary studies, including the study of foreign literatures.

Disaster preparedness and relief

The Foundation is dedicated to providing support, relief and recovery in the wake of domestic natural disasters (cyclones, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis) and other tragedies.

Human services

The goal of the Foundation is to fund programs designed to provide social enrichment to individuals in the community. Grants are awarded to programs that help the hungry, disabled and homeless, as well as abused women and children.

Medical Research

Medical Research is vital to improving human health, as it brings about a better understanding of the cause and effect of complex diseases. The Foundation will fund organizations that conduct Medical Research in the field of nutrition.

Science

The Foundation is devoted to supporting programs aimed at advancing promising research and technological developments that have the potential to expand knowledge, improve health and protect the environment. Support will also be provided for programs that enhance science education and learning.

Religion

The Foundation is committed to funding programs that reinvigorate religious life in the Houston area and connect people with a community of faith. The Foundation believes that such a connection (regardless of creed or denomination) reinforces ethical behavior and motivates active engagement driven by a concern for others. These desired outcomes cut across all of the Foundation's areas of interest.

Funding

Grants are made to support primarily operating and program/project needs, but requests for 1-time capital improvements may also be considered. Grants typically range between $5,000 and $30,000.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company

One of the largest employee-managed funds of its kind in the world, the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company has been empowering employees to make a greater impact by pooling their tax-deductible donations for more than 60 years. Employee-led grantmaking committees at 20 Boeing sites- provide combined employee donations to nonprofits in their communities through ECF grants.

Charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company.

Houston Chapter

The Employee Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing Houston is an employee owned and operated organization supported through employee payroll deductions or gifts. The ECF Board of Directors manages and disburses funds collected on behalf of the ECF consistent with its charter and in the local communities where the members work and live. The ECF Board also promotes membership and contributions to the ECF and leads the annual ECF Awareness Campaign for the Houston site.

Focus 

The focus of the Houston Chapter is to provide financial support to help local non-profit organizations distribute and deliver health and human services to meet the community’s demands regardless of gender, race, religion, social stature, and sexual orientation.