Best Irving Grants for Nonprofits in Texas

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. It is headed by the commissioner of education. The Texas Education Agency improves outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems. TEA helps deliver education to more than 5 million students under the leadership of the commissioner of education. The TEA operational costs are supported by both state and federal funds. The Texas Education Agency administers federal and state grant awards to its subgrantees to carry out a program. Such entities include primarily school systems (referred to as local educational agencies [LEAs] in statutes), including independent school districts and charter schools; education service centers (ESCs); and, to a lesser degree, institutions of higher education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and other statutorily allowable organizations.

ESC Behavior Position Pilot

This program is being created to provide technical assistance to school systems, campuses, and teachers that have special education students experiencing behavioral difficulties that result in dangerous or unsafe learning environments for that student or others. The goal of this program is to ensure that infrastructure is in place to support the students before, during, and after they experience behavioral difficulties as well as provide support for the school system, teachers, and students who may be impacted by the behavior. The program is being established in response to TEC §29.010 (a-1) that states “…the agency may require a school district to obtain specialized technical assistance for a documented noncompliance issue or if data indicates that technical assistance is needed, such as an incident involving injury to staff or students by a student receiving special education services or data indicating an excessive number of restraints are used on students receiving special education services.”

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. It is headed by the commissioner of education. The Texas Education Agency improves outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

The Division of Governance Interventions supports TEA’s mission and vision by providing exceptional leadership, guidance, and support to school system leadership teams and governing boards. The division collaborates with external field support agents appointed by the TEA Commissioner of Education to build sustainable systems aligned to core TEA initiatives, so that the school system thrives after the release of agency intervention. 

Effective Advising Framework Planning Grant

Program Description

The Effective Advising Framework (EAF) supports school systems in developing and implementing an individual student planning system as part of a comprehensive school counseling program. The EAF also promotes innovation in career and technical education, including the adoption and expansion of promising programs, particularly those aligned to high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand careers and industries.

The goal of this grant project is to provide interested school systems in each region with EAF coaching support and high-quality resources and tools to strengthen their advising systems and student outcomes. The project aims to identify, train, and designate EAF Coaches at the ESCs who will guide school systems through the EAF planning and implementation process. Finally, the project seeks to ensure that students graduate fully prepared for college, career, or military success, which in turn supports improved CCMR accountability ratings and increased outcome bonuses

The purpose of this grant is to produce and maintain resources, professional development, and implementation supports that, when used by educators and families of students with significant cognitive disabilities and/or complex needs, result in students’ academic and functional advancement and progress on appropriately rigorous individualized goals. This grant will be tasked with the development and dissemination of the tools and supports necessary to equip educators and parents to implement instructional practices, interventions, and other high-yield strategies that are proven to be effective in meeting the diverse academic and functional needs of students with complex needs. 

Texas Department of Agriculture

The Texas Legislature established the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 1907. The agency's key objectives are to promote production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living. The agriculture commissioner oversees the agency and is elected every four years. The current commissioner, Sid Miller, was first elected in 2014 and began his third term serving Texas agriculture in January 2023.

TDA is a diversified state agency that provides value-added services through our regulatory and marketing and initiatives.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for Rural Texas

The primary objective of the Community Development Block Grant program is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and to expand economic opportunities principally for persons of low- to moderate-income.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for Rural Texas includes: Community Development Fund; Downtown Revitalization Program; Colonia Fund - Construction; Colonia Economically Distressed Areas Program; State Urgent Need (SUN) Fund.

Colonia Fund - Construction

Colonia Funds

TxCDBG Colonia funds are available to eligible county applicants for projects in severely distressed unincorporated areas which meet the definition as a colonia:

• any identifiable unincorporated community within 150 miles of the United States-Mexico border, not including any standard metropolitan statistical area with a population exceeding 1,000,000;
• the community is determined to be a colonia on the basis of criteria including lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing;
• the community was in existence as a colonia before the enactment of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (November 28, 1990).

The Colonia Fund - Construction (CFC) provides eligible applicants with grants to fund water and wastewater improvements, housing rehabilitation for low- to moderate-income households, the payment of assessments levied against properties owned and occupied by persons of low and moderate income to recover the capital cost for a public improvement and other improvements including street paving and drainage

The Career and Technical Education Innovative Services for Special Populations Grant is intended to support school systems to address gaps in CTE access for students identified as special populations under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. This grant will enable school systems to design and implement innovative services that address gaps and disparities identified through the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, with a specific focus on improving outcomes for underserved student groups and special populations.

Texas Department of Agriculture

The Texas Legislature established the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 1907. The agency's key objectives are to promote production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living. The agriculture commissioner oversees the agency and is elected every four years. The current commissioner, Sid Miller, was first elected in 2014 and began his third term serving Texas agriculture in January 2023.

TDA is a diversified state agency that provides value-added services through our regulatory and marketing and initiatives.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for Rural Texas

The primary objective of the Community Development Block Grant program is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and to expand economic opportunities principally for persons of low- to moderate-income.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for Rural Texas includes: Community Development Fund; Downtown Revitalization Program; Colonia Fund - Construction; Colonia Economically Distressed Areas Program; State Urgent Need (SUN) Fund.

Colonia Economically Distressed Areas Program Fund (CEDAP)

Colonia Funds

TxCDBG Colonia funds are available to eligible county applicants for projects in severely distressed unincorporated areas which meet the definition as a colonia:

• any identifiable unincorporated community within 150 miles of the United States-Mexico border, not including any standard metropolitan statistical area with a population exceeding 1,000,000;
• the community is determined to be a colonia on the basis of criteria including lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing;
• the community was in existence as a colonia before the enactment of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (November 28, 1990).

Description

This fund provides assistance to colonia areas to connect to a water and sewer system improvement project funded by the Texas Water Development Board Economically Distressed Areas Program (TWDB EDAP) or federal or state funding with a similar purpose.

An application cannot be submitted until the construction of the TWDB EDAP-funded water or sewer system begins. The applicant should work closely with CDBG staff.

Projects supported through this CDBG-funded program must meet primary beneficiary requirements. All applicants must refer to the most recent CEDAP Application Guide for complete program details and information.

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. It is headed by the commissioner of education. The Texas Education Agency improves outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems. TEA helps deliver education to more than 5 million students under the leadership of the commissioner of education. The TEA operational costs are supported by both state and federal funds. The Texas Education Agency administers federal and state grant awards to its subgrantees to carry out a program. Such entities include primarily school systems (referred to as local educational agencies [LEAs] in statutes), including independent school districts and charter schools; education service centers (ESCs); and, to a lesser degree, institutions of higher education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and other statutorily allowable organizations.

Instructional Leadership Continuation Grant

The instructional leadership pathway will provide training, implementation support, and one-on-one coaching to campus and district leaders to build their own capacity and that of the educators that they manage. 

Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program - Texas

Purpose:

The purpose of this announcement is to solicit applications for projects that promote a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to improve the justice system’s response to violent crimes against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Available Funding:

Federal funding is authorized for these projects under the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 Pub. L. No. 113-4 (VAWA 2013). VAWA funds are made available through a Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated federal funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Project Period:

Projects may not exceed 12 months and must start on 9/01/2026 and end on 08/31/2027.

Funding Levels

• Minimum: $5,000
• Maximum: No Maximum
• Match Requirement: 30% of the total project (Note: Victim service providers and Native American tribes are exempt from the match requirement.)

About McElhattan Foundation

Founded in 2017 following the sale of Industrial Scientific Corporation, McElhattan Foundation invites bold ideas that advance the goals of its four program areas, including Ending Death on the Job.

Zero Electrocution Challenge

Despite decades of regulations, training, and personal protective equipment, workers continue to die from electrical contact every year.

McElhattan Foundation’s Zero Electrocution Challenge seeks breakthrough solutions that present pathways to eliminate life-threatening tasks that lead to fatal electrocution on the job by the year 2050, while increasing enterprise profitability and productivity. This is the inaugural ZERO 2050 challenge, awarding two Winners up to $1 million each.

About Us

To support our agency's mission of Connecting you with Texas, we deliver excellence to enhance quality of life for all Texans.

Texas Transportation Alternatives Set-aside (TA) Program

TxDOT administers TA funds for locally sponsored bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects in communities across the state. In large urbanized areas with populations over 200,000, TA funds are also distributed directly to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) to administer according to their needs. MPOs and TxDOT are responsible for selecting projects independently of one another.

About Us

Texans voted in 2007 to create the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and to invest $3 billion in the state’s unprecedented fight against cancer. On November 5, 2019, Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to continue CPRIT’s work and invest an additional $3 billion for finding and funding the best cancer research and prevention opportunities in the state. CPRIT is now a $6 billion, 20-year initiative – the largest state cancer research investment in the history of the United States and the second largest cancer research and prevention program in the world. 

We accept applications and award grants for a wide variety of innovative cancer-related research and product development and for the delivery of evidence-based cancer prevention programs and services by public and private entities located in Texas.

Dissemination of CPRIT-Funded Cancer Control Interventions

The Dissemination of CPRIT-Funded Cancer Control Interventions (DI) award mechanism seeks to fund programs that facilitate the sharing and uptake of successful CPRIT Prevention Program-supported projects, results, and products through their dissemination and implementation across Texas. CPRIT supports applications surrounding the dissemination of successful projects, as well as the dissemination of products, specific tangible deliverables, or outputs created within a successful project. This award mechanism is open only to completed CPRIT Prevention Program-funded projects that have ended within the last 3 years or to ongoing expansion projects. A DI application may not be submitted while the original preventive service project is ongoing. Applicants may request any amount of funding up to a maximum of $450,000 in total funding over a maximum of 36 months. Up to 2 DI awards are allowed for each previously funded CPRIT Prevention Program project. Only 1 DI application per previously funded CPRIT Prevention Program project is permitted per cycle

About Us

The Texas Music Office supports Texas music businesses, musicians, and communities by strengthening the state’s music industry and fostering economic development through music.

Music Education & Community Program Grant

The Texas Music Office (TMO) administers the Music Education & Community Program Grant (often called the “License Plate Grant”), providing awards for music-related education and community programs sponsored by Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

How it’s funded: The grant fund is supported by Texas Music specialty plate purchases, where $22 of the $30 fee goes directly into this program.

Funding & Timeline

• Award range: $1,500–$3,000
• Project period: up to 12 months
• Next opening: September 15, 2026

About Us

Wisconsin Sea Grant is a statewide program of basic and applied research, education, outreach and technology transfer dedicated to the stewardship and sustainable use of the nation’s Great Lakes and ocean resources.

Headquartered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the institute is housed in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research’s Aquatic Sciences Center. (See our Water and Land Acknowledgement.) Wisconsin Sea Grant is part of a national network of 34 university-based programs funded through the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce and through matching contributions from participating states and the private sector. 

John A. Knauss Marine (and Great Lakes) Policy Fellowship

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program is accepting applications from graduate students statewide for the National Sea Grant College Program’s John A. Knauss Marine (and Great Lakes) Policy Fellowship Program. The program, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience to applicants who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid internship. Placement opportunities are numerous and very diverse and have typically included offices within Congress, the Executive Office of the President, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, Transportation, and Energy, in addition to others. Applicants from a variety of backgrounds including natural and social sciences, law, engineering, and communications can be competitive for this fellowship. Fellowships begin June 1, 2027.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA), as the pass-through entity, is the grantee from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and TEA awards subgrants to non-federal entities such as local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts, charter schools, and education service centers, and to a lesser degree institutions of higher education (IHEs), and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) who are the agency’s subgrantees.

Texas Strategic Staffing ESC Direct Grant

The Texas Strategic Staffing ESC Direct Grant is a direct grant to fund services for school systems awarded with the 2026-2028 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant for Residencies Grant (via LASO IV). ESCs will supply a Strategic Staffing fellow (TSS Fellow) who will provide technical assistance and other support to school systems and educator preparation program (EPP) partnerships to design and implement paid and sustainable yearlong teacher residencies across SY 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. 

Strategic Staffing technical assistance (TA) will be provided by Education Service Centers (ESCs) through the Texas Strategic Staffing (TSS) technical assistance service. With Education Service Centers providing technical assistance, school systems and EPPs will make informed decisions to develop paid teacher residencies that leverage reallocation and reinvestment of local funds to support teacher residents’ wages while they engage in other instructional responsibilities including substitute teaching, paraprofessional roles, tutoring, and more.

TA providers in this role also serve as critical thought partners for school systems as they establish strong residency systems for the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships Program (PREP) Residency Allotment, recruitment mechanisms through PREP Grow Your Own Allotment, and supportive training for host teachers through the PREP Mentorship Allotment.

In addition to TSS fellows, this grant funds Strategic Staffing State Leads. These are full-time Strategic Staffing ESC staff who will play a pivotal role in providing technical assistance throughout the State of Texas by training and coaching TSS Fellows on their respective technical assistance. State Leads are also leading technical assistance for a selection of school systems in Cohort 3 of Pipeline to Leadership (P2L) Strategic Staffing.

EDFA is providing professional development to help school districts implement a school model that redefines an instructional, talent, and comprehensive outstanding student experience across the district to support principals and other school leaders. Initially focusing on the campus leaders at campuses that need the most support in these areas and then ensuring that the district can effectively lead all campuses in these areas over the course of multiple years. These grant funds serve the purpose of supporting the district and particularly instructional leaders including principals and principal managers, as it relates to instruction, talent, and an outstanding and consistent student experience to prepare all students to meet the challenging State academic standards.

The purpose of the State Facilities Incentive Technical Assistance Grant is to provide high-quality facilities support to Texas charter schools and support State Facilities Incentive Grant (SFIG) grantees. The grant activities include providing technical assistance for charter school leaders on smart decision-making related to facilities and growth. This support aims to increase expertise in facilities planning, financing and operations. Grant activities also include supporting SFIG grantees through monitoring and evaluation to ensure awarded SFIG funds are appropriately stewarded. 

The purpose of this program is to enhance, expand, or modify existing maternal health outcome initiatives that prioritize diagnoses identified as severe obstetric complications (SOCs) and reduce SOCs (not present on admission that occur during the current delivery encounter), address gaps in maternal health outcomes, and strengthen community-based systems to ensure high-quality preventive, primary, and specialty services for pregnant or postpartum women. 

The purpose of this announcement is to solicit applications for projects that prevent violence in and around school; and to improve the juvenile justice system by providing mental health services, truancy prevention, diversion services and intervention through community-based and school programs.

Eligible Activities include: Mental Health Services, Education programs or supportive services, Community Programs and Services, Youth Diversion Services and Juvenile Case Managers. 

This grant aims to recruits outstanding mid-stage investigators to Texas, who have demonstrated the promise for continued and enhanced contributions to the field of cancer research.