Best Grants for Education Nonprofits in Texas

The L. Ray Vahue Scholarship, offered by the Amarillo Area Foundation, supports City of Amarillo employees and their families. This scholarship allows recipients to apply annually, ensuring continued educational support. The foundation aims to enhance the quality of life for residents of the Texas Panhandle by addressing educational needs. Eligible applicants must complete the foundation's General Scholarship Application and maintain enrollment requirements, fostering academic success within the community.

The 2025-2026 Migrant Capacity Building and Curriculum Initiative aims to enhance educational outcomes for migratory children by providing tailored resources and support. This program addresses the unique challenges faced by these students, ensuring they receive equitable educational opportunities across state lines. Key goals include developing resources on the Texas Migratory Education Portal and facilitating parent engagement to support academic success. By focusing on comprehensive educational strategies, the initiative seeks to overcome barriers and promote the effective participation of migratory students in the educational system.

The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation provides vital support to nonprofit organizations in Texas, focusing on charitable, educational, and scientific initiatives. It prioritizes research and education-related projects that promise long-term benefits. However, the Foundation does not fund individuals, scholarships, or political activities and prefers not to support fundraising events or school-related sports teams. This ensures its grants are directed towards impactful and sustainable community projects.

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. 

Title I Parent and Family Engagement Initiative

Program Description

The purpose of this program is to provide support to School Systems and ESCs by providing access to best practice resources and strategies to improve student achievement.

The Kerr Foundation Inc. offers grants to 501(c)3 organizations, focusing on education, arts, health, and human services. Priority is given to Oklahoma entities, but applications from neighboring states and Washington D.C. are also accepted. The foundation supports various project types, including capital, program, and operating expenses. Note that back-to-back grants are not allowed, enforcing a three-year gap for reapplication after funding. This ensures a broad and impactful reach for community development.

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. 

Texas Academic Innovation and Mentoring (AIM) Grant

Program Description

The Academic Innovation and Mentoring (AIM) grant is designed to close the gaps in the student achievement among English language learners and minority and low-income students who are at risk of dropping out. The Texas AIM program is a partnership between Texas Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs (BGC) and a supplemental academic learning center that is owned and operated in the United States to provide an after-school and summer AIM program statewide. Program goals include decreasing the dropout rate and discipline issues and improving academic achievement and attendance among participating at-risk students.

The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation supports impactful projects in Texas, focusing on environmental protection, social equity, and economic vitality. Their strategic grantmaking emphasizes clean energy, land conservation, subsurface energy, sustainability education, and water resources. The foundation seeks proposals that align with their mission and demonstrate a clear benefit to Texas. Projects funded must have a robust communication strategy to share outcomes effectively, ensuring lasting impacts on the communities served.

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. 

IDEA-D funds- Program Purpose, Goals, and Objectives

The purpose of IDEA-D funds is to provide technical assistance and dissemination to improve services and results for children who are deafblind. The purpose of this program is to promote academic achievement and improve results for children with disabilities by providing technical assistance and model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based research. IDEA includes provisions designed to ensure that each child with a disability is provided a high-quality individual program of services to meet his or her developmental and educational needs. For children who are deafblind to receive such services, intensive technical assistance is made available to the school system, parents, and professionals (IDEA-D, Section 663; CFDA 84.326T).

TEA is awarded funds through a five-year competitive grant program titled Technical Assistance to State Deafblind Projects, administered by the USDE, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This project is administered by TEA through the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI).

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. 

Unified Champion Schools Grant

Program Description

The Unified Champion Schools grant provides funding to support statewide Unified Sports, comprehensive early child development to adult transition programs with data-based health, social, leadership, transition, and athletic programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

The intent of the grant program is to expand the reach of the Special Olympics Unified Champions project. This project uses sports as a catalyst for social inclusion that extends beyond the playing field and into classrooms and communities to promote long-term success of students with intellectual disabilities.

The Texas Unified Champion Schools (UCS) program emphasizes three core components: Inclusive Youth Leadership, Unified Sports & Activities, and Whole School Engagement. Authentic social inclusion is the overall project goal. With awarded funds, the grantee will expand the number of campuses that are able to participate in the program.

The Corporate Giving Program by the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations within specific states. They prioritize initiatives that enhance community welfare, especially in agriculture, education, health, and environmental sustainability. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status to apply, and preference is given to those involving Perdue associates. Ineligible requests include those from religious, political, or individual-focused groups. This program emphasizes broad community benefits over organizational affiliations.

The Local Accountability Systems is a district-wide initiative through which districts and open-enrollment charter schools develop a plan to evaluate the performance of their campuses locally. Local Accountability Systems seek to engage the community and district in establishing locally relevant accountability measures, provide parents, families, and communities with detail information about local school performance and progress over time, and continuously improve student performance and preparedness for post-secondary success. 

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. 

Discipline and Behavior Supports

Program Description

The purpose of this program is to support the creation, dissemination, and implementation of state-level technical assistance, professional development training, tools, and resources. These include, but are not limited to, the following topics: intensive behavioral interventions, alternatives to exclusionary discipline practices, and addressing the individualization of disciplinary practices for students with disabilities. This grant will support the development of a series of courses and training, enabling us to scale their usage across the state. The initial audience for the technical assistance and professional development provided through this grant is school district and Education Service Center (ESC) staff. These individuals work directly to support children with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors, aiming to improve special educator practices and outcomes for students with disabilities.

Examples of the types of activities supported by this grant include, but are not limited to, developing a variety of courses, webinars, and resources on topics outlined in the grant program’s purpose, with the goal of future implementation and statewide scaling.

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. 

Governance Interventions Field Service Support

Program Description

This project supports Commissioner-initiated interventions and the delivery of intensive educational assistance aimed at ensuring students perform at grade level by reimbursing school systems for costs associated with an appointed external field agent. 

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. 

Local Accountability Plan Technical Assistance Grant

Program Description

The scope of the work will include providing technical assistance for school systems as they develop their Local Accountability System plan.

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. 

School Bus Safety Grant Program

Program Description

The purpose of this grant program is to assist school systems with retrofitting school buses with three-point seat belts. The seat belts should comply with the safety standards established by the Department of Public Safety in accordance with Texas Education Code, Section 34.002, Texas Administrative Code, Title 37, Chapter 14, and any other applicable laws. 

Introduction

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers federal1 and state grant awards to its subgrantees2 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.

Program Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to enable an Institute of Higher Education (IHE) to conduct an academic review and comparability of solicited instruments for kindergarten through grade three that assess students’ foundational literacy skills and foundational numeracy skills. The IHE will provide neutral, research-based recommendations on instruments and create a resource to help school systems understand approved options and select those that best meet their needs. As a result of this grant, school systems will use this resource to compare approved instruments, understand what skills are assessed and how they are measured, and examine key similarities and differences across instruments. The resource is intended to support school systems in evaluating alignment to local instructional contexts and goals, student populations, and implementation considerations as they make informed local decisions about assessment selection and adoption to better support their students’ foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.

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. 

Center for Strategic Compensation

Program Description

The 2026-2028 Center for Strategic Compensation (CSC) Grant will support School Systems in developing and implementing strategic compensation systems, talent systems support, and other related strategic planning while utilizing funds obtained through participation in the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) as well as local district dollars. The Center for Strategic Compensation aims to support School Systems in obtaining an Enhanced TIA district designation and provide support to Education Service Centers (ESCs) to develop capacity in supporting School Systems to develop and implement strategic compensation systems.

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 Texas Education Agency (TEA) 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.

Immediate HQIM and Instructional Systems Grant

Program Description

Immediate HQIM and Instructional Systems Grant is up to a three-year program designed to support Texas school systems in building the instructional and systems-level capacity needed to deliver high-quality learning experiences for all students. Recipients will use the grant to participate in the LIFT program. LIFT brings together the highest leverage components of Strong Foundations, Texas Instructional Leadership, and Texas Lesson Study, providing comprehensive support for districts to adopt HQIM and implement Bluebonnet Learning over multiple years.  

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 Texas Education Agency (TEA) 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.

Perkins V: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century - Institutions

Program Description

The purpose of the career and technical education (CTE) program is to develop more fully the academic knowledge, technical, and employability skills of students who enroll in CTE programs and programs of study.

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 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.

The purpose of this project is to support the implementation of the Effective Schools Framework (ESF) and Effective District Framework (EDF) by campuses and school systems throughout the state. Support will include the development and implementation of training, tools, resources, and platforms to support the implementation of the ESF and EDF. This project will also provide support to low performing schools by providing resources and support for continuous improvement efforts to reduce the number of low-performing campuses in the state. This project will include logistics and operations for training, events, and School Improvement and District Strategic leadership touchpoints.

The Texas Education Agency is committed to relentlessly focusing on students in low-performing schools. To this end, the Division of System Support provides competitive grant opportunities and technical assistance with the intent to empower and support school systems with the planning and implementation of comprehensive and bold school actions.

This project partners matched technical assistance providers with campuses (school systems) awarded school action fund grants to provide grantees with targeted technical assistance. The technical assistance is intended to support effective implementation of grant proposals.

The George G. and Alva Hudson Smith Foundation aims to enhance the lives of Hill County, Texas residents by funding programs that support health, education, and welfare, particularly for the underprivileged. The Foundation prioritizes local organizations and projects, while it does not accept applications from entities outside Texas or those seeking ongoing operational support. Funding opportunities include special projects and capital campaigns that address basic human needs in a compassionate and effective manner.

The T-TESS Pilot Districts Support Grant, initiated by the Texas Education Agency, aims to assist school districts in implementing the updated Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). By providing essential training and resources, this grant seeks to enhance teacher effectiveness, align with educational priorities, and foster sustainable growth within school systems. The program focuses on delivering fair and credible recognition of teaching excellence, ultimately benefiting the educational landscape across Texas.

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. 

Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) Planning and Expansion Grant

Program Description

The Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program is designed to expand rural students’ access to high-quality college and career pathways through structured, multi-district partnerships. The program supports regional collaboration among eligible school systems, coordinating entities, and postsecondary or workforce partners to design, implement, and sustain aligned pathways that respond to regional needs and support successful student transitions beyond high school and to promote long-term capacity, accountability, and outcomes.

The Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) funding uses a tiered approach: Tier 1 - Planning Grants and Tier 2 - Expansion Grants.

Tier 2 - Expansion Grants

Tier 2 applications will consist of Expansion Grants and will be considered for award after Tier 1 awards have been made.

Eligible applicants are Coordinating Entities of current R-PEPs in good standing.

Deliverable 1: Expansion Rationale, Evidence of Success, and Governance

Grantees will develop a comprehensive set of planning artifacts that demonstrate strong alignment between regional workforce demand and the proposed R-PEP expansion design. 

Deliverable 2: Fiscal, Staffing, Implementation Capacity and Technical Assistance

Grantees will submit a complete and accurate R-PEP Expansion Application with sufficient evidence and attachments to demonstrate readiness for expansion.

The Alice E. and Joseph C. Blewett Foundation Grant supports charitable organizations, primarily in Dallas, Texas, focusing on education, arts, health, and human services. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) exempt to qualify. The foundation places a strong emphasis on local community engagement, aiming to enhance educational and cultural opportunities for youth. While there are no strict geographic limitations, preference is given to initiatives that align with the Blewetts' legacy of civic involvement and support for community welfare.