Search Through Grants for Museums in Texas in the U.S.

Community Outreach Program Grant

Leading the Way in Supporting Our Communities

“Doing the Right Thing” is an integral part of our culture that protects our clients, but also extends outside of our offices and business hours. As a company and as individual employees, we emphasize community engagement by dedicating our time, talents, and financial resources to support local charities and organizations in towns and cities near our offices.

CBE employees can donate $5 to $25 per paycheck to support local charities in Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas. Each quarter, over $15,000 is donated.

At CBE Companies, we are deeply committed to enriching the communities where we live and work. Through a combination of strategic partnerships, volunteer programs, and charitable donations, we aim to create a meaningful change and provide opportunities that make a lasting impact.

Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits 

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides a variety of grants related to our art collections for individuals and nonprofits. Through these programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect: Art of the Spanish Americas, Digital & Media Art, Japanese Bamboo, and Post-War Painting & Sculpture. We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest.

Grant Categories

The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

Exhibitions

As of Spring 2023, we are excited to learn about exhibitions that are slated to open in Spring 2024 through 2026. We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include:

• development,
• scholarship,
• construction,
• outreach,
• traveling costs,
• admissions subsidies, and more.

Convenings

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

Academic

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article. For potential partners working in university settings, a letter stating our policy on funding indirect costs is available on our Grantee Resources page.

Exhibition Catalog Support

In conjunction with our exhibition support, we are pleased to support development, research, and publication costs associated with museum catalogs relating to artists in our collection.

• As of January 2022, our previous Publication Grant program is currently on hold while we reevaluate our strategic priorities. 

Before submitting your application, please read our Criteria for Collections-Related Nonprofit Grants and FAQ page.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Humanities Texas 

Humanities Texas advances education through programs that improve the quality of classroom teaching, support libraries and museums, and create opportunities for lifelong learning.

We strengthen Texas communities by conducting and supporting programs that cultivate the knowledge and judgment that representative democracy demands of its citizens. These programs also contribute to Texas’s thriving economy, culture, and civic life.  

Founded in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Humanities Texas is one of fifty-six state and jurisdictional humanities councils in the U.S. We are a nonprofit, educational organization supported by federal and state appropriations, as well as by foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our volunteer board is a model of leadership, ensuring we execute our mission while providing careful stewardship of our funding resources.

The Humanities Texas Grants Program

Working in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Humanities Texas provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and institutions for humanities programs that serve public audiences.

What are the humanities?

The humanities include but are not limited to the study of history, literature, modern and classical languages; linguistics; jurisprudence; philosophy; comparative religion; ethics; and the history, criticism, and theory of the arts. Social sciences that employ qualitative approaches such as cultural anthropology, archaeology, and political science are considered part of the humanities, as are interdisciplinary areas such as women’s studies, American studies, and the study of folklore and folklife. In elementary and secondary education, the humanities are found in social studies and English language-arts courses, as well as in advanced courses in history, literature, foreign languages, art or music history, and related subjects. 

Projects may also apply humanities perspectives to current political, social, or economic concerns and issues.

Mini-grants

Mini-grants support costs associated with public humanities programs. These small grants—which are easy to apply for and administer, and are available on a rolling basis throughout the year—are particularly appropriate for funding a speaker and/or the rental of a traveling exhibition, including those provided by Humanities Texas. Before submitting a mini-grant application for a Humanities Texas exhibition rental, please complete our online rental form, found here. In the current crisis, as Texas communities continue to practice physical distancing, we are eager to support projects that use the humanities to connect people, either through the use of digital technologies or by connecting people without access to digital tools. Contact our grants staff to discuss how Humanities Texas can support projects you’re currently working on.

Humanities Scholar

A humanities scholar is an individual with particular training or experience in one or more of the academic disciplines in the humanities. The typical qualifications are an advanced degree (M.A. or Ph.D.) in a humanities field of study. However, individuals without an advanced degree may qualify as humanities scholars because of their accomplishments and/or methods of research, inquiry, and teaching.

The qualifications of a project’s principal Humanities Advisor and participating scholars significantly determine an application’s competitiveness. For example, it is unlikely that Humanities Texas would fund a lecture series on Texas in the twentieth century that does not include any credentialed historians who specialize in twentieth-century Texas. 

Humanities Texas encourages applicants to involve a broad and diverse group of scholars in their proposed projects. For major grant applications in particular, it is important that organizations include guidance and perspectives from scholars outside the sponsoring organization. For example, a museum or academic institution seeking a Humanities Texas major grant for a year-long lecture series or major exhibit should include outside scholars and advisors. Major grant applications that draw exclusively on in-house humanities expertise are typically not competitive. 

Our Mission

The 1687 Foundation (“Foundation”) is a nonprofit corporation that is organized for Christian, educational and charitable purposes. The Foundation is recognized by the IRS as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the Foundation is accomplished through the operation of its Retreat Ministry, Book Ministry, Hunting and Fishing Ministry, Museum Ministry; all as explained in this website. All of the Foundation’s activities are provided free of charge.

Our Goal

The 1687 Foundation Hunting & Fishing Ministry exists to provide a place of solace, healing, and refuge, through hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities, to those who need it most. We use the Scriptures and God's Word, to relate to those we serve.

Who We Serve

The ministry was established to serve disabled children, terminally ill children, single-parent children, disabled veterans and active service members and families, inner city kids, and other individuals and groups with similar needs or who have experienced brokenness.

Through hunting, fishing, and many other outdoor activities, participants experience God’s amazing handiwork in this beautiful ranch setting. It is our heart’s desire that they see Christ in us, and in this place, and will desire to know Him more.

We team with other like-minded, 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations to serve these individuals and groups. We provide all accommodations and services at no charge.

The 1687 Foundation Hunting & Fishing events are held in a breathtaking ranch setting near Abilene, Texas. The handiwork of God's creation is in full view at every turn. Our facilities and accommodations gift participants with the very best as God has provided us!

Hunting & Fishing Events

Thank you for your interest in a Hunting & Fishing event with The 1687 Foundation. Please understand, this a request to apply and not a guarantee of access to a Hunting & Fishing event.

If you feel you have a special circumstance and would like The 1687 Foundation to consider your request directly, please fill out the form on our wevsite. We want anyone in need to have the opportunity to be served.

If you are a non-profit ministry or organization who serves the same ministry outreaches we do we would like to explore an opportunity for a future Hunting & Fishing event with you, please fill out the form below. 

We are a private family foundation on a mission to improve the quality and circumstances of life for the people of Texas now and in the future.

What We Fund: Our Program Areas

Texas is diverse. So is our giving.

We provide grants throughout Texas within our program areas and also our initiatives in education, environment, homelessness, and mental health.

Arts and Culture

Our founders were passionate about the arts’ ability to illuminate and reflect our communities, reimagine conversations, promote public engagement, and preserve memories. We support organizations throughout the state that provide opportunities for all Texans to experience and benefit from the arts. Our most significant partner is Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts and the Meadows Museum.

Civic and Public Affairs

Communities thrive when effective civic leadership and healthy public systems are supported by a strong network of nonprofit organizations. We assist communities in developing leadership talent, promoting civic and public collaboration, supporting nonprofits through management and capacity-building, and improving processes and infrastructures for delivery of services to all residents. We also recognize the importance of animals and the role they have in many people’s lives. We fund projects that improve their welfare and enhance the human-animal connection.

Education

The link between quality of education and quality of life is undeniable. Knowledge empowers choices that influence our social and family environment, health and mental well-being, home and community, and career and income. Each additional year of schooling increases earnings by 8-10%. In addition, early reading, high-quality instructors, access to resources, and high expectations for all students improve life-long study skills and academic achievements.

Environment

With our population in Texas expected to increase by 73% to 51.5 million people in 2070, the impacts on our environment will be significant. We focus on preserving our rich ecological and biological resources for future generations while meeting our growing needs.

Health

Access to quality health care is essential. Health and mental health programs that offer a chance to rethink what can be accomplished with new knowledge and technology ultimately lead to Texans living healthier lives. We invest in programs and initiatives that promote innovation in services and delivery and strengthen the ecosystem of health and mental health care.

Human Services

In communities across Texas, people face overwhelming challenges and times of personal or family crisis. We support programs and agencies that thoughtfully weave compassion and respect into the support systems that improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable Texans. We also place emphasis on supporting efforts that reduce homelessness in the Dallas area.

What We Fund: Initiatives 

Five initiatives are linked to our long-term goals, and requests in these areas receive additional consideration in the review process.

Postsecondary Completion

The changing economic landscape requires a shift in the kind of preparation offered to connect Texans to jobs, career paths, livable wages, and economic and social mobility. By 2030, 60% of the Texas workforce will need a postsecondary credential to be gainfully employed, a driving factor for the state’s higher education plan. We aim to ensure that awarded postsecondary degrees, credentials, and certificates align to real-time labor needs, are affordable for all Texans, and offer value to students and society. We are working with our partners to increase postsecondary completion rates beyond current projections to meet current and future workforce demands.

Educator Preparation

Quality teachers are consistently identified as the most important school-based factor in student achievement. On average, a high-performing teacher increases student learning by 50% more than expected growth over the course of a school year. Texas has hundreds of educator preparation programs of varying quality and varying levels of accessibility to aspiring teachers. The teacher pipeline must be robust to meet the needs of a growing state with a growing student population. We are working with our partners to define, build, and scale models of high-quality educator preparation. 

Water Conservation

Texas has grown rapidly, and the state’s population is projected to expand by 70% from 2020 to 2070. While this growth can fuel robust economic development, ensuring the vitality of Texas’ cities, industries, and agriculture while also protecting natural resources will require careful water management. As water demand increases, state water supplies will drop by 18%. The state water plan suggests that water conservation strategies could meet 30% of future water supplies. 

While conservation success can be determined in part by policies, everyday water users are the conservation decision makers, and how they value water is the most crucial element of achieving an overall demand reduction. We are working with our partners to advance water conservation, with the goal of reducing the planned use of water by 30% by 2030.

Depression

Depression is the most common mental illness in the U.S. In North Texas alone, 300,000 adults and children experience depression annually. We know that mental health treatment works: two-thirds of individuals who receive evidence-based, measurement-based care get better. However, less than one in 10 receive this type of care. 

With appropriate training and support, primary care physicians can screen, identify, and provide effective behavioral and mental health treatment and referrals to their patients, which could fill this gap in care. In fact, at least 80% of individuals diagnosed with depression can be treated by their primary care physician. We are working with our partners to integrate evidence-based practices into primary care at large healthcare systems, with the goal of ending untreated depression in North Texas by 2030.

Homelessness

Thousands of individuals experience homelessness every year in Dallas and Collin counties. Our neighbors face several challenges as they try to exit homelessness, such as affordable housing shortages, increased cost of living, and limited access to resources that help them remain housed. Access to adequate housing provides the safety needed to survive and the stability needed to thrive. We are working with our partners to make homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Our goal is to house 6,000 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness by 2025.

Types of Funding

• Specific programs or projects account for almost 85% of our total giving
• Although not a significant part of our funding, we will consider
  • Capital projects aligned with our initiatives and green building guidelines
  • Program-related investment loans
• Endowment and scholarship grants are rare

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Higher Education

In 2022, the Foundation awarded $49 million to more than 35 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities.

Human Services

The Foundation awarded $30 million to human service nonprofits in 2022, and many grants in this area went to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including Reconciliation Services, the Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska and the Sno-Valley Senior Center in Carnation, Washington. 

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture projects received $23 million in 2022, including grants to the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, the Omaha Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington. Health Care and Hospitals.

Health Care and Hospitals

This is a growing area of need in many communities the Foundation serves. In 2022, $65 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities.

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

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

Nonprofit Organizations

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

• Art of the Spanish Americas

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

•  Digital & Media Art

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

• Japanese Bamboo

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

• Post-War Painting & Sculpture

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

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

• Exhibitions

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

• Convenings

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

• Academic 

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

Individual Fellowships and Awards

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

Thoma Foundation Special Project Funding

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

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

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

Texas History Program Overview

Since 1988, the Texas History Program has embraced a broad and diverse group of projects from all regions of Texas. These projects have included the disciplines of archaeology, archives, libraries, media, museums, middle and secondary schools, higher education, preservation, publications and scholarly research.

Hints for Success

The Summerlee Foundation does not change its priorities from year to year but instead looks to those working in Texas History to articulate the needs of the field. There are, however, a few points that we might suggest.

• The Summerlee Foundation is always on the look out for projects devoted to underserved cultural and geographic areas of the state.
• We receive a great many proposals for restoration and renovation of historic properties, and while National Register Status and/or designation by the Texas Historical Commission are not a requirement for submitting a proposal, that status will make your proposal more compelling.
• Projects that can tout the participation of well qualified individuals either as active participants or consultants help to make a proposal stronger.
• Projects that demonstrate strong community support through funding, in-kind support, and volunteer participation also make a stronger proposal.

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.

Our Mission

The legacy of this foundation is to support the diverse needs of San Antonio and the surrounding community, with an emphasis on Bexar County. We support many causes and organizations, but our primary focus areas are arts, education, health and wellness, animal welfare and wildlife conservation.

Focus Areas

Education

Mrs. Kelso, following the focus of the family, knew the importance of education and chose to continue to provide opportunities for young people to become productive members of society. However, she also believed in the physical and social development of young people and dedicated some of her resources to ensuring that children grow to be healthy, well rounded and balanced adults. To that end, her impact can be seen in some of the major universities and schools in San Antonio, especially Trinity University, University of Texas, Texas A&M, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio Academy, St. Mary’s Hall and the University of the Incarnate Word.

Health & Wellness

Our foundation believes in the importance of both a healthy mind, through educational support, and a healthy body and spirit. There are many diverse health and wellness institutions and organizations in Bexar County that provide tremendous benefits to children and youth, as well as to adults. Support has been provided to assist those with autism, victims of family violence, the visually impaired, developmentally disabled children, the homeless and many others. Additionally, research projects to develop new and innovative solutions to disease prevention and eradication of serious health problems have an important place in our funding priorities. Betty Kelso’s support can be seen at Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (now Texas Biomedical Research), Incarnate Word School of Nursing, among others.

Animal Welfare & Wildlife Conservation

Mrs. Kelso always held a special place in her heart for animals and wildlife, especially her beloved dog Chula. In honor of Chula, she provided funding for the Puppy Palace at the San Antonio Humane Society. Having grown up spending time on ranches and having owned her own ranches, she was an avid outdoorswoman and manager of habitat and the wildlife it supported. Whether she took in rescue dogs, or supported organizations such as the San Antonio Humane Society, Texas Wildlife Association, Exotic Wildlife Association, San Antonio Zoo or Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, her goal was to provide for the safety, welfare and critical habitat for all animals and wildlife.

The Arts

A long-time supporter of the arts, Mrs. Kelso helped create some of the most prominent art institutions in San Antonio. Her legacy can be found in our local museums, art education programs and performing arts organizations. An avid collector of diverse arts media, Mrs. Kelso’s artistic contributions are widely displayed in and around the San Antonio area at places such as the San Antonio Museum of Art, the University of the Incarnate Word Kelso Art Center and many other institutions.

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.

Background

In February 2025, the City of Austin established Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) to better support the City’s ongoing work with Austin’s creative community, making the city a stronger place for arts, culture, and music. AACME goals include:

• Meaningful direct support for artists and cultural groups
• Local economy growth and development to attract visitors and build stronger communities
• Enduring partnerships between artists, cultural groups, and businesses
• Open and accessible spaces that connect residents and tourists through arts and culture to strengthen community identity and promote collective storytelling
• Further build Austin’s identity as a global city for creativity The AACME Funding Program Guidelines outline everything you need to know about eligibility, funding priorities, allowable expenses, and application review.

Heritage Preservation Grant

The Heritage Preservation Grant promotes tourism through historic preservation projects and activities rooted in local history and heritage.

Grant funds support capital projects or heritage events that expand access to historic places and heritage resources and market the site's history to engage new audiences and tourists. All capital projects require a historic designation.

Program goals include to increase Austin's heritage tourism; preserve and open access to historic spaces; bring local history to life through interpretation, activations, and storytelling; and support jobs in the creative economy.

Capital Improvement Projects

Contractual preservation agreements to restore, preserve, and promote tourism-serving historic designated sites and structures. The project site must have a historic designation or be eligible for historic designation (designation must be completed within the contract term). The program supports exterior restoration projects. At least one complete bid package from a contractor, (preservation) architect, and subcontractor is required for the preservation project. Detailed and thorough project bids must indicate how the proposed work meets the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and/or Local Historic Building Standards.

All capital project proposals are required to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Office, Architectural Review Committee (ARC), and/or the Historic Landmark Commission (HLC). ARC project feedback must be incorporated into the proposal. To be placed on an upcoming agenda, please contact the Historic Preservation Office.

Capital Projects Types:

• American Disabilities Act (ADA) exterior access
• Awning rehabilitation / repair
• Cast iron restoration / repair
• Door / window / screen / trim restoration/repair
• Façade elements
• Foundation stabilization
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installation / repair (does not require an exterior project proposal) (see pg. 202)
• Historic accessory structures
• Interior: Electrical Upgrades (compatible with the restoration-period character of the interior and the request must be submitted together with an exterior project proposal)
• Interior: Mechanical Upgrades (compatible with the restoration-period character of the interior and the request must be submitted together with an exterior project proposal)
• Interior: Flooring (must be submitted together with an exterior project proposal) see pg. 204)
• Interior: Safety Upgrades (compatible with the restoration-period character of the interior and the request must be submitted together with an exterior project proposal) (see pg. 202)
• Interior: Masonry (compatible with the restoration-period character of the interior and the request must be submitted together with an exterior project proposal)
• Masonry rehabilitation / repair
• Millwork rehabilitation / repair
• Paint (in kind; must match existing unless pre-approved)
• Professional services or consultants required to support the project, such as Preservation
• Architects, Interpretive Planners, Architectural Historians, and other professional services contracts to support the project, its long-term preservation, or historic designation
• Roof Repair
• Sign installation (on private property and must comply with Historic Sign Standards)

Hoblitzelle Foundation Grant

Hoblitzelle Foundation was established by Karl and Esther Hoblitzelle in 1942 for charitable, scientific, literacy or educational purposes within the State of Texas.  Since inception, the Directors have approved over 3,400 grants, investing over $252 million in the social service, cultural, educational, and medical organizations in Texas.

What We Fund

The Foundation supports capital projects (i.e., building construction, acquisition, renovation, equipment, vehicles, and technology) of nonprofit organizations in Texas, primarily in the Dallas area.  When grants are made outside of this geographic preference, it is likely due to a historical interest exhibited by the founder, a current interest by a board member, or the large scope of impact the grant would have on that particular region of Texas.

Funding Categories

The foundation makes grants in the seven funding categories:

• Arts & Culture
  • The foundation supports efforts to enhance the quality of, and access to, arts and culture.
• Civic
  • Projects include neighborhood revitalization, support of philanthropy and volunteerism, civic education, museums and exhibits, parks, trails, and gardens.
• Disabled
  • The foundation supports therapy facilities, assisted and independent living communities, sheltered workshops, adaptive resources, and educational projects.
• Education
  • Projects include support for capital initiatives at independent and charter schools, higher education institutions, and at organizations that support public school students.
• Environment
  • The foundation supports initiatives to conserve natural resources, capital aspects of education programs, as well as zoos and animal welfare.
• Medical
  • Projects include support for capital initiatives at medical facilities, equipment for research or treatment, and a variety of health and welfare organizations.
• Social Services
  • The foundation supports the capital needs of a variety of organizations that address food insecurity, access to shelters and housing, special needs of seniors, family planning, counseling, children and youth needs, and general social service agencies.

History of Elizabeth Huth Coates Maddux

Elizabeth Huth Coates Maddux was born December 8, 1909 to Albert V. Huth and Theresa O’Farrell Huth.  Her great-grandfather, Ferdinand Louis Huth, came from Alsace, Lorraine and he settled Castroville in 1844.  Mrs. Maddux grew up surrounded by music.  Her father played violin and her mother played the piano.  They often played music in their home and the appreciation of music and opera was instilled in their five children.  Mrs. Maddux graduated from Incarnate Word High School and went on to attend Incarnate Word College as a music major.

Elizabeth Maddux was married to oilman, George H. Coates from 1943 until his death in 1973. It was said that George provided the means while Elizabeth provided the philanthropic inspiration which she had learned from her parents growing up in San Antonio. She spent the better part of her life working hard, using her time and resources to make San Antonio a better place to live.  Look around San Antonio and her generosity is on display everywhere.  The non-profit organizations she supported make up a very lengthy and diverse list.  One of her major gifts helped to create the San Antonio Museum of Art in what had been a long-abandoned brewery north of downtown.  A longtime supporter of the arts and education, she established the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992 to continue her legacy.  She was involved with her foundation until her death in 1996.

Guidelines

The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992 makes distributions only on an annual basis. These grants are directed to 501(c)(3) organizations which fall within the principal charitable purposes of the foundation as outlined in Article 2 of the document. Article 2 reads as follows:

"This trust is created and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes... Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the principal purpose of this trust is to provide financial assistance, to be used primarily in the State of Texas, with special emphasis to uses within Bexar County, Texas, for one or more of the following charitable purposes:

• The promotion, encouragement, understanding, appreciation and love of the arts.
• The support of educational institutions, with primary emphasis on those that would be commonly classified as private educational institutions as distinguished from public educational institutions.
• Medical research."

Our Mission

The Kerr Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit charitable and educational Oklahoma corporation, established to identify and support 501(c)3 organizations, programs and institutions that provide new or enhanced opportunities for those within the granting areas, particularly the young.

Program Categories

Education - Institutions of elementary, junior high, pre-collegiate, along with institutions of higher learning to include health science centers and medical research done by educational institutions

Arts and Culture - Organizations in the visual arts and performing arts areas, museums and libraries

Health - Institutions providing health care, doing medical research, or outreach organizations employing primarily professionals from the allied health area

Human Services - Organizations providing services in diverse areas to the public, and specifically to the disadvantaged, people with special needs and the elderly

Project Categories

Capital - Bricks and mortar projects, including equipment

Program - Programs having an objective and specified time span

Operating - Funds to be used to cover basic ongoing administrative and personnel expenses

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

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

Focus Areas

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

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

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

Meeting Basic Needs

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

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

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

Supporting Community Vitality

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

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

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

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

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

About

Established in 1981, the Lubbock Area Foundation changed its name to the Community Foundation of West Texas in September 2015. The Foundation is one of more than 700 community foundations in the United States today. We serve the following counties that make up the Texas South Plains area, Bailey, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Terry, and Yoakum by offering people a variety of ways to touch their community through philanthropic giving.

Our staff has an in-depth understanding of the issues, opportunities and resources that shape our community. They monitor all areas of community need - including human services, education, the environment, healthcare, the arts and economic development. We can help you learn more about local agencies and programs that make a difference in areas you care about most.

Sybil Harrington Endowment for the Arts Grant

The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment for the Arts supports the ongoing artistic and cultural efforts of organizations, both large and small, as well as new and unique arts initiatives in Lubbock and Hale counties. 

• Arts and Culture: Enriching lives through a diverse array of opportunities for the enjoyment and growth of appreciation of the arts.
  • Community events
  • Performing arts
  • Visual arts
  • Museums

Grants from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation help to advance the missions of nonprofit organizations that serve the people of Texas. Grants are made primarily to educational, health, human service, and cultural organizations. 

Sid W. Richardson established the Foundation in 1947. When substantial income from assets from the late Mr. Richardson’s estate became available in 1962, the Foundation began its current program of distributing major grants. Although his interests reached beyond Texas and his personal contacts were worldwide, he retained his utmost concern for the people of his home state. Throughout the years, the Board of Directors and staff have sought to fulfill his vision.

Because of his interest in the American West, Mr. Richardson became an avid collector of paintings by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell and other prominent American artists. Today, these magnificent paintings are on permanent exhibit in Fort Worth in the Sid Richardson Museum, which is supported by the Foundation.

Grants from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation help to advance the missions of nonprofit organizations that serve the people of Texas. Grants are made primarily to educational, health, human service, and cultural organizations. 

Sid W. Richardson established the Foundation in 1947. When substantial income from assets from the late Mr. Richardson’s estate became available in 1962, the Foundation began its current program of distributing major grants. Although his interests reached beyond Texas and his personal contacts were worldwide, he retained his utmost concern for the people of his home state. Throughout the years, the Board of Directors and staff have sought to fulfill his vision.

Because of his interest in the American West, Mr. Richardson became an avid collector of paintings by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell and other prominent American artists. Today, these magnificent paintings are on permanent exhibit in Fort Worth in the Sid Richardson Museum, which is supported by the Foundation.

Mission

Adlai McMillan "A.M." or "Aggie" Pate Jr. and his wife, Joyce Pate Capper, were prominent philanthropists and active in historical preservation and civic endeavors in Fort Worth and the State of Texas. Mr. Pate actively supported higher education and served as a trustee at Austin College and Texas Christian University. Pate also served on the board of YMCA, was active in Girls' Service League, the Fort Worth Zoological Foundation, and the Fort Worth Children's Museum - now the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of Texas Refinery Co., a company founded by his father, until his death.

The foundation supports charitable organizations within the state of Texas that are organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, artistic, educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Funding

The average grant award for a grant cycle is $10,000 - $15,000.

About the Foundation

The Clifton C. and Henryetta C. Doak Charitable Trust was created under the Last Will and Testament of Henryetta C. Doak in memory of her husband, Clifton C. Doak.Dr. Clifton C. Doak was born on January 15, 1895 in Hico, Texas. He received his master’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University in 1927 and his doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1933. He became an assistant professor at Texas A&M in 1929 and was head of the Biology Department from 1937 to 1960. After retiring from Texas A&M in 1960, he taught biology at Trinity University for three years.Dr. Doak was active in the community, serving on the boards of the Bryan Boys Club, the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, and the Bryan Rotary Club. He was also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Botanical Society of America, and he was past president of the Texas Academy of Science. Dr. Doak died on February 27, 1985, at the age of 90.Mrs. Doak was born on April 10, 1904 in Winona, Texas. She graduated from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas and became an elementary school teacher. Other than her interests in teaching and gardening, her life was dedicated to the support of her husband in his career and his community volunteer work. She died on February 27, 1992, at the age of 87.The Clifton C. and Henryetta C. Doak Charitable Trust serves as a legacy to Dr. and Mrs. Doak’s mutual concern for the community in which they lived for many years.

Mission

To support charitable organizations located in College Station, Texas.

Program Areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Environment, animals
• Health
• Human services
• Public/society benefit

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.

Humanities Texas 

Humanities Texas is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, educational organization incorporated by the State of Texas in  1972. The state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Humanities Texas receives its primary funding through federal appropriations to the NEH and additional support from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Since 2009, Humanities Texas has received an appropriation from the State of Texas exclusively for the administration of our professional development programs for Texas teachers. 

The Humanities Texas Grants Program

Humanities Texas grants enable communities throughout the state to develop programs of local interest promoting history, culture, and education. 

Since 1974, we have awarded more than 5,000 grants in 400 Texas communities supporting a wide range of public humanities programs, including lectures, oral history projects, museum exhibitions, teacher institutes, reading programs, and documentary films.

Annually, Humanities Texas awards an average of 150 grants to over 70 communities throughout the state. Contact our grants team to learn how we can support the work you do in your community!

Major Grants for Community Projects

Major grants for community projects fund comprehensive public programs such as lectures, seminars, and conferences; book and film discussions; interpretive exhibitions and materials; town forums and civic discussions; and teacher workshops. Programs should reflect substantial participation by both humanities scholars and members of the target audience(s).

Major Grants for Media Projects

Major grants for media projects fund up to $20,000 of the costs for film, radio, television, or interactive programming related to the humanities. Applicants can request funds for any stage of the project, including scripting, development, production, post-production, and in some cases, distribution and free public screenings. Humanities scholars should play an integral role in determining the content and approach of the project.

Major Grants for Planning

Major grants for planning projects fund up to $20,000 of the costs for community and media programs that are in an initial planning/development stage. The application must include both planning details and expected outcomes. 

About

Member of The Garden Club of America, River Oaks Garden Club was founded in 1927 and has made many contributions to the Houston community in the areas of conservation, horticulture and civic beautification. Proceeds from the Azalea Trail support these ongoing projects:

• Maintenance of River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics Building and Gardens. The gardens are open to the public.
• Maintenance of the 14-acre gardens of Bayou Bend, the former estate of Miss Ima Hogg, and now the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
• Establishment of the Bayou Bend Gardens Endowment, a charitable trust for the perpetual maintenance of the gardens. The endowment is supported by public contributions.
• Host of the annual Sadie Gwin Blackburn Environmental Seminar, which is open to the public. Admission is free.
• Publication of A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.
• Involvement

Mission Statement

Our Mission

The mission of The River Oaks Garden Club is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.

Corporate Contributions

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

Grants

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

Event Sponsorship

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