Texas Grants

The Sid W. Richardson Foundation provides grants to support the missions of non-profit organizations serving the people of Texas, with a focus on educational, health, human service, and cultural programs and projects. Established in 1947 by Sid W. Richardson, the Foundation began distributing major grants in 1962, following the availability of substantial income from assets from Richardson's estate. Despite Richardson's global interests, his primary concern remained with the people of his home state of Texas. The Foundation, through its Board of Directors and staff, continues to fulfill his vision by prioritizing grants that directly benefit clients or target audiences, particularly in smaller communities and rural areas. Grants are not available to individuals but are made primarily to organizations within Texas, especially those in the Fort Worth area for human services and cultural organizations. Grant renewed every year. Annual Fall deadline: September 15th.

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) 2025 Improvement Grant Request for Applications (RFA) aims to enhance indigent defense services across Texas. This initiative aligns with a foundational mission to ensure quality legal representation for indigent defendants, a critical component of a fair justice system. By offering competitive grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, TIDC seeks to foster the development of new programs and processes that address the specific needs and challenges within the state's indigent defense landscape. The grants typically require county matching funds, promoting local investment and commitment to these crucial services. The primary beneficiaries of these grants are Texas counties, law school legal clinics, regional public defenders, and nonprofit corporations that provide indigent defense services. The ultimate impact goal is to improve the quality of representation for indigent defendants and to implement cost-containment initiatives for counties. TIDC prioritizes programs that establish managed indigent defense systems, including public defender and managed assigned counsel programs, as well as specialized services for clients with mental health challenges, regional services, and programs serving rural areas. Additionally, programs that measure the quality of representation and implement process management software are given precedence. The grant program features several categories designed to address various needs. Multi-Year Improvement Grants support ongoing indigent defense representation programs, offering funding over four years with a declining reimbursement rate and requiring a cash match. Rural Regional Public Defender Sustainability Grants focus on regional programs in three or more counties with populations under 100,000, providing significant initial and ongoing sustainability funding. Single-Year Improvement Grants target process improvement and technology projects, while Technical Support Grants fund special projects like research, program assessments, and pilot initiatives to build knowledge and test new processes. Expected outcomes include the establishment of new public defender offices and managed assigned counsel systems, the development of specialized defender offices for mental health or juvenile cases, and the deployment of indigent defense coordinators. These outcomes are designed to create more robust, equitable, and efficient indigent defense systems across Texas. The TIDC's strategic priorities and theory of change center on the belief that by investing in diverse, targeted programs, counties can develop sustainable, high-quality indigent defense services that not only meet legal requirements but also significantly improve the lives of indigent defendants and reduce long-term county operating costs.

The Local Parks Grant Program offers five individual grants to assist local government units in Texas with the acquisition and/or development of public recreation areas and facilities. This program aims to enhance public access to recreational opportunities, dedicating all grant-assisted sites to parkland in perpetuity. Funded by a portion of the state sales tax on sporting goods and federal off-shore gas royalties, the program supports projects that ensure sites are properly maintained and open to the public.

This program provides financial assistance to Texas counties for essential public services, including law enforcement and court operations, to support the prosecution of serious crimes.

This grant provides financial support to tax-exempt organizations to engage under-served populations in outdoor recreation, conservation, and environmental education across Texas.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Texas-based nonprofit organizations for music-related educational and community programs that are accessible to all ages.

This grant provides financial assistance to Texas law enforcement agencies for covering travel expenses related to training peace officers in advanced rapid response techniques.

These grants support 501(c)(3) organizations in preserving Texas history. Eligible projects include historic property preservation, events promoting state history, preservation of artifacts or archival materials, Texas history education, museum programming, publications on Texas history, archeology, and cultural heritage. Grants are awarded quarterly for up to $5,000 (micro-grants) and annually for up to $25,000. Applicants must submit a letter of inquiry detailing their project to grants@texashistoricalfoundation.org by no later than April 1, 2024. Approved funding for 2024 will be announced by the last week of September, 2024.

The Texas Water Development Board's Agricultural Water Conservation Program focuses on promoting water conservation in the agricultural sector through various initiatives, including Ag Conservation Loans and Grants. These efforts aim to support infrastructure improvements and innovative practices for efficient water use among political subdivisions, state agencies, and producers. The grant program offers up to $1.5 million annually, encouraging applications from political subdivisions and state agencies, with producers also eligible to participate in projects. A local match, typically 50%, is required. The program emphasizes collaboration with stakeholders to implement best management practices, education, and outreach to optimize irrigation efficiency and water conservation across Texas.

The Texans Feeding Texans Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program aims to supplement and extend current home-delivered meal programs for seniors and/or disabled Texans. Eligible entities include governmental and non-profit agencies. The program involves counties making qualifying grants to meal providers based on a rate of $0.25 per county senior as reported in the 2020 census. Meal providers must receive a grant from the county, deliver meals to homebound elderly or disabled individuals, and complete a required application. The Texas Department of Agriculture facilitates the funding process.

The ESF Focused Support Grant aims to provide resources and support to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to ensure campuses identified for improvement fully implement the Foundational Essential Actions in the ESF. This initiative seeks to significantly and sustainably improve student outcomes by supporting LEAs with Title I served campuses identified for federal improvement. The grant supports engagement in an ESF Diagnostic leading to a Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) and collaboration with a Vetted Improvement Program (VIP) to enhance educational practices. The grant period extends until September 30, 2026, emphasizing substantial and supplementary support to identified campuses to foster educational excellence and equity.

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) is offering grants to recruit first-time tenure-track faculty members to Texas institutions. This initiative aims to bolster cancer research by supporting promising investigators pursuing their first faculty appointment. The grant offers up to $2,000,000 over 5 years, focusing on academic excellence, innovation, and potential for significant cancer research impact. The program stresses strong institutional support for candidates' career development, exceeding 50% of the CPRIT award.

This program provides cash grants to commercial productions that spend at least $100,000 in Texas and employ a majority of Texas residents, helping to boost the local economy.

The Edwards Aquifer Authority's 2024 Groundwater Conservation Grant Program supports agricultural irrigation efficiency improvements within its jurisdiction, encompassing over 8,000 square miles across eight Texas counties. This initiative aims to incentivize the adoption of water-saving practices among Edwards Aquifer permit holders, enhancing groundwater conservation efforts. Qualified projects that demonstrate potential groundwater savings are eligible for funding. Applicants are required to provide detailed project proposals, including descriptions of current and proposed irrigation methods, equipment to be used, and comprehensive cost estimates.

This grant provides financial incentives for reality television projects that spend a minimum of $250,000 in Texas, employ a predominantly local crew and cast, and conduct most of their filming in the state, fostering economic growth and job creation.

This program provides financial incentives to video game developers who spend at least $100,000 in Texas, ensuring that a significant portion of their production and workforce is based in the state.

This grant provides cash incentives to film and television projects that spend a minimum of $250,000 in Texas and employ a significant number of Texas residents, promoting local economic growth and tourism.

This program provides cash grants to animation and visual effects projects in Texas that meet specific spending and local employment criteria, promoting economic growth in the state's creative industry.

The Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant Program (DEAAG) is an infrastructure grant program aimed at supporting defense communities in Texas affected by changes in Department of Defense activities. This program offers financial assistance to local municipalities, counties, defense base development authorities, junior college districts, Texas State Technical College campuses, and regional planning commissions. DEAAG grants, ranging from $50,000 to $5 million per project, are available to meet matching requirements for federal funding. Grants are awarded based on criteria such as military value, project completion, dual benefit to military and community, alignment with the National Defense Strategy, support for new missions, resiliency, cost efficiency, impact significance, and funding contributions. The application process opens on September 2, 2024, with a deadline of October 11, 2024, for submission. Awards are announced in January 2025.

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) aims to fund the dissemination of successful cancer control interventions through its Dissemination of CPRIT-Funded Cancer Control Interventions (DI) award. This program supports the sharing and adoption of effective cancer prevention and control strategies across Texas, focusing on previously funded CPRIT projects. Eligible projects are those that have concluded within the last three years or are ongoing expansion efforts, with a funding cap of $450,000 over 36 months. The initiative stresses active dissemination strategies and the development of products with practical impact, targeting resource-limited and medically underserved areas.