Top 15 Grants for Texas Nonprofits in 2026

2026-04-01 · Jerry Wang

Finding grants in Texas

Texas has one of the largest nonprofit sectors in the country, with over 100,000 registered nonprofits. Competition for funding is real, but so is the availability. Between federal programs, state agencies, and Texas-based foundations, there's a wide range of opportunities.

Here are 15 grants worth looking at for Texas nonprofits in 2026, organized by type.

Federal grants available to Texas nonprofits

1. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

  • Agency: HUD, administered through Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for non-entitlement areas
  • Amount: $50,000 - $800,000+ depending on project
  • Focus: Housing, infrastructure, economic development, public services in low-to-moderate income communities
  • Deadline: Rolling; check TDA for current cycle
  • Good for: Rural Texas nonprofits partnering with local governments

2. USDA Community Facilities Grants

  • Agency: USDA Rural Development
  • Amount: Up to $100,000 (small communities under 5,500 population can apply for larger amounts)
  • Focus: Essential community facilities in rural areas (healthcare, education, public safety)
  • Deadline: Rolling
  • Good for: Rural nonprofits providing essential services

3. AmeriCorps State and National Grants

  • Agency: AmeriCorps (through OneStar Foundation in Texas)
  • Amount: Varies; covers member stipends and program costs
  • Focus: Education, disaster services, health, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship
  • Deadline: Typically spring for fall start
  • Good for: Nonprofits that can use service members to expand capacity

4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Grants

  • Agency: SAMHSA
  • Amount: $100,000 - $2,000,000+ depending on program
  • Focus: Mental health services, substance abuse treatment, prevention programs
  • Deadline: Multiple cycles throughout the year
  • Good for: Behavioral health nonprofits, community health centers

5. Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) Grants

  • Agency: Department of Justice
  • Amount: $300,000 - $1,000,000
  • Focus: Services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking
  • Deadline: Annual solicitations, typically spring
  • Good for: DV shelters, crisis centers, legal aid organizations

Texas state grants

6. Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Grants

  • Agency: HHSC
  • Amount: Varies by program
  • Focus: Family violence prevention, substance abuse services, disability services, children's mental health
  • Deadline: Multiple programs with different cycles
  • Good for: Social service nonprofits

7. Criminal Justice Division (CJD) Grants

  • Agency: Office of the Texas Governor
  • Amount: $25,000 - $500,000+
  • Focus: Victim services, juvenile justice, law enforcement support
  • Deadline: Annual solicitations
  • Good for: Victim advocacy organizations, juvenile programs

8. Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) Grants

  • Agency: TCA
  • Amount: $1,000 - $50,000
  • Focus: Arts programming, organizational support, touring, arts education
  • Deadline: Annual cycle, typically spring applications
  • Good for: Arts and cultural nonprofits

Texas foundation grants

9. Meadows Foundation

  • Amount: $25,000 - $250,000+ (average around $100K)
  • Focus: Education, health, human services, arts and culture, civic engagement in Texas
  • Deadline: Rolling (letter of inquiry first)
  • Good for: Texas nonprofits in most program areas

10. Houston Endowment

  • Amount: $50,000 - $500,000+
  • Focus: Education, arts, environment, and community in the Houston region
  • Deadline: By invitation or LOI
  • Good for: Houston-area nonprofits

11. Moody Foundation

  • Amount: $25,000 - $500,000+
  • Focus: Education, social services, community development in Texas (based in Galveston)
  • Deadline: Open applications accepted
  • Good for: Texas nonprofits, especially in Galveston and Southeast Texas

12. Communities Foundation of Texas

  • Amount: $5,000 - $100,000 (various donor-advised and competitive funds)
  • Focus: Education, basic needs, community development in North Texas
  • Deadline: Multiple cycles depending on program
  • Good for: DFW-area nonprofits

13. RGK Foundation

  • Amount: $25,000 - $200,000
  • Focus: Education, community, health (based in Austin)
  • Deadline: Rolling
  • Good for: Austin-area and Texas nonprofits

14. Shield-Ayres Foundation

  • Amount: $10,000 - $100,000
  • Focus: Education, youth development, health services in Texas
  • Deadline: Annual cycle
  • Good for: Youth-serving nonprofits

15. Kronkosky Charitable Foundation

  • Amount: $25,000 - $300,000
  • Focus: Arts, children, elderly, animals in Bandera, Bexar, Comal, and Kendall counties
  • Deadline: LOI required first
  • Good for: San Antonio-area nonprofits

Tips for Texas nonprofit grant seekers

  1. Start with your region. Texas foundations often focus on specific areas (Houston, DFW, Austin, San Antonio, rural). Find the foundations in your backyard first.
  1. Don't ignore state agencies. Texas state grants are less competitive than federal and often have simpler applications.
  1. Check your readiness. Before spending weeks on an application, make sure your nonprofit has the basics in place. Use our free Grant Readiness Assessment to evaluate.
  1. Join your regional association. Organizations like the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO) and Grants Professionals Association (GPA) Texas chapter provide resources and networking.
  1. Plan ahead. Most grants have fixed deadlines. Use our Deadline Calculator to build a preparation timeline.

Find grants matched to your mission

Manually searching through hundreds of federal and foundation opportunities takes hours. GrantDrop uses AI to match your nonprofit's mission with relevant grants automatically.

Sign up free to get AI-matched grant recommendations, or try our free grant writing tools to strengthen your next application.