Grants for Nonprofits in Waco, Texas
A data-backed guide to Waco-area foundation funding, sourced directly from IRS 990-PF filings. Built for McLennan County's 0+ 501(c)(3) organizations.
Waco's philanthropic profile sits between the major Texas Triangle metros and the smaller regional cities. Two Waco-anchored foundations dominate. The Knapp Community Care Foundation (the largest health conversion foundation in Central Texas, serving McLennan and surrounding counties) and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation (education, social justice, democracy, with a strong Texas focus). Other major McLennan County funders include the Cooper Foundation (capital projects and community programs across Waco), the Gary and Diane Heavin Community Fund, the Moran Family Foundation, and the Jim and Paula McDonald Charitable Foundation. The Waco Foundation is the regional community foundation.
The Waco nonprofit sector is shaped by three institutional anchors. Baylor University (the largest Baptist university in the world and a major grant recipient), Ascension Providence and Baylor Scott & White hospitals, and a historically deep Baptist philanthropic network. The result is a nonprofit mix that tilts toward faith-based programming, higher-education partnerships, health, and human services for Central Texas. Food access (Caritas of Waco, Mission Waco), housing (Waco Habitat for Humanity), and youth development are consistently the largest non-institutional funding categories.
For a McLennan County nonprofit, the advantage is a small, well-networked funding community where local foundations fund deeply within the county. The constraint is that McLennan's total private foundation asset base is a fraction of the Texas Triangle metros, so most successful Waco nonprofits combine local funding with statewide and national grants. GrantDrop surfaces every McLennan County foundation plus Texas and national funders with a Waco-area giving record, pulled from current IRS 990-PF data.
Largest Foundations Headquartered in Waco
Ranked by total assets on most recent IRS 990-PF filing. Click a foundation name to see its full profile, officers, giving history, application info, and average grant size.
| Foundation | Total assets | Grants paid (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Knapp Community Care Foundation | $122M | $3M |
| Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation | $65M | $2M |
| Gary & Diane Heavin Community Fund | $24M | $2M |
| The Jim & Paula McDonald Charitable | $24M | $1M |
| The Moran Family Foundation | $21M | $0M |
Top Funders Giving to Waco Nonprofits
Foundations (based anywhere) that have given the most dollars to Waco-area nonprofits since 2016. Internal discovery target, these funders statistically give to Waco, so a well-fit Waco nonprofit has elevated odds.
| Funder | # grants | Total to Waco |
|---|---|---|
| The Big 12 Conference Inc (Irving, TX) | 6 | $235M |
| Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc | 1 | $140M |
| Caritas of Waco (Waco, TX) | 5 | $67M |
| Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center (Dallas, TX) | 19 | $34M |
| The Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation (Houston, TX) | 32 | $33M |
Notable Waco Grant Recipients
Top recipients by cumulative dollars received since 2016. Many are hospitals or universities; use this to gauge scale of giving, not as the benchmark for a small nonprofit's realistic ask.
| Recipient | # grants | Total received |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 1,056 | $406M |
| Brazos Electric Rate Payer Hardship Fund | 1 | $140M |
| 200-300 Different Organizations Receive Assistance Monthly From Caritas | 5 | $67M |
| The Tstc Foundation | 81 | $32M |
| Texas State Technical College | 49 | $24M |