Frequently Asked Questions:
If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact our Grants Department.
Q: How do I apply for a grant?
A: Applicants must first submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) through our online process. Once submitted you will receive an email confirming your LOI has been received. Upon review, the foundation will contact you to invite a full proposal or to decline your request.
Q. What are the deadlines for submitting a LOI?
A: The foundation accepts LOI’s anytime throughout the year; however, it is a good idea to submit your LOI several months before funding is needed.
Q: How long after submitting my LOI will I be notified of the outcome?
A: Once received, the LOI is reviewed by foundation staff to determine whether the foundation’s present interests, guidelines, mission and funds permit consideration of the request. If the request is clearly outside the foundation’s funding guidelines, an immediate declination email and/or letter will be sent to the applicant within 2 weeks. Should the LOI merit further consideration, it will be presented to the foundation’s Charitable Activities Committee within 6 weeks (depending on receipt date and meeting schedule). The Charitable Activities Committee will review the LOI and decide to either invite a full proposal or decline the LOI. The foundation’s final determination on the LOI is typically conveyed to the applicant within one week of the committee’s decision.
Q: If my LOI is accepted, does that mean our organization is likely to be funded?
A: Not necessarily. If you are invited to submit a full proposal on the basis of your LOI, the invitation does not mean the request has been approved. It means the foundation is willing to give the proposed project further consideration.
Q: Before submitting a LOI, can you tell me if the foundation is interested or would consider the type of grant I am looking for?
A: We can give you a better response after reviewing the LOI, which provides the information necessary to determine the foundation’s interest. As long as the LOI reflects the interests of the foundation as outlined in our funding principles, we would like a chance to review it.
Q: What is the average size of your grants?
A: Our grants range from $1,000 to $3M. The average grant is around $300,000; however, grant size is dependent on a number of factors so an average may be misleading.
Q: Do you fund multi-year grants?
A: Yes, the foundation supports multi-year grants. Generally, this is on a case-by-case basis depending on the complexity of the project.
Q: Do you fund individual scholarships?
A: At this time the foundation does not provide individual scholarships, but rather chooses to fund scholarship programs through grants to institutions of higher education.
Q: What types of grants are eligible for funding?
A: The foundation funds:
- Within the context of the foundation’s funding principles, grant requests will be considered only from organizations operating in Texas that are tax exempt as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or certain others which have eligible tax-exempt status.
- The Foundation will consider only one application from an organization (in the case of a college/university meaning unit or department) within a twelve month period.
- No proposal from an organization previously funded by the foundation will be considered unless a full and timely report of expenditure of the previous grant has been submitted.
Q: Our LOI was declined. May we re-submit?
A: Yes; however, the foundation will consider only one LOI from an organization (in the case of a college/university meaning unit or department) within a twelve month period.
Q: Who should I contact if I have questions about the application process?
A: Questions regarding the application process may be sent to the foundation’s grants manager.
