Leland Fikes Foundation Grant

The Leland Fikes Foundation, a private philanthropic organization, has evolved over the years to focus on a refined set of funding priorities, emphasizing strategic impact and equity. Originally supporting a broad range of causes, the Foundation now concentrates its giving on four primary program areas: Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice (RHRJ); Democracy; Dallas-Area Human Services; and Medical Research. Its approach integrates general operations, direct services, advocacy, capacity building, and strategic litigation. The Foundation also prioritizes advancing racial equity across all funded initiatives, urging applicants to articulate how these principles are embedded in their programs and organizational practices. In the area of Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, the Foundation supports access to reproductive healthcare, contraception, and abortion services, as well as education and the development of healthcare providers. It also funds advocacy, research, and legal strategies aimed at protecting and expanding reproductive rights. Under the Democracy focus, it invests in efforts to bolster a free and inclusive democratic system, including support for public policy development, voting rights and access, civil rights protections, election infrastructure, and fact-based journalism. The Dallas-Area Human Services priority focuses on improving quality of life for local residents through services that address homelessness, food insecurity, and both physical and mental health. In the field of Medical Research, the Foundation collaborates with UT Southwestern Medical Center to support promising scientific research that can improve medical knowledge and healthcare delivery. Across all four areas, the Foundation embeds a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice, particularly with respect to combatting systemic racism. The Foundation accepts applications by invitation only. Interested 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations must first be invited to apply and will then be provided access to a private application portal. Political organizations or individuals are ineligible to receive funding. The Foundation board reviews proposals on a quarterly basis, with fixed deadlines throughout the calendar year: January 9 (Q1), April 10 (Q2), July 3 (Q3), and October 2 (Q4). Note that the July 3 deadline may fall on a holiday for some organizations, and early submission is encouraged. After the October deadline, the application calendar is updated for the following year. Applicants are evaluated based on alignment with the Foundation’s strategic priorities, their capacity to implement proposed initiatives, and their approach to advancing equity. While the Foundation does not fund partisan political activity, it does support advocacy and policy work within its defined issue areas. The Foundation funds organizations with a national scope, as well as those working statewide in Texas and locally in the Dallas area. Its commitment to long-term impact is reflected in its consistent funding across all four program areas over the last decade. For inquiries, applicants can contact the Foundation directly via email at [email protected]. While there is no publicly available PDF or open application form, invited applicants receive a link to the secure submission portal. The Foundation's review process culminates in board meetings each quarter, where final funding decisions are made. As a result, the grant process emphasizes both strategic alignment and organizational readiness, supporting programs that contribute to systemic change within the Foundation's priority domains.