El Paso Community Foundation Grant

The El Paso Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization with a longstanding commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the greater El Paso region, offers an open grant opportunity to nonprofit organizations addressing local community needs. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded over $249 million in grants, demonstrating its broad commitment to philanthropy across El Paso, far west Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico. The Foundation operates with a vision of fostering innovation and collaboration while supporting programs that create meaningful and sustainable community impact. The Foundation supports grant applications in six main focus areas: Arts & Humanities, Education, Environment/Animals, Health & Disabilities, Human Services (basic human needs), and Economic Development. This diversity in funding areas reflects the Foundation’s goal of tackling a wide range of social, economic, and cultural challenges in the region. It encourages applicants to submit proposals that are not only impactful but also forward-thinking, especially those that explore new approaches and take calculated risks to improve the effectiveness of service delivery. Programs that foster collaboration among organizations or produce high community impact with a moderate level of funding are particularly prioritized. Grants are open to nonprofit organizations located in or serving the greater El Paso area. The Foundation explicitly excludes individuals, capital campaigns, fundraising events, religious activities, political or partisan purposes, and organizations outside the geographic focus area from eligibility. Nonprofits may only submit one application per funding source during any 12-month period. In addition, if a prior grant was received and requires reporting, the corresponding report must be submitted before applying for a new grant. This ensures transparency and accountability in the grant process. Applications are accepted during two cycles each year. The first opens on January 1 and closes on February 1, while the second cycle opens on July 1 and closes on August 1. Based on the current analysis date of February 20, 2026, the next available cycle will begin on July 1, 2026. Applications are accepted for a period of 30 days. The Foundation does not require a pre-application, such as a Letter of Intent or concept paper, and all submissions must be completed through their application portal, with the option to save and return to the application prior to final submission. Evaluation criteria focus heavily on the program’s potential for innovation, moderate funding requests with high community return, and documented partnerships or collaborations. The Foundation’s grant review process is competitive and favors programs that are ready to execute and align with one or more of the Foundation’s strategic funding priorities. While specific application components are not listed, applicants are advised to avoid formatting their submissions in all-uppercase letters and ensure that all required reporting is up to date. For questions, applicants are directed to contact Bonita Johnson at [email protected] or call (915) 533-4020. Physical correspondence can be sent to P.O. Box 272, El Paso, Texas 79943, while the office is located at 333 N Oregon St., 2nd Floor, El Paso, TX 79901. No PDF link was provided in the available source. This grant program is recurring on a biannual basis, and the next internal review date is set for July 1, 2026.

Do not use all-uppercase text in application; submit all previous required reports before applying