Florence Foundation Grant Program

The Florence Foundation is a public charitable trust established in 1956 by Fred F. Florence and Helen Lefkowitz Florence. Initially funded with just $5,000, the foundation has since awarded over $3 million in grants to promote the well-being of humanity. Its creation reflects the founders’ commitment to supporting a broad range of charitable activities rooted in education, health, religion, and science. Today, the foundation is administered through the Texas office of Bank of America’s Philanthropic Solutions division. The foundation’s purpose is to support exclusively educational, scientific, literary, religious, or other charitable endeavors. Its areas of emphasis include scientific research to advance human knowledge, education through scholarships for individuals with financial need, aid to charitable institutions, care for the sick and elderly, public recreation, and initiatives aimed at reducing ignorance, poverty, crime, and vice. The foundation prioritizes programs that directly impact these sectors and has a special interest in projects that offer long-term solutions to human challenges. Grant requests are considered from IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organizations located within Texas, with preference given to organizations based in Dallas County and surrounding areas. While the foundation may, at its discretion, award grants outside of Texas, unsolicited applications from out-of-state organizations are not accepted. In addition, to manage its limited funding pool effectively, the foundation restricts eligibility to organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $20 million. The Florence Foundation supports a variety of funding types including capital campaigns, special projects, endowment campaigns, and general program support. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are awarded for a one-year term. The foundation does not support applications related to debt retirement, loans, or media-related production and publication efforts. Applications are managed through Bank of America’s Texas office and must be submitted online by the annual deadline of August 1. No rolling submissions are accepted. Applicants are encouraged to download and review the Procedures document and Online Application Help PDF available on the Bank of America Philanthropic Solutions website. These resources include detailed information on the process and required documents. All applicants must ensure their proposals align with the foundation’s mission and regional priorities. Inquiries about the application process should be directed to the Texas philanthropic office via email at tx.philanthropic@bofa.com, with “The Florence Foundation” noted in the subject line. More detailed procedural information is available in the foundation’s procedures document accessible through Bank of America’s grant portal. The foundation does not list prior recipients publicly, and it does not specify an award date, but the firm deadline and structured application window imply a defined annual funding cycle.